I just moved to Florida and first thing I wanted to do is build a large enclosure for my two sulcatas and one leopard. We have spent about $1000. I have the posts in place and I am digging a foot deep trench so we can bury the fencing. I plan on bringing them in at night because I am afraid of predators. My question is, how do I cover a 50'x50' enclosure? Two of my babies are about 6" and I'm afraid they will be picked up by hawks as they are everywhere here.
new enclosure
- Thread starter snoit83
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This is just an idea as I am new to tortoises so it may not be a good idea but we free range chickens and they sell or you can make portable pens that even have house on one side. They are great for protecting chickens from predators and keep them contained while allowing them to free range. You can move the pen each day. Just an idea.
Start them out on a smaller area maybe 5x5 depending on how big they are. That way you can protect them and find them. As they get older you can just keep goin bigger till they are ready for the big pen. The sulcatas will grow fairly quick but I would start smaller and expand
Use bird netting. Thats what i use over my little outdoor area.
Sorry i took so long to respond. Here is my little outdoor setup. Mine are only about 4". I leave them out pretty much all day when its nice out.
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You will need to expand eventually, actually, fairly soon. You will need the entire area.
But when they are so small, you could use only part of it, so it will be easier to cover with bird netting. You would have to make a frame; a wood frame or 3/4 inch PVC works well,covered with bird netting. They make garden clips to snap on to hold the netting in place.
When your torts are large enough, hawks won't be able to carry them away and you can open up the whole area.
But when they are so small, you could use only part of it, so it will be easier to cover with bird netting. You would have to make a frame; a wood frame or 3/4 inch PVC works well,covered with bird netting. They make garden clips to snap on to hold the netting in place.
When your torts are large enough, hawks won't be able to carry them away and you can open up the whole area.
A 50x50 area sounds difficult to cover..
Do you have pictures of the pen?
My thoughts would be to make posts from pvc (easy and cheap) placed along the pen walls and throughout to work like a frame or supports for some netting.. ?
Good luck. Hope you figure out something
Do you have pictures of the pen?
My thoughts would be to make posts from pvc (easy and cheap) placed along the pen walls and throughout to work like a frame or supports for some netting.. ?
Good luck. Hope you figure out something
I just think it would be cheaper to build a smaller pen inside the large one and cover It once they get big enough you won't even have to cover the big 50x50 but up to you. Good luck post pictures when you do get it done. Nets are all Ivan think of that would be cheaper
I have tried for an hour to post a picture!!! Man!! I guess posting from my phone just isn't going to work. We finally got the fencing up yesterday. Its an L shape. We are down to out last $250 so I was thinking for an easy fix I could get a huge roll of netting. Maybe 100' x 50' and putting a few polls in the middle and making it.like a tent. It wouldn't be the prettiest thing but it would keep the hawks out. Frank is about a foot long. I don't think.they can get him and it will be sectioned off for the smaller ones so I was thinking only doing a section maybe 25' in netting. The PVC frame is a great idea! I will try to post pictures.
Why type of phone? Sometimes the app is glitchy.
I just thought of something, I went to a place where they used string, they put the string up over the top and it were about 1x1foot grid made of this string, it kepts hawks and seagulls out cuz they can't fly through the holes without folding there wings in and if they did they wouldn't have time to recover and hit the ground and in theory it kept them from going into that area. Idk where I saw it but and idea.
I just thought of something, I went to a place where they used string, they put the string up over the top and it were about 1x1foot grid made of this string, it kepts hawks and seagulls out cuz they can't fly through the holes without folding there wings in and if they did they wouldn't have time to recover and hit the ground and in theory it kept them from going into that area. Idk where I saw it but and idea.
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