New Outdooor Enclosure & Grazing Box

[DesertGrandma]

As promised, here are pics of my new grazing box and permanent outdooor enclosure for baby torts.
The grazing box is a sweater box that has holes drilled in the bottom for drainage. It is planted with organic potting soil and bermuda and dichondra seed. Parts of the lid have been removed and a piece of screening inserted to keep out birds. As you can see, the screening can be fixed in placed by closing the original closures on the box over the original lid. It is portable and can be moved in/out of the sun, depending on temp. Lucy is grazing/sleeping in it now.
The permanent outdoor enclosure is made of cement blocks topped with red bricks. The lid is made of redwood and is hiinged so either side can be opened by folding it over. Hardware cloth is stapled to the lid to keep out predators. I still need to put in the two terra cotta pots for hides and a solid surface cover for shade until the tree get big enough to provide late afternoon shade. It is planted with tortoise grass mix in organic soil. I liked the cement blocks because it can be enlarged easily in the future. An automatic sprinkler will be the next step as it dries out rather quickly in the AZ heat.
Any comments for improvements are welcomed. Thanks for looking.

 

[Tropical Torts]

Looks great, you did a nice job! what are the dimensions of the outdoor enlcosure?

 

[Fernando]

Cool little enclosures!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Screening keeps out the UVB rays as well as birds. I personally think you should use something with bigger holes in it as your screening is kinda small. Maybe one of our resident experts can chime in and tell us if I'm wrong or right???

 

[DesertGrandma]

Looks great, you did a nice job! what are the dimensions of the outdoor enlcosure?

It is about 30x30. Outside dimensions are 4 ft x 4 ft. Won't be long until it will need to be enlarged.

 

[Zouave]

Great looking spaces.

With all due respect Maggie, that screen couldn't possibly filter out UVA/B.

Screening keeps out the UVB rays as well as birds. I personally think you should use something with bigger holes in it as your screening is kinda small. Maybe one of our resident experts can chime in and tell us if I'm wrong or right???

 

[DesertGrandma]

Screening keeps out the UVB rays as well as birds. I personally think you should use something with bigger holes in it as your screening is kinda small. Maybe one of our resident experts can chime in and tell us if I'm wrong or right???

Oh really. Never thought of that. Hope some others will chime in too. Since it isn't permanently attached will be no problem to use something else. thx

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Cool little enclosures!

thanks. My husband did all the work

 

[OllieInAZ]

Looks very nice! I love your grazing box idea.

Please share your secret to keeping your grass so green in the Phoenix summer? What's your watering schedule? Is it shaded part of the day?

 

[DixieParadise]

You guys keep the info coming...all your ideas are swimming freely in my head. I only hope when I get my permanant enclosure finished, it looks as cool as the ones everyone is posting.

Looks great...good idea about the grazing box.

 

[coreyc]

Nice enclosure that screen will be fine it's the small screen you have to watch out for the stuff you have looks like 1/2 squares it wouldn't block UV you will be fine

 

[DesertGrandma]

Looks very nice! I love your grazing box idea.

Please share your secret to keeping your grass so green in the Phoenix summer? What's your watering schedule? Is it shaded part of the day?

Hi Charles,
So far I have been watering every morning and evening, and it is on southwest side of the house so doesn't get full sun till the later afternoon. I guess you could say it is a morning pen, haha. Don't know what will happen when it hits the 115 mark, so far hasn't been that hot.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Nice!

 

[Yvonne G]

Great looking spaces.

With all due respect Maggie, that screen couldn't possibly filter out UVA/B.

Well, it might not filter out ALL of it, but it certainly DOES filter out some of it. Just like the window glass on the house doesn't allow the UV through. The small spaces in the screen and the UV just bounces right back. Talking about the regular screen material on the first two pictures, not the black plastic on the second two pictures.

Maybe outdoors is different than indoors and UV lighting, but I've seen the studies. Mark (madkins007 ) might be able to give us the link.

 

[Jacob]

Looks Great!

 

[Zouave]

Great looking spaces.

With all due respect Maggie, that screen couldn't possibly filter out UVA/B.

Well, it might not filter out ALL of it, but it certainly DOES filter out some of it. Just like the window glass on the house doesn't allow the UV through. The small spaces in the screen and the UV just bounces right back. Talking about the regular screen material on the first two pictures, not the black plastic on the second two pictures.

Maybe outdoors is different than indoors and UV lighting, but I've seen the studies. Mark (madkins007 ) might be able to give us the link.

Some meaning very, very little. Try using one as protection next time you go to the beach. lol We're talking radiation here folks. Home windows (new ones) have UV coatings as do some eye/sunglasses etc etc much different. Any UV that screen would filter would be negligible. Like getting a tan/burn on a cloudy day, just takes a little longer.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Thanks everyone for all your comments. I appreciate it!!