poor woman's enclosure

[sheilaamistone1974]

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/a7cb8a8e.jpg
http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/9e485d47.jpg
http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/5ec8c2ce.jpg

ok, so I lost my job last wk. so money is VERY tight. this is my best attempt with no money right now for an outside enclosure. first picture is just the wood so he can't dig out. on the second picture, I just need to know if I'm missing anything besides the roof. I need to know the tempatures to which a 5 wk old sulcata can stay outside during the day only. the last picture is of a weed in Utah that I need to see if anybody knows what it is and if it is safe for pokey to eat!

 

[pugsandkids]

I would get rid of the shavings for something like clean dirt, coconut coir, or cypress mulch. Otherwise it looks good! I don't know about length of time, or the weed. I know others will chime in

 

[wellington]

Sorry to hear about your job, that sucks As far as the enclosure. Water dish, unless that is what the black thing is. Maybe some edible plants so he can graze and feel a little more secure, not so exposed. That's all see, it's looking pretty good.

 

[Jacob]

Sorry To hear, that enclosure will work. Plain ol reg dirt will work fine maybe any plants you have in pots that the tort cant get to eat for shade Until you have the money to really do what you want.

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

I'm hoping before to long to get it switched to dirt. I already had this stuff in the house. I will try to get some plants. we don't have any plants in the house since I don't have a green thumb. yes that black thing is going to be the water dish.

 

[Laura]

is it pine shavings? switch it before you put the baby in there...
Id put some sort of potted plant for natural shade as well.

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

no. it's aspen shavings

 

[Michael Bird]

The weed looks like yarrow to me. There are several different varieties native to Utah and we get the white variety in your picture a lot in northern Utah. I don't know for sure if it is actually edible for tortoises or not, but I can say that my Greek tortoise doesn't like it. She nibbled at it once or twice and never touched it again..

Also, the USU extension office (a great resource for agricultural info in the state) says this about yarrow:

Yarrow provides poor to fair cattle forage and fair to good sheep forage, especially the inflorescence. It is usually grazed only when it's green, and it may contain toxic alkaloids and glycosides.

http://extension.usu.edu/rangeplants/htm/western-yarrow

The "toxic alkaloids and glycosides" makes me think it probably wouldn't be a good thing to feed the tortoises, at least not very often.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

There's no hide in there and you ALWAYS need to give them a hide. I personally think that you need to go around to some construction sites and get some wood or (my favorite) cinder blocks. You can make a great enclosure out of cinder blocks and that way the little guy can walk around and graze and get more exercise and have more fun. So go scrounge some blocks and make a bigger outside pen...oh and don't forget the hide...

 

[ascott]

Very cool....I would use something to cover the top though...since you have such a young tiny baby....those are easily carried off by a variety of bird species...

I too would get rid of the shavings....go somewhere in your yard and dig up some of your free dirt (free of chemicals of course) and use that...will feel much more natural under foot to your tort....

Also, make sure there is shade in a part of the space to assure no over heating....

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

Maggie for now the dog house will be a hide. as far as cinder blocks, without money to for stuff to hold them together, that won't work. I have a pot belly pig and 2 large dogs who would EASLY knock them over. the way I made this, they can't knock it over. for now, he has enough room since he will fit into 3" plant saucer. eventually we want dirt with shavings and grass and more space. for now, top priority it the top and plants.

Angela: the top is today's project. as far as shavings, we started out in the house with dirt and he HATED it. he kept flipping himself on his back. when I changed it to the shavings, he stopped flipping himself over and was able to dig. we did not change anything else.

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/c9f7a4f8.jpg
is this better

 

[ascott]

Nice and I totally get it about the poor womans way...lol.....I was laid off over a year ago from a county job....I am lucky that I had just decreased my cost of living tremendously the couple years before and had a few penniesfor set aside and a little unemployment to help out....not getting the unemployment any longer but not worried...all will work itself out and I will pick up some type of income here soon....

I am 44 years old and have done the gotta make lots of cash jobs in the past...so now at this stage of my life I only am looking for somewhere to muck about a bit...make a paycheck and go home and enjoy my son, family, friends and shelled buddies...lol....

Although, even before I was laid off I always loved loved loved it when I was able to use items at hand vs going out for getting new stuff (I am one of those weirdos that always see death of the environment with wasteful spending to obtain items not needed if you can dust off and revamp something already here, ya know?)

Anyways....I think you have done a great job....I would watch how the sun moves during the late afternoon when the sun angle shifts to rays coming into the enclosure from the side....maybe put a solid piece of something against the justice behind the tortoise house so it wont get direct rays in it heating it up.....plus...love the substrate now !!!

---

Apologies ....using my smarty pants smart phone and it always adds words when it feels like it....so in the last paragraph of the last post, you can just ignore the word justice....lol

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

Angela: whare I have it, the house shades 1/2 of it in the late afternoon (from 3pm on).

 

[ascott]

Oh perfect

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

now only one problem: I'm very sunburned. ouch!!!! hehehe

 

[ascott]

LOL....

 

[sheilaamistone1974]

http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/05edf676.jpg
http://i1194.photobucket.com/albums/aa373/sheilaamistone1974/ea990075.jpg
and pokey is the final touch!

 

[lynnedit]

Hope your sunburn heals, but Pokey's enclosure came out very well!

 

[ascott]

Ah yes...very nice..