Quarantine for a new baby tortoise ?
- Thread starter Bee62
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Yes definitely for a minimum of 6 months.
Sure, you can shorten it if you want to risk the health of your tortoises.
If these are all young tortoises, you do know you will most likely have to house all of them separately as they would be too young to sex. Just be prepared. Even now they will need a very large enclosure so they don't bully each other or the one they perceive as the weakest
If these are all young tortoises, you do know you will most likely have to house all of them separately as they would be too young to sex. Just be prepared. Even now they will need a very large enclosure so they don't bully each other or the one they perceive as the weakest
My vet recommends 12 months of quarantine and several rounds of diagnostic testing, if you wish to protect your existing herd.
Is the new one coming from the same source as the first three? Has it had any contact with other tortoises? Does the breeder have multiple species?
Is the new one coming from the same source as the first three? Has it had any contact with other tortoises? Does the breeder have multiple species?
The problem with tortoises is that they're slow ... and that includes slow to show signs of ill health.
A long quarantine period gives both the new tort and the ones you own opportunity to show any illness or parasites that they have picked up.
There is no way of shortening this period without putting all your tortoises at risk. You must maintain proper hygiene throughout and take care with hand washing and to use separate equipment.
O.K. I understand that there is no way to shorten the length of quarantine for the new one.
Thank you @JoesMum , @wellington and @Tom for your answers.
The new tort comes from another breeder. He keeps the babies not together with his adult torts and he is only keeping sulcatas. He wrote me that his adult torts are all checked by a VET and never been sick, nor the babies he sells, but I know that some breeders tell you a lot of fairytails to sell their torts...
So the new tort baby will get an extra indoor enclosure and I follow your advice of proper hygiene.
Thank you !
@wellington
I was told that sulcatas can do well in a group, when they are young. Because of building a group I bought this new one. I thought 4 are better than 3. My three ones are always together and I cant see any bullying yet. Alll three torts grew steady and gain steady in weight.
But when they grew older and something went wrong I can keep them seperate from each other.
Thank you @JoesMum , @wellington and @Tom for your answers.
The new tort comes from another breeder. He keeps the babies not together with his adult torts and he is only keeping sulcatas. He wrote me that his adult torts are all checked by a VET and never been sick, nor the babies he sells, but I know that some breeders tell you a lot of fairytails to sell their torts...
So the new tort baby will get an extra indoor enclosure and I follow your advice of proper hygiene.
Thank you !
@wellington
I was told that sulcatas can do well in a group, when they are young. Because of building a group I bought this new one. I thought 4 are better than 3. My three ones are always together and I cant see any bullying yet. Alll three torts grew steady and gain steady in weight.
But when they grew older and something went wrong I can keep them seperate from each other.
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Given these factors, I'd be comfortable with just a month or two of quarantine. Run a fecal when you first get the new baby, and then run another one after 3-4 weeks. If both are clean, and you are seeing steady weight gain during that time, you are probably fine.
Just understand that anytime you add anything or change anything, there is some risk. A lengthy quarantine period, with proper diagnostic testing throughout, is designed to reduce this risk.
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