Questions and concerns find a way to make enclosure

[Jaid10]

Hi, I have some questions/ comments about my 6yo Sulcata. I know I’m probably not doing everything right but that’s why I’m here. I’m 11 years old and it can be hard for me to keep up but I’m trying hard to do my best. I have two tortoises, Shelly (6 yo) and Stone (6 mo).
For Shelly I feel really bad because I got her when I was five and didn’t know how how to care for her. Finally I found this place and improved. Sadly she is currently in a small enclosure. I am trying so hard to find a new enclosure for her but it is hard because she needs so much space! I found a place where I could place a 10 by 4 indoor enclosure but I’m trying to find a way to make it. I really need some ideas!
For now she eating a spring mix (no spinach), kale, and carrots. I tried her on Timothy hay but she wouldn’t eat it. Is what I have for her a good diet? The last problem is that she eats A LOT! I try so hard to keep up but no matter what she amount I give her, it’s gone in five minutes! It’s really hard to keep up with her!!! Any ideas?

Thanks for reading and feel free to ask me questions.

 

[Jaid10]

I keep Shelly in a 10 by 10 during summer but it’s hard in winter. We are in Utah

 

[Miscally]

Send some pictures of your tortoises and their enclosures. I'm not sure carrots are good for them. Are they both sulcata tortoises? Read the stickies at the top of the threads to find out the best things for your tortoises. Well done on looking for the best advice and good luck. Others will be along soon with lots of help and advice.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Have you checked out the Enclosures thread? Lots of cool ideas.

https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

Have you tried soaking the hay and mixing it with the regular food? Good way to introduce new foods. Also, check your local grocery stores for things like dandelion greens, turnip greens, collard greens, bok choy, and escarole. They are good nutritious things to feed them. You can also give some Mazuri Tortoise diet as an occasional supplement (treat).

 

[Yvonne G]

Sounds like you're doing the best you can. Next time your mom goes shopping ask her to look for endive, escarole, radicchio, turnip greens, mustard greens, butter lettuce, green/red leaf lettuce. She only needs to buy one head of three or four different types listed. That should last a week for you. Then next week ask mom to buy something different from the list.

 

[Jaid10]

Have you checked out the Enclosures thread? Lots of cool ideas.

https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

Have you tried soaking the hay and mixing it with the regular food? Good way to introduce new foods. Also, check your local grocery stores for things like dandelion greens, turnip greens, collard greens, bok choy, and escarole. They are good nutritious things to feed them. You can also give some Mazuri Tortoise diet as an occasional supplement (treat).

Thank you, I will try that!

 

[Jaid10]

Send some pictures of your tortoises and their enclosures. I'm not sure carrots are good for them. Are they both sulcata tortoises? Read the stickies at the top of the threads to find out the best things for your tortoises. Well done on looking for the best advice and good luck. Others will be along soon with lots of help and advice.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

I can't tell by the pics, but are you housing them in the same enclosure? Best to separate them if you are.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's not a good idea to keep them together. The small one may get hurt and then it's too late to think about separating them. Better to do it now before someone gets hurt. Then do a search about keeping tortoises in pairs. It very seldom every works out.

 

[Jaid10]

I can't tell by the pics, but are you housing them in the same enclosure? Best to separate them if you are.

No, they are in separate enclosures.

 

[Jaid10]

It's not a good idea to keep them together. The small one may get hurt and then it's too late to think about separating them. Better to do it now before someone gets hurt. Then do a search about keeping tortoises in pairs. It very seldom every works out.

The shell you see in the background is a little toy. My brother must have put it in the enclosure.