Curious what people think about using portable metal chicken coops as an alternative for keeping tortoise outside (not 24/7) just for like hey lets let you get natural sunlight and have more room to explore for the day type thing? Ofc id add like a water bowl and place to hide from the heat but is it overall a good or bad idea? I feel it would help keep any critters from entering and hurting him or hawks or pretty much anything from getting him. Would probably add something along the side of it all the way around so if he came to close to the sides nothing could grab at him from the outside.
Russian tortoise outside idea
- Thread starter SoWrecked
- Start date
It would work great except they could dig out in no time.
If they have a chicken fence bottom they they'd be safe from escaping.
If they have a chicken fence bottom they they'd be safe from escaping.
I looked at all kinds of pens, chicken coops, dog kennels, etc. I concluded that I would worry way too much about my tort trying to climb up & out, burrow out, get a claw or foot caught, & I'd never get a moments peace. As it is, I have an escape artist that i'm watching a lot in a 10'x 10' x 22"H compilation of boards.
I think it depends on your yard, your tort, it's age & size, your experience, your climate & predators, in addition to your neighbors & their proximity. Also just look at what other people have built, both here & on the internet. There are a lot of low-cost ideas.
Hes a captive bred russian tortoise is almost 2 years old almost weighs 1 pound hes relatively small, i really dont think he can dig or dig deep yet, predators during the day would be stray cats and maybe hawks, i just wanted something fenced in with a fenced in top where outside cant get it, i could probably come up with ideas to place around the outer edge so he cant dig out and with the one im wanting its closed top so hd couldnt climb out his only way would be to dig
Russians are escape artists so I've been told. Another comment I would make is that you could have a neon purple tort & they would still blend into whatever it is you put in their enclosure to give them shade, to hide in, to feed them on, to give them water...whatever it is, they blend in, no matter the color. Doesn't matter if I have my glasses on or my contacts in or my eyes are 6 inches away, they are masters at camouflage.
