Still so many concerns & questions...

[Shutterbuginaz]

As many questions as I get answers for on this website, I still find myself without answers to some of them. It may be that I am not navigating the past posts as well as I should be, but I thought I would ask the questions and voice my concerns..
1. When I leave for work in the early AM (5:30) it is dark and about 65 degrees. During the day it gets up to 90 degrees and in southern AZ there is a lot of nature Vitamin D that Hatchback is missing out on. I assume that it would be wrong to remove Hatch from his hide and put him in his outdoor pen that early in the AM. His outdoor enclosure is 4 x 8 and has plenty of shade and hiding spots. I don't have anyone who can take him out later in the morning when the temps are better. Can I put him out at that time?

2. I modeled my outdoor enclosure after one Tom posted. Cinder blocks to form the enclosure and framed hardware cloth for the tops. I have never left him out there very long without checking on him. I really worry about him having gotten loose. I all but crawl to his enclosure because I am so fearful I may step on him. Hatch is 3 months old, is that still a hatchling? Can a 50 cent piece hatchling dig out under the cinder blocks? If so how long would it take? I understand I will have to bury a barrier before too long. I am just waiting until my vacation time to do that part of the enclosure, is it something I should be worried about now?

3. Last question. Promise. I am planting mallow, and goats head weed in his enclosure now. I am going to put in more. I would love for him to graze more naturally throughout the day in addition to the other food I am feeding. If he is grazing that how do I monitor if he is eating enough?

 

[lismar79]

Lol, the worring will never go away
1) 65 is a little cold for a baby. Do you have a way to run a che or heater to a box out there?
2) if I were leaving mine out 8 hr without checking I would bury the liner for my own sanity. Some suggest a layer of rock on the inside that act as a deterant to digging....my russian can dig pretty fast but never seems to go down far and never past the inner cinder block line. Mostly she's a climber.
3) you can't know really.... but trust that they will not starve them selves if all the other conditions are met- water, temps, places to hide etc. I would suggest getting additional seed mixes in your our door so there is a lot of temptation

 

[Shutterbuginaz]

Thanks for the answers. I couldn't wrap my head around the thought of him being outside in the dark. I know that is my goal, to have him outdoors almost all of the time, but he is so very small. I will look into a che. For your enclosure you have buried a cinder block as an underground barrier? I was going to bury study wire. Would that be appropriate?

I thought I was done with questions, by alas I have on more big one. How do I insert a photo of handsome Hatch without it being that big? I think my boy deserves to be blown up bigger than life size, but it is probably poor forum manners. Sorry!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Baby steps for the tortoise and for you! My baby has been left outdoors a total of four nights. The first time he escaped. One of the other nights it rained really badly and I brought him back inside. Now there are ants. The ultimate goal is to have him stay outside, just like his adult brother. I also leave for work early. (3:45 am) He doesn't get outside untill 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and that's far too late for the best sun. It will be much easier once ours get some size on them. Until then, I just play as I go. Daily.

 

[Shutterbuginaz]

Zeropilot - It sounds as though we are on about the same schedule. I still put Hatchback out when I get home although his enclosure has no direct sun. The temp is anywhere from 90 to 100 degrees. I know he gets a lot of exercise at this time, but is he getting any Vit D that late in the afternoon through indirect sunlight?

 

[Shutterbuginaz]

Hmmm...now there are two photos...from bad to worse

 

[lismar79]

Thanks for the answers. I couldn't wrap my head around the thought of him being outside in the dark. I know that is my goal, to have him outdoors almost all of the time, but he is so very small. I will look into a che. For your enclosure you have buried a cinder block as an underground barrier? I was going to bury study wire. Would that be appropriate?

I thought I was done with questions, by alas I have on more big one. How do I insert a photo of handsome Hatch without it being that big? I think my boy deserves to be blown up bigger than life size, but it is probably poor forum manners. Sorry!

I have wire grates burried in about four inches. I have cinder blocks as the main barrier. If you burry the wire in at an angle, it should help.