Hello! We are getting a handyman next week to finally build our greenhouse and I wanted to run the design by you all so I know if there's anything I should change. The basics: we live near Chicago and our Sulcata is about 2 years old, 10.5 lbs. He's currently kept indoors.
The greenhouse is 10x12ft and the current plan is to make one of the doors enter into a screened enclosure. We live next to forest preserve and the risk of raccoons and other wildlife is high. We'd have a night box inside the greenhouse for winter as well. During the warm months the door to the screened area would stay open for extra air flow. We plan to dig out about 6in down and do chicken wire underneath the whole thing too.
Our hope is that 10x12ft is enough roaming space during the winter and adding the extra grazing space (framed out and wired above for protection), will be a good set up. We also hope this lets us go a few days without needing to check on him (as he can graze and won't need food provided as he currently does), for times when we go on short vacations. That's part of the reason we want it extra secure from wildlife.
The other concern is obviously the weather. We have seen and will be building an insulated night box with plans found here, but I want some type of backup heat option. I'm worried that we would lose power in a storm, for example, and he'd be without heat for too long. Any tips on solar options I can wire in as a backup, even just to keep the chill from being too strong until the power comes back?
Last question, and this one is random, but my kids have been begging for ducks. Does anyone have tortoises mix in the same area? We wouldn't want to build two separate enclosures at this point in life, but if they'd mix I'd consider giving in to my kiddo's requests. I've seen sullys in our zoo's giraffe enclosure and it's always made me wonder what animals they can safely mix with.
The greenhouse is 10x12ft and the current plan is to make one of the doors enter into a screened enclosure. We live next to forest preserve and the risk of raccoons and other wildlife is high. We'd have a night box inside the greenhouse for winter as well. During the warm months the door to the screened area would stay open for extra air flow. We plan to dig out about 6in down and do chicken wire underneath the whole thing too.
Our hope is that 10x12ft is enough roaming space during the winter and adding the extra grazing space (framed out and wired above for protection), will be a good set up. We also hope this lets us go a few days without needing to check on him (as he can graze and won't need food provided as he currently does), for times when we go on short vacations. That's part of the reason we want it extra secure from wildlife.
The other concern is obviously the weather. We have seen and will be building an insulated night box with plans found here, but I want some type of backup heat option. I'm worried that we would lose power in a storm, for example, and he'd be without heat for too long. Any tips on solar options I can wire in as a backup, even just to keep the chill from being too strong until the power comes back?
Last question, and this one is random, but my kids have been begging for ducks. Does anyone have tortoises mix in the same area? We wouldn't want to build two separate enclosures at this point in life, but if they'd mix I'd consider giving in to my kiddo's requests. I've seen sullys in our zoo's giraffe enclosure and it's always made me wonder what animals they can safely mix with.
They should not share an enclosure with a tortoise both for sanitary reasons and behavioral reasons. The tortoise will try to eat their copious quantities of poo, and the entire area will be coated with a layer of duck feces which is not good for your tortoise to live in. My daughter likes chickens. You can buy a reasonably sized coop from Tractor Supply and keep a few chickens over in their own enclosure if you wanted. The free eggs are awesome too!
