Vodka's Thread

[wiccan_chicken]

For the past few days, I have been following the advice of Joe's Mom and Vodka has started eating! First day she ate all the diced up peppers I had in the food and two leaves. Second day only peppers, today I didn't add any peppers and she ate a good amount of the leaves. Not all like I wish but it's better than nothing.

She usually fights her soaks, lately she has just been relaxing. When she goes towards a corner and scrambles I take her out, set her down and let her go eat. I'm glad she's doing better. I hope to have her for a long time

 

[wiccan_chicken]

Today is a rainy day. Just an update, Yesterday my wonderful boyfriend helped me put more soil in Vodka's enclosure, and she's having fun digging in her house. No more scraping the wood It was aggravating. She's started eating all of her food now, and is getting better about me holding her.

Also I plan to start putting her cuttlebone in her food bowl and covering it with leaves when I want her to get calcium. The powder is aggravating and I like the more natural cuttlebone. Also her beak needs a slight bit of trimming. I'm hoping the cuttlebone will work on that as well as the saucer. It isn't bad just enough to where I want to monitor it now instead of letting it get out of hand.

Enjoy your day guys! I'm sick of this rain @~@

 

[wiccan_chicken]

So it's 3:00 AM but I thought I'd update. Pictures tomorrow. Today I went to Repticon with my Dad and saw a few things that aggravated me. Mainly that everyone had Russians when in April they didn't exist >.< I'm still happy with my vodka girl. Plus they had a 5 inch sulcata with a same sized Red foot in with three 3 inch or so russians and a two inch baby leopard tortoise. Really made me mad but the baby was gone before I left so I hope someone bought it.

Yesterday Vodka came running when I prepared her food, and I decided to try hand feeding. After a pause she ate baby Argula and cactus right from my hand! When she got tired of that I put her food in her bowl and she finished eating. I'm pretty happy. Plus I got a half a pound of Mizuri for four dollars and tried feeding her a soaked pellet today and she ate most all of it. Not much hesitation at all. So I hope to be adding Mizuri to her diet Like I said Pictures tomorrow, I'm exhausted. Good night guys, I'm so happy with my tortoise.

 

[Caitlin]

awwwww tortoise yawns are the cutest!

 

[wiccan_chicken]

So today Vodka had a nice large meal of straight weeds. Her eyes sure did pop out of her head when she saw the flower and squash! She had Butterfly bush, Plantin, Dandelion, Grass, Some flat plant I have everywhere that's similar to Plantin but shaped like a heart (I'll post for an ID later) And a hibiscus flower. Her treats today were chopped up cactus and squash. She really enjoyed herself today, there's hardly anything left in her bowl!

Also I am trying to add a baby three toed boxie to the family. I'm working out a deal with a friend, and trying to convince my parents to let me adopt the baby. I've always wanted a box turtle ever since I was young, and I would love to adopt a baby. I'm kind of apprehensive but I am home enough to watch the baby and make sure he/she is healthy and happy.

Pictures when I get back!

 

[wiccan_chicken]

A bowl full of weeds

 

[wiccan_chicken]

Vodka weighs 370 grams today! I'm so glad she has started gaining weight. My notes went kinda like this..
Apr 18 Arrived at 10 Am soaked, offered food, went to hide didn't eat
Jun 10 Sleeping through meals, needs encouragement
Aug 11 Eating from my hand, less shy, pooping like a champ.

I'm glad she's doing well, things are falling into place with her. She's taken lately to digging under her ramp and waiting half out for me to bring her food.



Vodka is a hoot. I am glad she is feeling better, and eating much more. She's becoming the piggie I know Russians are!

 

[laclone]

Hi WC,

Enclosure looks good. Lots of sun and shady corners.

Driving individual wooden stakes every few inches around the perimeter to prevent her from digging under the sides might take a while to install. You might think about using some kind of garden edging material.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SQ20/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This is just an idea, but it should provide at least a 6" deep underground barricade around wherever you set up the enclosure, and when you move out you can easily remove the pieces, box them up and take it with you to set up somewhere else (Rubber Hammer not included).



Larry

Are the dogs able to get near the enclosure?

Russians are able to dig under those boards and escape.

Good luck with Vodka. Plant some weeds; you neighbors will love you!

My dogs are in a chain link fence, she's in a section of my front/side yard away from the road and plain sight. I would never let my girls near them, Ruth (The black one) Likes to hunt Box turtle hatchlings, and so I have rescued quite a few from her and released them near the wooded lake in my neighborhood.

This is just a temporary enclosure, so she can run around outside, and I plan on driving wooden stakes around the outside so she can't dig through, just haven't gotten there yet! XD One day when I move out, I plan to take this, modify it and make it her permanent indoor enclosure and build a better outdoor enclosure.

 

[wiccan_chicken]

Hi WC,

Enclosure looks good. Lots of sun and shady corners.

Driving individual wooden stakes every few inches around the perimeter to prevent her from digging under the sides might take a while to install. You might think about using some kind of garden edging material.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004SQ20/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
This is just an idea, but it should provide at least a 6" deep underground barricade around wherever you set up the enclosure, and when you move out you can easily remove the pieces, box them up and take it with you to set up somewhere else (Rubber Hammer not included).



Oh my gosh how awesome are you! Thank you I can't wait to order these and get Vodka outside all day. I will have to work on making a better shade place for her and a good soaking place. Now my only worry is dogs. We haven't had any strays this year so I'm hopeful and my neighbors havent had their dogs running loose for a while.

Now she can go outside for ore than an hour or two thank you SOOO much.

Are the dogs able to get near the enclosure?

Russians are able to dig under those boards and escape.

Good luck with Vodka. Plant some weeds; you neighbors will love you!

My dogs are in a chain link fence, she's in a section of my front/side yard away from the road and plain sight. I would never let my girls near them, Ruth (The black one) Likes to hunt Box turtle hatchlings, and so I have rescued quite a few from her and released them near the wooded lake in my neighborhood.

This is just a temporary enclosure, so she can run around outside, and I plan on driving wooden stakes around the outside so she can't dig through, just haven't gotten there yet! XD One day when I move out, I plan to take this, modify it and make it her permanent indoor enclosure and build a better outdoor enclosure.

 

[laclone]

Portable OutdoorEnclosure ideas

Hi WC,

I don't know how much you've explored the various outdoor enclosure ideas presented on the forum, but I thought I'd provide a link to the thread of the one that inspired me most on the creation of mine.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-47415.html

Kameya's ideas and results are great (James is a genius! He can even program a VCR! )! As I understand that you will soon be leaving the home nest and going off on your own, and planning on taking Vodka with you wherever you go, the concept of being able to quickly set-up a Mobile Outdoor Vodka Environmental Storage Unit (MOVES-U) in a rental yard environment, for an either long term or short term stay (you'll experience many of both types of residences after you leave home), is a challenging concept. Portable materials that don't take up a lot transportation space will be crucial to achieve such a goal.

I like the way he used the Suncast Raised Garden structure
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZWNPBQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
shown here, to build a snap-together outdoor enclosure. Used with those Suncast Edging blocks I previously mentioned, a quickly set-up outdoor enclosure could be done almost anywhere.

The use of the paint roller pans and liners as water/soaking areas is an easy and disposable idea, easily replaceable anywhere you move to, and the use of PVC pipe with wire screen zip-tied to it would allow you to cheaply build a anti-predator cover to the enclosure if needed wherever you find yourself to be in the years to come.

BTW, Alex says "Hi", and thanks you for the scarf and sweater you knitted for him. They'll be useful during the early season ski trip to Aspen, Co. he's been planning to take.

 

[wiccan_chicken]

RE: Portable OutdoorEnclosure ideas

Hi WC,

I don't know how much you've explored the various outdoor enclosure ideas presented on the forum, but I thought I'd provide a link to the thread of the one that inspired me most on the creation of mine.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-47415.html

Kameya's ideas and results are great (James is a genius! He can even program a VCR! )! As I understand that you will soon be leaving the home nest and going off on your own, and planning on taking Vodka with you wherever you go, the concept of being able to quickly set-up a Mobile Outdoor Vodka Environmental Storage Unit (MOVES-U) in a rental yard environment, for an either long term or short term stay (you'll experience many of both types of residences after you leave home), is a challenging concept. Portable materials that don't take up a lot transportation space will be crucial to achieve such a goal.

I like the way he used the Suncast Raised Garden structure
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ZWNPBQ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
shown here, to build a snap-together outdoor enclosure. Used with those Suncast Edging blocks I previously mentioned, a quickly set-up outdoor enclosure could be done almost anywhere.

The use of the paint roller pans and liners as water/soaking areas is an easy and disposable idea, easily replaceable anywhere you move to, and the use of PVC pipe with wire screen zip-tied to it would allow you to cheaply build a anti-predator cover to the enclosure if needed wherever you find yourself to be in the years to come.

BTW, Alex says "Hi", and thanks you for the scarf and sweater you knitted for him. They'll be useful during the early season ski trip to Aspen, Co. he's been planning to take.

Thank you so very much. These ideas will help me a lot when I move. The PVC pipe will be usefull when I get the sliders, I can leave Vodka outside for quite a while without worry from dog strays. Thank you you're such a doll I love all of these ideas! I appreciate this sooo much. Vodka loves to go outside and I'd hate to more somewhere and not be able to take her outside.

Hiya Alex! I'm afraid I don't think I'm the one who knitted him the scarf. I've only knitted a shawl for my prom and a soap holder XD Sorry. I hope Alex enjoys his trip!