WHERE TO BUILD TORT HOUSE?

[wellington]

I need some help on where to build my tort house. I am trying to plant my yard so when I need to build the house, I don't need to replant things. My plan was to put it on the north end of my yard against the garage and fence. Only spot that gets some sun in the winter. Thinking it would help with heating it. However sunny almost all day in summer. The other option, is to put it on the south end, under my porch. No sun winter, little late afternoon sun summer, but protected from weather from top, back and one side, as it would be under my porch and next to a privacy fence. It will have a green house attached to it for winter months in either place. I might? Be able to build two houses, one on each end and have a winter house and a summer house. But that's a maybe. So assuming I can only build one, which would be the best spot.

 

[lynnedit]

My 2 cents worth: I ran into the same quandary when siting my greenhouse in my yard. Whether to take advantage of winter sun, or risk overheating in the summer. I asked for advice here, and am glad I did, went with the sunnier location.

Will you be using it year round? If so, I would take advantage of the North site. Max out the warmth in the months when the tort will need the house.
In summer, if it connects to an outdoor run, you can have burrows and hides, it is quite possible your tort won't need the tortoise house.

My torts don't use the GH much now. (I just have a GH, not a shed, but it is heavily insulated). Even when it rains, if it is warm enough, they hang out in their burrows and look out at the weather, lol.
I did add shade cloth over the top. I also installed a ventilation fan at the peak of the East end with vents on the lower part of the West end (so longer South side takes advantage of winter sun).
It is on a thermostat. Works very well (from Charley's Greenhouse).

 

[yagyujubei]

How about one in each area? Then the tortoises can decide.

 

[lynnedit]

How about one in each area? Then the tortoises can decide.

Yes, that would be best, of course, but IF funds become limited....I vote North side.

 

[tortadise]

id go north end. I had to tear down a building i built on a south end, it wouldnt warm up even in the summer, and was impossible in the winter to keep it warm. Utilize the free help of the power or nature, and go with the north end.

 

[Yvonne G]

The actual house itself needs to be in the shade. A tortoise uses his house as his safe place. He knows that if he needs to cool down he can go into his house. The house needs to be out of the way, in a quiet, shady place. The actual pen needs some sun and some shade.

 

[N2TORTS]

For the next few days ....keep some notes on the times of day and temps within different spots of your yard. Also consider how much natural sunlight effects these area. Sounds like your right on track on planning things out
..... Happy Building!
JD~

 

[wellington]

The actual house itself needs to be in the shade. A tortoise uses his house as his safe place. He knows that if he needs to cool down he can go into his house. The house needs to be out of the way, in a quiet, shady place. The actual pen needs some sun and some shade.

Your answer, which you posted similar on another thread is what made me question my original placement of the north end and created this poll both have pros and cons.

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How about one in each area? Then the tortoises can decide.

Yes, that would be best, of course, but IF funds become limited....I vote North side.

This is mentioned in my original post. I am just not sure I want to lose so much of my already small yard to, two houses.
I also like the logic of putting it on the north end, my original spot, but emysemys post makes a lot of sense also.

 

[Eweezyfosheezy]

I vote for the north end because you can make shade fairly easy for that side. Its a lot easier to cool a cage outside down than it is to warm one up with little sun.

 

[wellington]

For the next few days ....keep some notes on the times of day and temps within different spots of your yard. Also consider how much natural sunlight effects these area. Sounds like your right on track on planning things out
..... Happy Building!
JD~

The summer time, the yard has no lack of sun. I do have enough shade spots planted. The winter months is where I lack the sun almost completely. The only spot that gets a touch of sun is the very north end up against the garage. I will be keeping a record of the sun this winter. Plans to build won't be until next year. But if I can determine the best end, I can continue with a better planting plan. I have killed to many trees/plants in the past transplanting because I changed my mind on the location I wanted it.

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I vote for the north end because you can make shade fairly easy for that side. Its a lot easier to cool a cage outside down than it is to warm one up with little sun.

Good point

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Here is another thing to consider. I should have put this in my original post. If I put the tort house on the north end. I will lose my koi pond. Which I had planned on doing, but would love to keep it also. If I put tort house on the south end, I can keep the pond. Would this new info make anyone that voted north end change their opinion?
Just so everyone understands, I am more than willing to lose the pond to give Tatum the best house placement.

 

[Tom]

I see two ways to look at this.

1. Build it super insulated and in the shady protected area so that it never over heats. The downside is that YOU will have to heat it all the time. If it is built right and heated correctly, this should not be too big of a deal. It will cost you more in electricity.
2. Build it in the sunny area and who cares if it over heats in the summer. If it gets too hot in there they can walk out of it and go sit in the shade.

My night box gets morning sun everyday. In summer it gets up to 120 in there before the shade finally moves over it. Often they go sit in that sauna and seem to like it. I used to get all worried and move them out of the hot box, but they would usually just go right back in. They WANTED to be in the 100+ degree box. They have shady areas, mud holes, sprinklers and bushes they could go rest in, but they seek out that heat on purpose sometimes. I would worry more about cold in the winter than heat in the summer, AS LONG AS they do have cooler shady areas in the enclosure to retreat to.

 

[ascott]

May we see a pic of the north end and the south end...? lol...okay so that question could become a whole other thread....

But seriously? lol

 

[wellington]

May we see a pic of the north end and the south end...? lol...okay so that question could become a whole other thread....

But seriously? lol

I'm not touching that one LOL. I will try to get one up tomorrow.

 

[ascott]

I'm not touching that one LOL. I will try to get one up tomorrow.

Oh ok???? not touching that one huh.....lol...ok, I will stop

 

[lynnedit]

LOL! (*mulling this over*)

Umm, yes, indeed, pics would help.

With energy costs the way they are, winter sun seems more valuable. You can create shady hides/burrows/boxes with plants, etc., as suggested for summer, but winter sheds and GH's are so darn difficult and costly to keep warm, especially in the shade.

 

[wellington]

I will have to wait until monday for pics. We have no sun today, well very scattered sun today. Suppose to rain. I want the pics to show the amount of sun on both ends at the different times of day.

 

[lynnedit]

How annoying of the weather.

 

[wellington]

How annoying of the weather.

I know, why is that. If I didn't want the sun, it would be there. Mother nature is always pms ing

 

[ascott]

I will have to wait until monday for pics. We have no sun today, well very scattered sun today. Suppose to rain. I want the pics to show the amount of sun on both ends at the different times of day.

ok

 

[wellington]

If I remember the order correctly, the first pic is the North End. It is sunny from approx. 10a.m. to 5:30-6:00p.m. The big rose of sharon tree will be taken out and also the pond, inorder to put in large tort house with attached/removable greenhouse. The second pic is the south end. Has some sun for about 2 hours or so in the a.m. and then again in the late afternoon for about 1-2 hours. The third pic is the sun of the south end in the late afternoon. The fourth pic is of south end shade, which is most of the day. The tree on the south end will be removed for tort house if placed on south end. So, do you think the north end, as the majority has chosen, is still the best end? Of course, in the winter, there is little, very little sun, and that is only on the North end. At some point in the winter, it only hits the top of the garage.

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This is a pic of the whole thing.