Will 12x14 suffice for now?

[lionheartHC]

Rude comments would not be helpful. We don't do that here.

I think your outdoor area for the warmer months is adequate, but a little on the small side for 4 adults at 1972 sq. ft. I like to go no smaller than 50x50', 2500 sq.ft., for a single adult as a general guideline. They can certainly survive in something smaller, but I prefer to go much bigger. I currently have my 1.2 adults in an 8000 sq. ft. space, with a 4x8' heated night box to share.

600 sq.feet, roughly 20x30' all winter long for 7-8 months of every year is pretty cramped even for a single adult. And how the heck are you going to heat an area that size to 80+ degrees all winter long in your climate? Wow. That is a daunting proposition, but it is certainly possible to do with enough time, money and effort. That is a bigger space than most people have for winter accommodations in the frozen north, but still too small for my own comfort level for a giant tortoise, or four, to have to live in for that amount of time.

This is all just opinion. Feelings based on personal experience, observation, and emotion. Some people do what you are proposing in smaller spaces than what you have and they feel okay about it. I wouldn't. I don't keep species that I don't feel are suitable for my climate. Redfoot tortoises, for example. I love them. I think they are super gorgeous and personable, but my climate is too hot and dry for them. I see other people in my area attempt to keep them and the results are unsatisfactory in my opinion, and in theirs sometimes. Along these lines, I wouldn't keep sulcatas if I lived where you live. Just my personal preference.

Hello again Tom. I just wanted to chime in on this with a question. I have my one Sulcata hatchling and live in Ohio but my significant other and I are planning on selling our house and heading to Florida in the next few years. For the time that we’re here, I was going to convert my 12ftx14ft shed into a winter enclosure with a doggy door. If anything it’ll be about 3 years until we head south. Do you think this size will suffice for now? It’s still a hatchling so I have some time before he goes outside and moneys not an issue to give him the correct heat and enclosure. I just want to make sure I’m prepared before the time comes.

 

[Tom]

Hello again Tom. I just wanted to chime in on this with a question. I have my one Sulcata hatchling and live in Ohio but my significant other and I are planning on selling our house and heading to Florida in the next few years. For the time that we’re here, I was going to convert my 12ftx14ft shed into a winter enclosure with a doggy door. If anything it’ll be about 3 years until we head south. Do you think this size will suffice for now? It’s still a hatchling so I have some time before he goes outside and moneys not an issue to give him the correct heat and enclosure. I just want to make sure I’m prepared before the time comes.

They all grow at different rates, so its hard to say if a 12x14 shed will last for 3 years. A well started, well hydrated baby grown in optimal conditions would outgrow that in a year or two. A dry started baby grown in an open table or outside all day might still be okay in a shed that size after six years.