Out door Tort pen

[DeesBalls]

starting my outdoor tort pen, right now it is just 3x6 foot, right next by my porch. eventually i will have a biger one, for now, this is what i got.

i am curious, i see alot of ants/beetles, and stuf in the ground...

are they ok?, should i do something else? im worred that they will hurt/kill my tort..

also can i use pine wood for the sides? i know its not good for snakes, but not sure about this....

right now im eating lunch, so fast replys would be ammmaaaazzzinnng!!!

[StudentoReptile]

As long as no one in your area sprays for pesticides, I wouldn't worry about beetles and most other insects.

Ants can be a problem if you let them get out of control. I recently posted a thread asking for suggestions to keep them at bay. A couple environmentally safe ways is pouring boiling water on all ant hills, and using diatomaceous earth (spelling?).

Being that the enclosure is outdoors, I don't think using pine wood for the walls/barriers should be an issue. The main issue with captive reptiles is when pine shavings are used as substrate; the animal spend most of its time on the cage floor, inhaling the fumes from the wood shavings. As you are not using shavings at all, you're just using the wood for building the walls, I don't see this being a problem.

Hows that for fast?!

[DeesBalls]

ok thanks, for quick ness... as for the "substrate" i dug up all the grass/ground and im going to put all my tortoise seeds/grass seeds in. put potting soil down, and then some hay on it to get it growing.... so eventually it will be all "tortoise grazing mix" taht i got from carolina pet supply... and potting soil.

the walls will be pine and not too sure what to do with the top to keep the coons/cats out...

[buffcoat]

Could you use the 1/4" chicken wire for the top? I have no idea, Im just tossing something out there.

[DeesBalls]

Could you use the 1/4" chicken wire for the top? I have no idea, Im just tossing something out there.

that is probably what im going to do... use some like skinny wood posts things to make a frame so i can easily take it off....

[StudentoReptile]

that is probably what im going to do... use some like skinny wood posts things to make a frame so i can easily take it off....

Yeah, it doesn't even have to be anything elaborate or even with hinges. You're basically just making a jumbo-size screened top for your pen.

[DeesBalls]

i was basically going to copy the look of a aquarium lid... just fit it over and make or put a lock on it.

[DeesBalls]

well, im annoyed....



i built my pen totally in the shade :( lol it gets no sun! so.... ill bemoving it to the front of my back porch. so that way it will get shade in the AM and none in the PM.

oh well, atleast i can move it!

[alessia55]

well, im annoyed....



i built my pen totally in the shade :( lol it gets no sun! so.... ill bemoving it to the front of my back porch. so that way it will get shade in the AM and none in the PM.

oh well, atleast i can move it!

Hopefully it's not too heavy!! And post pics when you're done

[DeesBalls]

Its not. Lol right noe it is just 2 6x1 and 2 3x1 screwed together for the frame.... ill post pics tomorrow:)

[DeesBalls]

so come to find out.... the pen is fine where it is!! dont need to move it!! :) pics up later

[alessia55]

so come to find out.... the pen is fine where it is!! dont need to move it!! :) pics up later

So it gets sun? Awesome! Looking forward to those pics. And we need updated pics of the tort too. ;)

[DeesBalls]

lol yes, i just didnt notice it since i was at work all day yesterday, and when i got home, it was over cast-y..

pics up soon (just a start)

[DeesBalls]

here are pics!

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen5.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen3.jpg






http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen6.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen7.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen9.jpg

[DeesBalls]

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen12.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen13.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/outdoorpen14.jpg

just some for fun!!

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/bowseroutside10.jpg


http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/bowseroutside6.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/bowseroutside14.jpg




***As you can see, i dug up the ground... picked out all the dirt.grass/worms lol and then i put the frame up, i put a TON of seeds down then covered it up with potting soil(currently the same substrate) and then wet-ed it down... the covering is very cheap and looks like crap, but serves its purpose!

of course i will be adding more stuff to it, hides water dish ect... and the middle front of the mesh can be bent back to get it, it is all held down by like 8 screws, so i can easily get in and water/feed and all that...** hope it fits up to everyones standards... i am very happy with it.

[StudentoReptile]

Looks awesome! While you're waiting for that sod to sprout, maybe you can plant some hosta in there in a couple places for some extra shade and a readily-available snack.

[DeesBalls]

i was wanting to plant some other stuff inthere too... i want it to be all grass/plants with some dirt to dig... where i can get the hosta?

[StudentoReptile]

I got mine at Home Depot. I would imagine you could find it at some local garden center or nursery if its not available at the big companies like HD or Lowes.

[alessia55]

Looks good! That little tort is going to be happy there :)

[DeesBalls]

cool thanks! ill see if i can find some! are the whole name hostas?

[DeesBalls]

Looks good! That little tort is going to be happy there :)

thanks alessia! i cant wait to get him in there!


btw, is there a "normal kind" of hosta? im looking at the web and i see like blueberry and stuff?

[StudentoReptile]

I dunno...I have yet to hear of any type that is bad. If all else fails, just stick with the most "regular" kind and avoid any weird or fancy types.

[DeesBalls]

^^. lol thanks! im going to go to nersery now and see if they have any.... relaly fast, any ohter things i could plant in there for him?

[StudentoReptile]

Rose of Sharon, pansies, violas, grape vine. If you want a plant a small tree for shade, look for mullberry or hibiscus.

[DeesBalls]

I hot 2 viola plants and a hosta.

[DeesBalls]

so, after the seeds started to grow, and everything started to look nice in the pen, i had to move it... It could be seen from the road/sidewalk and i really didnt like it to where people could see it. just made me nervous, so i moved it over to the back of my house, and the only people who can see it NOW are my neighbors, that i actually talk to, so i feel safe about that, now i need to replant, redig, and get everything done......again. ugh!

[DeesBalls]

Ok... i have to move this.. here it is new, i need to get my seeds and plant them still, hes been out all day todat and seems to enjoy it!!


http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/Newtortpen6.jpg

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/Newtortpen5.jpg


thats basically it, i put a nice screen top on, since i have cats and stuff around town, and going to get grass planted and a nice big water dish with some decor rocks....

[DeesBalls]

http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/Newtortpen3.jpg


http://i805.photobucket.com/albums/yy336/DGilliland22/Bowser/Newtortpen1.jpg

[StudentoReptile]

Good work! Its nice to get them outside, isn't it?

[snake man12]

Nice work:]:]:]:]

[alessia55]

What a lucky tort. It looks great... your hard work has paid off. :)

[DeesBalls]

Good work! Its nice to get them outside, isn't it?

It is... its been right around 90 today too, so i feel its a good day for him, although storms are rolling in :(

it was really easy to build, just some boards screwed together, dirt bottom, screen top... took me like 5 weeks lol, but i only wored about 5 days total...




Nice work:]:]:]:]

thank you, i am going to be adding some bricks around it and some flowers maybe, our mower goes right next to it though, so not sure about the flowers.

[DeesBalls]

^^ in the time it took from me posting that till now... ( bout 5 min...) it went from 90 and HOT, to 75 and storming... gotta love ohio.