| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| adamasrc |
Posted - 14/05/2012 : 22:15:20
anyone with experience of tortoises?
im after a hermans or a horsfields, what sort of housing do they require?
so much contradicting information on the internet, do this do that, dont do this, dont do that. AHHH
help anyone? |
| 9 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ozziesmum |
Posted - 16/05/2012 : 09:17:37
That's right for the substrate for the hosrefield 50% fertiliser free topsoil and 50% playsand nice and deep as they like to burrow, you can also get tortoise life which is grass pellets but Tuppence hated them and refused to walk on them, I even spent the night putting them through the blender but he still wasn't having any of it. I use shredded paper in his bed compartment. There's a very good site called the tortoise table which gives a whole section of what plants, flowers and weeds you can feed. I give Tupps one small piece of fruit once a month as a treat either melon, apple or strawberry.
Horsefields are prolific climbers and diggers and will escape given half the chance so an outside run will need some kind of wire mesh on the bottom I use a rabbit run with aviary mesh.
Tupps has a luke warm bath twice a week, I use a cat litter tray and just let him have a nice soak for about 20 mins the water just reaches up as far as where the top shell meets the bottom shell. |
| adamasrc |
Posted - 16/05/2012 : 02:22:39
oh thats terrible :( glad he's getting better, i had 2 hermans years ago in a viv, but some people say vivs are bad.. but i dunno! i dont have room for a table |
| Georgina |
Posted - 16/05/2012 : 00:24:22
i had my bosses tortoise for a spell as her son dropped him (fell out of his viv) and got brain damage, i had to syringe feed him daily and bath him to get him go to the toilet, he could walk or move, he gradually got better and better, he is now living with a friend that has a group that have encoutage him to walk properly and he has started eating on his own. he has remained blind in one eye, poor sod. i was told that tortoise tables like above are best and a soil type substrate for horefields are good. whether thats true i have no idea. but the one thing the vet said not to feed him was fruit as they get addicted to the sugar and get to the point where they would rather never eat unless its fruit. you can buy a seed mix o ebay that is easy to grow and has loads of different plants they can eat xx |
| lotabob |
Posted - 16/05/2012 : 00:17:01
I'm doing my homework on tortoises at the moment and I see what you mean with the contradictory info around. Good luck with your research and I look forward to seeing pictures of your new shelled one soon. |
| Katie.Dublin |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 12:10:11
forgot to add that she's now on monkfield's tortoise terrain instead of bark |
| cobweb251 |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 11:55:29
blesssssssssss |
| Katie.Dublin |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 11:36:57
I've got a bells hingeback tortoise in a table type enclosure inside. Well, its my little sister's, she got it for her birthday. She has a heat lamp and a UV lamp and she gets to have a wander in the garden on warm days. I was told its a bells hingeback but I wasn't involved in the research/buying so if anybody wants to inform me otherwise, feel free! (sorry to hijack the thread!)
This is her and her setup where she's been doing well.Don't know if it'll be helpful for you setting up yours. Its open topped by the way
|
| adamasrc |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 11:36:51
thanks :) |
| ozziesmum |
Posted - 15/05/2012 : 11:26:05
Hi adamasrc,
I got my little horsefield Tuppence last August he's a 2010 as he's still a baby he lives inside, he has a table with a combined heat/uv lamp. On very warm days he goes out for a wander around the general rule of thumb is that if it is warm enough to be wearing short sleeves it's warm enough for your tortoise to be out. There is a lot of confusion re housing some saying tables others saying vivs, I chose the table for more natural light and ventilation and Tupps has been very happy in there. |
