Started winding down our lot just over a week ago, earlier than usual to fit in with our holidays. Just wondered how everyone else is getting on with their torts?

Hi Darren

I've bought all mine in to try to extend the summer a bit longer. The cold nights came in very suddenly here and the tortoises were all dug in ready for winter I think.

My box turtle had constructed some very nice 2 foot deep hibernation tunnels and I felt a bit bad digging them all up.

I'm desperately trying to keep stevie awake for as long as I can, he went down mid october last year (i think), but I'd rather he went down later this year. I'd love to be able to hibernate my other 2 but I haven't had them long enough. I think over wintering is going to be a lot harder then hibernating. I'll probably switch fridge on in next 7-10 days to make sure I have it up and running for long enough this year before he goes in.

We like to put ours down end of November usually Dave (too early for them really) - you must've had great fun looking for the turtles:-)

I know what you mean Winnie - We haven't had to over-winter for 5-6 years when we had an underweight tortoise we took on.
Our lot will be going down 23/24th Oct this year which means the smallest ones will be up Xmas time and the larger ones Feb/March - - never mind needs must. Just gotta work on emptying the hibernation fridge of beer over the next few weeks. Unfortunatley, I wrecklessly filled it up with £10/case Boddingtons (on special offer) a few weeks ago - not sure where to put it all now:-) - got a friend coming round tonight to give me a hand:-)

Mozes as gone down, i tried to keep him up but he was not having any of it, i dug him up twice but now i will leave him, he went down the same time last year( 1st yr with me) and i was worried to bits thinking it was to early but he came up fine.

this yr i have fenced off a third of the big shed and added soil which is just over knee deep and this is where Mozes as dug down. we added a fully enclosed tunnel type ramp for them to get up to that part.

The girls are still up and showing no sign of slowing down yet, so i have had to move them into the smaller shed so that they can have the lights & heat on.

One of ours is heading for the fridge this week, with the rest goping down towards the end of the week. Had it not been for us going away - we'd have probably kept them going for another 4 weeks or so to save them coming up so early.

As this is Tallulahs first year with me, I have asked lots of questions.  She has been winding down for a while now, and if left in the garden was digging herself in - I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find her, so have brought her hutch indoors.  If I get her out she will wander happily round the house, but if left she will just sleep.

I assume a tortoise of her advanced years knows what she needs, I thought I might put her away during the next couple of weeks, after removing all the hay/straw from her hutch in case it turns mouldy, and replace it with shredded paper. 

It is three or four weeks since she has eaten.

This is one of the scariest things I have ever done.

Im coming to the end of my wind down for my 2 hermans but have noticed 1 is still passing faeces which also looked like it had lots of very fine white threads in it! What could this be & will she be ok to hibernate as this is the first time I will be hibernating them?!

Tilli

Hi I forgot to mention that I put a towel in their table as they were eating their substrate!Could that be what the white threads are,possibly been eating at the towel?

Tilli