Well I have come to a decision.
The Honda C90 that I completely renovated last winter is on eBay, it has to go as I want another project for this winter.
Shall be sorry to see it go in some ways, but needs must, it's either that or the Fazer FZS600 and that might happen sooner than I want, bad arthritis in my wrists.
ho hum!
(16-11-18, 12:22 AM)tommyardin link Wrote: Well I have come to a decision.
The Honda C90 that I completely renovated last winter is on eBay, it has to go as I want another project for this winter.
Shall be sorry to see it go in some ways, but needs must, it's either that or the Fazer FZS600 and that might happen sooner than I want, bad arthritis in my wrists.
ho hum!
That's beautiful ,and you'll sell it no probs,I put one on e/bay with one for spares aswell and there were loads after them,they're getting collectable :thumbup
never look down on anyone unless you're helping them up.
20-11-18, 03:50 PM (This post was last modified: 20-11-18, 03:57 PM by tommyardin.)
[size=1em]I put our 3, 6 year old tortoises in the fridge for the next 4 months LOL! :eek :eek :eek < that's what they thought.[/size]
[size=1em]Its the safest way to hibernate them, fridge is set at 5 degrees C, apparently its the best temperature for them.[/size]
[size=1em]We have had these little buggers for 6 years now, they were the size of a 50 pence piece when we bought them, my daughters silly idea, 100 quid each :eek .[/size]
[size=1em]They have been fun to own though, sounds daft but they recognise members of the family and come up to you and climb over your feet when you go into their pen. They also [/size][size=1em]will take food from your fingers, one of the little sods bite me one day while i was hand feeding then, how bloody painful, they have a beak like a parrot but a jaw bite about 4 times as strong. left me with skin scrapped off when I snatched my hand away and also a black blood blister type pinch, little f--ker.[/size] But in all fairness to him it was an accident and never bite before or since.
[size=1em]T[/size][size=1em]hey are between 6.5 and 7 inches long now, See picture of their winter residence, they even have a bedside light LOL! But only works when the door is open.[/size][size=1em]Was told by the breeder that we purchased them from, you have not been able to legally buy from abroad for years now because of import rules passed by Defra. Apparently hundreds and thousands of them suffocated or were crushed during import into this country over the years, often 80 to 100 tortoises in hessian sacks. with 25% losses being nothing unusual.[/size][size=1em]Hence you can only [/size]legally [size=1em]buy from UK breeders. They are 'Hermans' Mediterranean Torts and can live for up to 100 years some examples have reached 120, little buggers are going to around longer than me. Named 'Mr Darcy' and 'Mr Bingly' from [/size]Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice, that will be wife and daughter naming them, the third one is called 'Veyron' wonder who named him? :rolleyes but in all honesty he is the fastest.
Hmmm. Not so sure about the fridge. We had two, but one passed away 5 years ago. We think he was about 80 years old. Father in law found him in the early 50s while out dog walking. He moved to our house when me and the wife moved in 1986. Lovely old fella. Still got the other one, hes been with us 12 years now, found in church yard, unable to trace any owner, guess hes about 60. Ive called them both "he" but the truth is we never know/knew what sex they are, I honestly think its more likely they're both female, but its irrelevant really as we dont dress them up! They overwinter in the garage, in a box lined with cardboard and packed with hay, from late november till early/late March, depends on the weather to an extent
(21-11-18, 09:50 PM)fazersharp link Wrote: Im sure that they keep breathing whilst in hibernation, how much air is there in a fridge when the door is shut.
There's only one way to find out. You'll have to get in and tell us :lol
22-11-18, 01:00 AM (This post was last modified: 22-11-18, 01:19 AM by tommyardin.)
(21-11-18, 09:28 PM)agricola link Wrote: Hmmm. Not so sure about the fridge. We had two, but one passed away 5 years ago. We think he was about 80 years old. Father in law found him in the early 50s while out dog walking. He moved to our house when me and the wife moved in 1986. Lovely old fella. Still got the other one, hes been with us 12 years now, found in church yard, unable to trace any owner, guess hes about 60. Ive called them both "he" but the truth is we never know/knew what sex they are, I honestly think its more likely they're both female, but its irrelevant really as we dont dress them up! They overwinter in the garage, in a box lined with cardboard and packed with hay, from late november till early/late March, depends on the weather to an extent
Hi, it’s true the fridge is the best way to hibernate them.
Some people put them in a cardboard box with straw in it and leave them in an outside shed over winter. The trouble with this the temperature can drop to minus 4 or even 5 and those temperatures can kill them as their blood can freeze, also rats can get into sheds and will bite lumps off tortoise, the other thing that can happen is in February you can get slightly warmer winter sun shining on the windows or the black felt roof of a shed and raise the temperature by 7 or 8 degrees, the tortoises then start to wake up from hibernation the temperature drops to minus degrees again and the tortoise is unlikely to survive. Fridge set at 5 degrees C and all those problems are overcome and you then decide when hibernation is over and it not dictated by the weather. 4 months ours are in the fridge and that’s the way it’s been for 6 years now. Lots on the internet net about it.
22-11-18, 01:10 AM (This post was last modified: 22-11-18, 03:22 PM by tommyardin.)
(21-11-18, 12:15 PM)ogri48 link Wrote: blimey! ive learnt something new today mate!
Yeah it is not an ordinary household type fridge it’s half size and if you look at the pic of the fridge that I posted you can see a circular grill in the back, there is a fan in the fridge that blows cold air in at the set temperature so that there is a change of air going on most of the time. (A bit like the air con in your car) Tortoises heart rate is very very slow and so it their breathing so they need very little air, when in hibernation these function slow down much slower than normal. That very slow heart rate and breathing is why they live so long compared with something like a cat that has a very fast metabolism, that’s why the family moggies usually shuffle off this mortal coil after about 17 years or so. If your lucky, and the old tortoise goes on for another hundred years.
22-11-18, 01:16 AM (This post was last modified: 22-11-18, 01:23 AM by tommyardin.)
(21-11-18, 09:28 PM)agricola link Wrote: Hmmm. Not so sure about the fridge. We had two, but one passed away 5 years ago. We think he was about 80 years old. Father in law found him in the early 50s while out dog walking. He moved to our house when me and the wife moved in 1986. Lovely old fella. Still got the other one, hes been with us 12 years now, found in church yard, unable to trace any owner, guess hes about 60. Ive called them both "he" but the truth is we never know/knew what sex they are, I honestly think its more likely they're both female, but its irrelevant really as we dont dress them up! They overwinter in the garage, in a box lined with cardboard and packed with hay, from late november till early/late March, depends on the weather to an extent
Does it matter what sex they are. I heard about a lot of blokes who like to wear :rolleyes let’s say inappropriate garments :rollin So why not your tortoises
(22-11-18, 01:10 AM)tommyardin link Wrote: [quote author=ogri48 link=topic=11414.msg287548#msg287548 date=1542798925]
blimey! ive learnt something new today mate!
Yeah it is not an ordinary household type fridge it’s half size and if you look at the pic of the fridge that I posted you can see a circular grill in the back, there is a fan in the fridge that blows cold air in at the set temperature so that there is a change of air going on most of the time. (A bit like the air con in your car) Tortoises heart rate is very very slow and so it their breathing so they need very little air, when in hibernation these function slow down much slower than normal. That very slow heart rate and breathing is why they live so long compared with something like a cat that has a very fast metabolism, that’s why the family moggies usually shuffle off this mortal coil after about 17 years or so. If your lucky, and the old tortoise goes on for another hundred years.
[/quote]
Well I'll be buggered..like others I've learnt something and thought you were taking the piss.
So do you prep them for it or just pick them up whilst they're chomping on lettuce, straight in a box and slam them in the fridge ?? I'd shit myself if that happened to me during dinner.
Those are my principles...if you don't like them I have others.
(22-11-18, 07:40 PM)Frosties link Wrote: [quote author=tommyardin link=topic=11414.msg287587#msg287587 date=1542845434]
[quote author=ogri48 link=topic=11414.msg287548#msg287548 date=1542798925]
blimey! ive learnt something new today mate!
Yeah it is not an ordinary household type fridge it’s half size and if you look at the pic of the fridge that I posted you can see a circular grill in the back, there is a fan in the fridge that blows cold air in at the set temperature so that there is a change of air going on most of the time. (A bit like the air con in your car) Tortoises heart rate is very very slow and so it their breathing so they need very little air, when in hibernation these function slow down much slower than normal. That very slow heart rate and breathing is why they live so long compared with something like a cat that has a very fast metabolism, that’s why the family moggies usually shuffle off this mortal coil after about 17 years or so. If your lucky, and the old tortoise goes on for another hundred years.
[/quote]
Well I'll be buggered..like others I've learnt something and thought you were taking the piss.
So do you prep them for it or just pick them up whilst they're chomping on lettuce, straight in a box and slam them in the fridge ?? I'd shit myself if that happened to me during dinner.
[/quote] :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol
You just have to keep an eye on them. Late summer/early autumn they start to slow down as the temperature cools, so they start to eat less and less. They need to have no crap in the bowels as this rots during hibernation and can cause them problems. Once theyve not eaten for a while, its safe to hibernate them. Its important to not let them be exposed to frost as tis can destroy thier eyes. They are hardy little buggers. And Tommy, in 30 years time youll need a bigger fridge, mines over 5 kilos now
23-11-18, 06:52 PM (This post was last modified: 23-11-18, 06:55 PM by tommyardin.)
(23-11-18, 12:40 PM)agricola link Wrote: You just have to keep an eye on them. Late summer/early autumn they start to slow down as the temperature cools, so they start to eat less and less. They need to have no crap in the bowels as this rots during hibernation and can cause them problems. Once theyve not eaten for a while, its safe to hibernate them. Its important to not let them be exposed to frost as tis can destroy thier eyes. They are hardy little buggers. And Tommy, in 30 years time youll need a bigger fridge, mines over 5 kilos now
Yeah the little f-----s do grow into big f-----s :lol
Yes as Agricola stated you do have to do a wind down process before hibernating them, October into early November they start to slow down and you will find they start to try to bury themselves in the soil in their pen. We stop feeding them at this point and shut them in their hutch with shredded newspaper as bedding (They don't eat that) but we give them plenty of water to drink so they flush out their bladders and the water helps to clear out the poo from their intestines, we also start giving them luke warm baths as tortoises (Now you are not going to believe this) can drink water up through a vent their tails, so bathing them makes them drink water whether they want to or not. Tortoises produce a lot of Urates in their pee that shows as white slightly more solid liquid in their pee, during the warm bathing they pee a lot because of this involuntary drinking of water and the bath water will have lots of Urates in it, we bath them each day until the Urates stop being in the bath water. Contrary to popular belief tortoise can not swim so bath water needs to be only a few inches deep. During the wind down process usually about 8 days we turn one heat lamp off in the hutch completely and put other lamp on a timer so it come on for 1 hour every 4 then as the days go by we increase the off time until the lamp is completely off for 2 days, after that they are really cold to the touch and very very dozy. That is when all my beer has to come out of their fridge and in they go bedded down in strips of shredded newspaper. 4 months later out they come and are give a bath at about plus 10 degrees and it starts the wake up process and they are all usually eating within 2 or 3 days.
You know what not once have they said anything or complained in any way because of that treatment.
All three of our torts are boys and they get amorousness with each other (Homosexual tendencies) and try to hump each other all three on each others back they look like a 3 carriage train as the first one is trying to get away the other try to keep up its so funny and the squeak as the hump. lol! Bit like me! :eek i will try and post a short bit of the video.
