The Redfoot tortoise gang in Alabama

The diva Cocoa chose her new spot

2010-02-10T15:34:00.002-06:00

A couple of days ago Cocoa was showing up in my office again. Like the last time right before she's ready to lay eggs, she gets extremely restless and needs to walk around a lot to exercise her muscles, obviously. She once again managed to climb out of her pen (if I only could see how she's doing it) and walked for hours around in the house. I am always afraid, she would have an accident on the carpet, but she behaved very well and didn't soil my floor.
After 4 hours she walked back into the tortoise room, how she's always finding back, gives me something to wonder, and scratched with her legs on the outside of the pen, so I could hear her and put her back. I'm pretty much aware of the fact that I have a very intelligent tortoise here, basically a one in a million. This girl is acting like a human being, she knows exactly what she has to do to get help, when and how to ask for it.

The next day nothing happend and she did only try to climb over to Daisy's pen that is right beside hers. Not sure, what she wanted there, because I made a huge pile of soil for her in her pen, that she can use to dig an easy hole for her eggs. But she ignored it and didn't give up trying all day long to climb into Daisyboy's pen. Today she managed it and what do I see now? She is digging her hole in Daisy's pen, where there is only mulch, no soil and not even piled up. Who understands the mind of this tortoise woman? This will be a royal PITA for her to dig a hole deep enough in this mulch.

Geez, like always, when I want to make a picture, my batteries die.....Charging right now, pics will follow. I hope she doesn't abandon this hole, I want it to be over now. She is keeping me from work all day long when she wants to lay eggs, because I am probably more nervous than she is herself and always fear she may become eggbound.

Here she is digging her hole in Daisyboy's pen

Here is where she obviously climbed over

And here is the pile of soil in her own pen that I had prepared for her.

Last thing Cocoa did in 2009

2010-01-01T08:34:00.000-06:00

After Cocoa had walked for several hours around in the house, (God thanks she had made her business just before she climbed out of her pen) she obviously decided to go back into her pen and walked straight to her home. She stood in front of the pen and looked up to me to tell me, that I need to lift her up and help her go back in. Ok, we don't need any words, the understanding between us has developed to an unspoken act of gestures and body language, so I know exactly what my girl wants.

I lifted her up and she started immediately to dig a hole. Oh my, I almost knew it, that's why she became so restless today and needed a big walk. It took her several hours to complete the job of laying 3 eggs and covering up the nest and right around midnight she went to sleep.

I carefully dug the eggs out and threw them away. Yep, I won't breed any more, can't deal with the pain to give those cute babies away. It was an awful experience last year to separate from all my babies and I have decided to not put myself in this position any more.

Cocoa climbed out of her pen

2009-12-31T15:13:00.003-06:00

Not sure, how she did it, but I was sitting in my office on the computer and all of a sudden felt something climbing on my feet. When I looked down, I saw Cocoa. She managed somehow to climb out of her pen and land on the feet, when falling on the floor. Obviously she was inspecting her new surroundings and the USPS boxes that I have stored in my office caught her special attention. She climbed on top of them to then slip down on the floor.

She seems to like that game and is repeating it over and over again. Who would have thought those USPS boxes could entertain my big girl so much :)

The gang moved indoors last night

2009-09-29T14:52:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately the summer nights seem to be over. the temperatures dropped into the mid 50s, which means, I had to bring the torts in the house. The last days I made several trips to home depot to buy Cypress mulch for the indoor pens. Each pond is now filled with 8 cubic mulch, but I think, it's not leveled enough and I need to buy one more bag for each pen.

Georgy's pen: Like every year, when they change quarters, it takes some time for them to acclimate, and the first thing they do is pooping because they don't like changes. So I stood there with the paper towels in my hand and removed for one hour everything they left behind, until they finally must have been completely empty. I did not get a chance yet, to plant some plants in the pens, because honestly I didn't expect to get them in so early this year. Even during the day today, I couldn't bring them out again, because it's only around 70 and at this temperature they already don't move any more. How I would wish to live in a warmer climate!!

Daisyboy warming up under the UVB lamp, because the last night they spent outside was only around 60, so they already shut completely down.

On the left is Cocoa's pen, she pooped in pieces and dragged it around, it wasn't very nice to deal with, but after 6 years I got kinda used to it.

Here is Daisyboy not sure yet, if he wants to sleep in the plastic bin hide. It sure is a change from the big yard into those small pens. But next week the tempertures go up again and I hope to have them outdoors for at least during day time.

Cocoa again, also warming up under the lamp.

After they all 3 had a warm bath in the bathtub this morning, they got their food and everyone got some scratches and neck strokes. Cocoa is enjoying them very much like always and doesn't want me to stop. I know the picture is awful blurry, but you can at least see how she loves my attention.

Kiwi, Lily and Cookie are doing fine

2009-09-13T07:40:00.009-05:00

Yesterday I got an email from the second adopters with several pics of Kiwi, Lily and Cookie. It was a happy day for me to finally see them again. They have been growing a lot. So now I am sure, all my babies are well taken care of - what a relief!

I am so happy

2009-08-31T15:46:00.002-05:00

This morning, when I looked at Brandy's blog, my heart danced. The last 3 babies are doing extremely well. I couldn't be happier to see them fighting for food and I think they grew already a lot since they left me.

Only a few days ago we were worried so much about their health and if they would make it, but God thanks, it wasn't anything serious and we worried for nothing.

Sometimes I still daydream about all my babies and how it was when I held them on my hands, when I helped them hatching, when I worried about their poop, their appetite and other things.

It is so good to see them happy. I rather don't want to talk about the second adoption. I am sure, the first 2 babies that went to Kathy are well too, she is a very good Mom, just a bit behind in making pictures.

Thank you Brandy to give the 3 little guys such a good home. I know how much you love them already. Who wouldn't?

It was coolish last night

2009-08-24T09:21:00.004-05:00

The temps dropped below 57 degrees last night, and I am thinking about getting the indoor pens ready this week.
9:30 and it's still only 65 degrees, and I found Daisyboy beside the ornamental grass plant, slowly warming up in the sun.

Georgy and Cocoa (right behind him and not to see on the pic) sitting between the Cannas in the deep shade. Georgy will soon come out to walk in the sun, but Cocoa tends to not move at all when it's cold. She didn't move one inch yesterday.

The food I put out for them also was untouched, but I watched them and saw how they ate leaves from different plants in the yard.

I will give Cocoa a warm bath today, so she warms up and has some reason to walk around. She's getting a little lazy lately, but that may be because she has bunches of eggs growing inside of her. She ate almost a half small cuttlebone yesterday, which indicates, that she needs calcium for the developing eggs.

Sea turtles hatching in Alabama

2009-08-19T10:32:00.001-05:00

I just got this video from a friend and thought I'd share it here, even though it has little to do with Redfoot tortoises.

Enjoy

See turtles hatching on the gulf shore

Who announced the banana event?

2009-08-18T17:14:00.007-05:00

Georgy was full and gone and of course it didn't take too long until Cocoa showed up.

"Did I hear Banana, Mom?"

Mmmm, yummy...

Yeah, that is a feast!

I'm alone in this world with only a banana.

Let me get myself comfy so I can enjoy it better

Stretching my neck while eating banana makes me feel so goooooooood.

*Burp* I am a tiger

Wanna lick it a bit before eating all.

The Banana news have spread

2009-08-18T16:43:00.009-05:00

As soon as Daisy was done with his Banana, he left the patio and a few minutes later Georgy showed up, looking at me, saying "where is MY Banana?

Ok, Georgy, here it is.

Mmmm that thing is big, but I can do it.

I start at one end and eat through to the other one

Can't get my mouth full enough

I don't have time for breathing right now.

But a good burp is a must

Let's see how we can get this done without suffocating

Mom says, I have no manners - but who cares????

*Burp* iI'm busy Mom, don't bother me now.

I could get addicted....

Ok Mom, here ya got a photo face

Daisyboy wallows in the Banana voluptuousness

2009-08-18T16:18:00.010-05:00

Daisyboy climbed up the first step to my office (obviously didn't see me sitting on the patio) in the hope to get a afternoon treat. I thought it's time to get him a banana, knowing how much they all love bananas. I don't feed them very often, because Banana binds the calcium intake and isn't meant to be a daily food source, but once every 2 months I can spoil them with it.

See how Daisy gets crazy

Woah, it must be a good day, a banana just showed up here, right in front of me

Yeah, that is what I call tasty

*burp* Man am I glad there is no competition here right now

If I only had a bigger mouth

*burp, burp* need to get that thing down, before somebody takes it away

Do I look greedy? Nah!!!!!

*burp* Mmmm, that is Banana heaven!

Almost done!

The tort food is growing nicely

2009-08-17T14:22:00.006-05:00

After only one day my seeds have sprouted. I mixed the soil with the coir from the baby pen that I had cleaned out and misted them from above from time to time. They have been growing outdoors in the biggest heat, although in the shade.

Here are the little seedlings

Mustard Seedlings

Romaine seedlings

Dandelion seedlings. I've planted those on top of the sphagnum moss, because they are very heat sensitive. The moist sphagnum moss kept them pretty cool. They also germinated on the second day.

Cocoa resting between the tall Cannas

Daisyboy pretty sleepy in his bin.
No sign of Georgy. While Cocoa and Daisy prefer the same spot every day to hang out, Georgy always has to find a new one. So I never know where he is, until he shows up somewhere in the evening.

The yard is our playground

2009-08-15T18:21:00.013-05:00

Daisyboy making his round

Cocoa walking through the waterdish

Cocoa hanging out on the patio. I just measured her, she's already 13" long and only 71/2 years old. She will become a big one.

Georgy: Peekapooh
"Got something for me, Mom?"

Georgy exploring the patio
See ya later Mom

Shower time

2009-08-14T17:40:00.006-05:00

I found the gang together when I was watering the yard

and thought they could need a refreshment too

Cocoa could escape the males and found the food, but she didn't seem to be very interested. Maybe later. We have Romaine, red cabbage, mushrooms and sweet potato today.

The opuntias have arrived

2009-08-14T16:34:00.004-05:00

My spineless opunitas have arrived. My torts will be happy, they didn't have any since 3 months. They ate the last plant I had, down to the bones, and there was no recovery.

They love the opuntias so much that they wouldn't eat anything else, if they had enough.

This is opuntia humifusa, very winterhardy with yellow flowers

This is Opuntia ficus indica, that produces these yummy fruits. It is only winter hardy to 20 degrees and I probably will need to get it potted up before it freezes. I got 3 pads of those. and several pads of the cold hardy one.

I planted them in my new succulent bed, but will take very good care, that the torts don't get to them, before they have a chance to grow. But I am pretty sure, I will have to replant them latest tomorrow, because I just know Daisyboy will discover them on his evening walk and make it public :)

Papaya, the fruit that all omnivorous torts love

2009-08-14T13:54:00.005-05:00

3 days ago I thought it will be cheaper, when I plant my own Papaya trees. My torts just love Papaya over everything and I had to buy the fruits in the supermarket almost on a weekly basis.
I soaked the seeds in water until they germinated then got them carefully out with tweezers and planted them in individual pots. I planted 11, a few died, but most of them made it.

Here you can see a little seedling made it's way to the surface

Here is an other one emerging

All together I have 8 seedlings right now, but am expecting a few more to die. If I can get at least 3 to grow, I will be happy. Once they become a little studier, I will plant them in the big tort's indoor pens, one for each pen. They'll grow quickly and produce fruit in just 9 months. This should become a super food source - I wonder why I didn't do this earlier.

No more baby pen :(

2009-08-14T12:39:00.005-05:00

I cleaned the baby pen out today and removed all the plants, it was incredibly hard, especially when I saw this hollow spot under the Nasturtium plant, where Rosie used to sleep. She always used the same spot and had made it herself really comfortable. I stared at this spot which was exactly as long and wide like her little body, for almost 10 minutes before I could even it out and mix the sphagnum moss with the coir and other soil. I will use this container to plant Dandelions.

I transplanted Rosie's Nasturtium into a small pot and will try to keep it alive as long as possible.

I also got a little Mustard plant out, which was gnawed on and saved it.

Since the last babies left me, I am in a kind of depressed state of mind. I cry a lot and nothing is fun any more, not even working in the yard. I miss them so much that it physically hurts me.
Maybe it's because I never had own children - THEY were my children, I've seen them hatching and growing.

Yesterday I came across an auction site where they auction off reptils of all kind, also tortoises. There was a guy who had a Redfoot baby listed, just a few days old and several bids on it up to $150. The description said, he feeds on Endive and Mazuri pellets. I cannot tell how much this shocked me. This poor little guy who cannot defend himself that probably never will get a balanced diet and was born to get deformed and metabolic bone disease, just because people don't care and want to earn money.
Then an other dealer From Russia sold russian tortoises by the truckload. How cruel those people are!!!!
Tortoises are the most wonderful creatures that have survived millions and millions of years, and now people treat them as if they were objects with which they can earn a fast buck.

THEY DO HAVE SOULS AND THEY FEEL THE PAIN AS WE DO.

If you are a tortoise lover, please never ever buy one from those cruel sellers. Go to a tortoise rescue and adopt one.

They are full with tortoises that desperately need a good home.

Evening walk

2009-08-13T19:03:00.007-05:00

Daisyboy walking along the fence between Cannas

Cocoa followed by Georgy in the shade bed. See all these stumps in front of them? that all have been giant elephant ears not too long ago. I wonder why they left the stalks to tall. Usually they eat them down to the ground. But God thanks elephant ears quickly recreate and grow back, so nothing is lost.

Georgy is in mating mood, like always, but Cocoa isn't interested, she tries to run away.

He managed though to buckle up on her,

but was quickly left behind.
Poor Georgy, it must be hard to be a tort man with all these potency hormones.

time to show some tort pics

2009-08-13T15:30:00.006-05:00

I have realized that this blog must be boring for most of my readers. No pics, only boring text.
Ok, here ya go, although the cute baby pics are past.

Cocoa, after she ate the last stump of Elephant ear down to the bones (see this light green thing in the lower left of the pic? That was a 7 feet tall alocasia gigantea 2 days ago.

Cocoa eating Mango

No, dont' want Mango now

Cocoa loves to get hosed down when it's so hot. See how she smiles?

Thank you Mom, that was refreshing!

and now, can you scratch my neck a little bit?

The babies in their new home

2009-08-13T11:25:00.002-05:00

Pictures have been posted of the babies' first meal in their new home.
Click here to see them. It does so good to know they are loved and cared for by their new family.
If you want to see them grow up stay tuned and follow the blog above.

The babies are alive and well

2009-08-13T09:30:00.001-05:00

I'm so relieved. Everything went smoothly. they are now getting their bath and breakfast.
Thank you Brandy! The emotions are overwhelming right now.
Hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Delivered

2009-08-13T09:17:00.000-05:00

The tracking shows delivered. I am waiting anxiously for a first update from Brandy

I forgot...

2009-08-13T08:42:00.000-05:00

that it's an hour later there. The 'out for delivery' scan appeared with an hour delay, so they are already out for delivery since almost 2 hours. They should arrive every minute now.

Holy cow

2009-08-13T08:23:00.001-05:00

I looked where Brunswick is and saw it is 50 miles north from their destination. They went from 40 miles South to 50 miles north and probably passed the home town in between, what a weird route that is!

That can take an other 2 hours now, geez.

They are now out for delivery

2009-08-13T08:18:00.001-05:00

Just looked at the scan and they are now out for delivery. Pretty late this time.
Hopefully it goes fast now. Poor babies, they don't know what's going on and are probably terribly hungry already.

Delivery time

2009-08-13T07:55:00.001-05:00

I just checked the last two shipments again. The first time they were delivered at 9:45 and the second time at 9:30, so it won't bee too much longer now.
I've pushed my orders to the side, can't work until I know they have arrived safely.

Waiting...

2009-08-13T07:25:00.002-05:00

Seems as if the car from Jacksonville is already the delivery car. I hope there won't be too many other packages that have to get delivered before them.
I know they are hungry now. It's their time to have breakfast. They are probably realizing now, that something is very different, because they can't just peek their little heads out to look for the food.

No arrival yet

2009-08-13T06:40:00.001-05:00

Not sure what takes this driver so long to make 40 miles. It's an hour now since they left Jacksonville.
Hold on Rosie, Ginger & Cecil, you are almost there.

45 minutes waiting time

2009-08-13T05:56:00.001-05:00

The drive to their destination should take 45 minutes, which means in an other 15 minutes they should arrive at their delivery facility. It's 74 degrees right now in Jacksonville and I hope they feel a bit warmer in the box with all the newspaper around them. I am not the patient kind of person, so the next hour(s) until they finally get delivered will feel like an eternity for me. They'll probably sleep all day long today after breakfast, I cannot imagine they got a lot of sleep with all the flights, drives and strange noises.

They left Jacksonville

2009-08-13T05:44:00.001-05:00

They are moving fast now, hopefully all is well with them. They just left Jacksonville and it's appr. 40 miles to their destination. Shouldn't take too much longer.
Brandy, are you awake yet? The babies are coming!

I am awake now

2009-08-13T05:18:00.003-05:00

After my first cup of coffee I am fully awake now, I hope the babies are not too scared and are well. A nice warm bath and a breakfast is certainly waiting for them upon arrival. Can't wait to see pics of them.

It almost seems as if I got routine, haven't been that nervous like I was the last times (ok, that was a lie) but at least I could sleep 6 hours.

The last guy who never sent me a picture or anything other than they have arrived and are well, was btw a German fellow. What a shame for the German nationality. I am proud to be a German, but after that occurrence, I felt more like an American than ever before. My American adopters have been great people and both were so easy and fun to work with. I am so happy 5 of my babies found such great homes.

The babies are almost there

2009-08-13T05:03:00.002-05:00

I just saw they arrived in Jacksonville Florida 10 minutes ago. Shouldn't be too much longer now until they have arrived at home.
I slept like a baby last night, didn't wake up to do the midnight check.
Am i a bad Mom or what?

No arrival at Louisville yet

2009-08-12T23:19:00.000-05:00

I am getting tired and go to bed now, Can't change anything anyway by staying up.

They'll be fine, I am positive.

Good night Rosie, Ginger and Bobby, wherever you are right now. I love you.

Now they are moving

2009-08-12T22:45:00.001-05:00

They left Huntsville 10 minutes ago. Probably going up north to Louisville, KY again, then back south.

Please God, take care of my /Brandy's babies.

Yes, yes, yes

2009-08-12T22:04:00.001-05:00

Finally they have scanned it. It's in Huntsville at the airport now.
God thanks. I was so worried.

Now I only need to worry about that my babies arrive well.

Though I will stay up tonight and follow their journey. I hope they can sleep and get enough air to breath.

Called UPS again

2009-08-12T21:18:00.003-05:00

It didn't give me any peace, so I called UPS again in the hope to get an english speaking person on the phone and I had luck. the woman said, there are no technical issues, I knew it, that guy just wanted to get rid of me. She said though, it can take up to 24 hours until the online status shows up, which is kind of weird though, because the last 2 times it showed after 2 hours and from that scan on in real time every arrival and depart from all the different locations.

So I will probably spend the night here on the computer and click the UPS tracking site even more often than the last times in the hope to see a tracking status sometime.

Geez, as if I had not enough to worry about yet.

What a joke!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-12T21:07:00.001-05:00

I just received the automated email from UPS that says exactly the same like the website, that they received the billing info.

I can't believe it. Where are my babies??????????????????

An other try

2009-08-12T21:04:00.002-05:00

Ok, I tried it with the tracking email notification now. I should get a response shortly. We will see what they say.
I can't get over it, that they have website issues, there is no notification of any problem to see online. What a PITA they are. I am so glad that I don't have to go through this again.

UPS website has technical issues

2009-08-12T20:46:00.002-05:00

I just called UPS to find out why the package didn't get scanned yet and the guy on the phone told me they have website issues and I wouldn't see any scan before tomorrow morning. They are working to fix the issue. I cannot believe it!!!!

Why does this happen today?

I can't believe that this guy knew what he was talking about, he spoke an extremely foreign accent, probably Indian or something. I hate it when they don't understand your concern and when they just tell you something that you hang up.

If I can't follow my package, then I will get crazy here. This can't be true.

UPS doesn't scan the package today

2009-08-12T20:19:00.002-05:00

WHAT'S WRONG UPS?

If I don't see a tracking at 9pm, I will call them again, this is beyond ridiculous.

The empty pen has dried out

2009-08-12T19:35:00.003-05:00

I was just outside to get their pen in the house, when i remembered, I don't need to get it in any more. The substrate and the moss were already bone dry, because I didn't mist it since 3pm. How fast it dries out. The plants may be dead tomorrow, but I am not in the mood to water an empty pen. Will get it cleaned out in the morning and mix the substrate in my new flower bed.

It is a pretty sad thing to look at this empty pen. Once I had 8 babies in there, mostly they were all snuggled together. It was kinda hectic with 8 babies, but wonderful at the same time. They all had already different personalities and I could tell who is who just by watching them walking. Like humans, they have all their own gaits.

If I knew more people like Brandy and family, I would start breeding again, (even though it hurts to give them away, it was so nice to have them a few months and see them grow). I always felt it's like a little miracle when such a sweet perfect baby hatched from it's egg. But it was pretty stressful to find the right folks. After I put the adoption on my website, I got hundreds of requests and the emailing forward and back to learn the people know and what they are up to, was incredibly draining on me, especially when I realized, that 98% of the people had no clue and no intentions of providing them what they need.

I just looked at the tracking again, nothing yet, damnit!!!!

Found Daisyboy

2009-08-12T18:53:00.002-05:00

He was in my new succulent bed eating my little Aloe Vera that I just bought this week. I left it in the pot and buried the entire pot in the ground, so that I can take it in during winter. I hope it will recreate, there is only one leaf left now. That's why they don't eat my prepared food any more, they found better things to eat....

I hope the babies are not scared tonight, it looks as if we get a thunderstorm. No UPS tracking yet :(

Cocoa laid a clutch of eggs today

2009-08-12T18:28:00.002-05:00

I was so busy with my thoughts today because all the babies left me, that I didn't look for my big guys. After the babies got picked up, I ran through the yard crying, like a fool, looking where my guys are when I saw Cocoa covering up her nest. she was just done and disappeared between the tall Cannas, Georgy always on her side. Didn't find Daisyboy yet, but my batteries are dead again, so I couldn't make a pic. Cocoa had covered her nest very well and if I hadn't seen her covering it up and leaving, I wouldn't ever have known. Well, I don't know how many eggs she laid this time, it's not even mid August and she's very early this year. Will probably be a stressful winter inside with her laying eggs all the time.

I won't dig the eggs out, just leave them where they are, they will not develop, our nights are too cool, they need a constant temperature in the mid 80s.

Very hard to not look, but I know when I dig them out, I want to incubate them. Not gonna happen this year!

The tracking shows nothing yet, it will show the first scan, once arrived in Hartselle, where the UPS unit is, probably around 7:30/8:00pm.

I feel so empty, my big guys are not in cuddle mood, they don't even want to eat today, and nobody knows where Daisy runs around. I need to look again and at least give him some shell scratches. Cocoa probably is sleeping now, she's always very exhausted, after laying eggs.

They got picked up at 5:19pm

2009-08-12T17:19:00.002-05:00

They just left me. I was mowing the front yard, now I will quit, half job done. Can't do it any more.

...pause

No driver yet

2009-08-12T16:35:00.003-05:00

I got a little worried, because the driver told me the last 2 times, 4pm is the latest pick-up time in my area and they can't come any later, so I scheduled 4pm. Now he wasn't here yet and it's already 4:41. I called UPS to make sure, they didn't forget it, and the agent said, he is still on tour and I am scheduled.

Ok, so I would have to mow my lawn now, but am not sure, if I am able to. I may try it. Last time they came too early, now they come too late, what a PITA they are.

I wished I hadn't closed the box yet, but the babies probably won't realize any difference.

OH God, I am shaking, this is too much to deal with.

I pray to God he will be with them again, he did a good job the last times.

The babies are ready to go

2009-08-12T15:59:00.006-05:00

Blogger didn't work for a while, but now everything is fine.
I've packaged the babies, each one in his container and they are ready to go. It's 4pm here now and the UPS guy was supposed to come from 4pm on. I'm sure he will show up shortly.
They all got a last kiss and it was extremely hard to package them up this time. No baby left any more, nobody I can feed in the early morning, nobody whom I can cuddle.
MY big guys are too heavy to lift just because I am in cuddle mood and they don't like to be cuddled anyway. They rather like some scratches on their shell or necks.

The box is closed yet and waiting. I made a lot of holes everywhere for breathing and hope they feel comfortable.

4:09 and the UPS guy isn't here yet. Hopefully he comes a bit later, I won't open the box any more, they certainly feel well, they all have been very sleepy, when I got them packaged, probably because they ate so much today.

The new parents have prepared the baby's pen

2009-08-12T13:35:00.004-05:00

Can't do anything today, I am so nervous and they aren't even gone yet. This airplane thing just freaks me out, not knowing which people will have the package in their hands and throw it around.

Better I don't think about it now.

Here is the new pen, where they will live from tomorrow on

Peyton the family's son is preparing the substrate.
He's very excited, and I'm pretty sure, once he gets older and on his own, he will have tortoises himself. I had tortoises as a kid already (always with supervision from my parents of course) and I have been tortoise addicted ever since. When you grow up with them, you got to love them.

and here is the finished pen, looks almost like where they used to be, they may not even notice a difference.

Second last meal

2009-08-12T12:53:00.005-05:00

I just saw Ginger walking around and looking for something, when i figured, she may want a second round on the food plate. I got her out and she ate as if she hadn't eaten anything this morning. Not sure, how the other ones could hear it, there was basically nothing to hear, but as soon as Ginger started eating again, the other 2 heads showed up too and now they are eating all 3 as if they'd know there will be a travel tonight.

Ginger pooped a last time (it was a big one) while eating, so I am sure, she won't mess the box up tonight.

Nobody will mess up the box, they all had a group bathroom time. Big business. They should arrive clean in their new home.

Last baby pictures before they leave me

2009-08-12T10:02:00.010-05:00

Today is a very sad day for me. My babies will leave me, I just printed the shipping label and sheduled the pick-up.
I'm sitting here in tears and am not motivated at all to write this blog today, but want to keep me busy, that I don't get carried away in sentimentality.

I had some bad dreams last night, dreamed about Kiwi, Cookie and Lily. I cannot forget them.

Here are some pics from this morning, when they had their last breakfast in their old home.

Rosie: I see food, get me outta here

Bobby: I'm diving into the carrots

Rosie: mmh those greens are yummy

Ginger eating mushroom

I've watched them eating until they were done, like i did every morning and gently stroke their shells. They feel the touches to the shells and really like it.

Here we have Rosie again, ready to eat the hole piece of mushroom.

Ginger was the first one done this morning and I sat her back into the pen. she walked straight into her favorite place under the Coleus plant.

Next one rosie, also walking in direction coleus

Last one Bobby, still thinking if he could eat some more.

Daisy, Cocoa and Georgy, when I first got them

2009-08-11T09:40:00.016-05:00

I found some pictures of my 3 adult torts when i just got them in my old Image shack account. Their first indoor pen and how small they have been (appr. 2 y/o) They all weighted around 400 gram, which is not even a pound. Now they are +/-15pounds.

This picture was the very first day when I brought them home. The pen was a 4x4" bookshelf, which I had lined with rubber pond liner on the bottom and taped with duck tape to the side.
Daisy looking out from the hide, Georgy in the green water dish and Cocoa in the bigger water dish.
They had 3 of these reptile hides, but were always squeezed together in one.

I added some more plants for visual interest as the days went by.

More edible plants added, which they appreciated very much. It looked from above like a tropical jungle and they were used to eat right from the plants. I bought later a vulcano from zoomed that was supposed to provide humidity and a waterfall, but those 2 very expensive features broke after only 2 weeks. Though as long as they lasted, they looked pretty nice and the torts were sitting in front of them looking at the steam coming out from the vulcano and enjoyed the splashing water from the waterfall.

This is Cocoa, she was my first love.

One day in early April I drove to petsmart to get a parakeet. I was standing in front of the parakeet cage when I felt behind my back, somebody is looking at me. I turned my head around and saw this incredible beautiful Redfoot tortoise sitting in a 30 gallon tank, staring at me. Forgotten were the parakeets and I went over to the terrarium, opened it and got the tortoise out of my hand. She looked at me with her beautiful eyes and it seemed as if she would say: "Take me home, Mom" Who could resist this beautiful girl? Not me. I cuddled her a while and promised her to come back in a couple of days, when I had something set-up for her. I drove home and googled Redfoot to make myself smart about set-ups and diet, then I rushed out to buy all the things nessecary to make my new girl happy. I sacrified one of my bookshelves, and made a pen out of it. The very next day I drove back to the petsmart to look at my girl again and to hold her again. Also to buy some furniture, food and water dishes. She was priced at $150, and although I wasn't expecting to spend that much with all the stuff I needed, I could not go back and get a parakeet instead. The store owner came talking to me, when he saw me almost hourly coming back holding my girl. I said, I will get her the next day and he asked me, if I could buy 3, they had 2 more in the other store in Florence. I wasn't sure, didn't want 3 but said, I will think about it. The next day, when everything was prepared for my girl, I drove back to pick her up and found 2 more of these beautiful tortoises in her terrarium. One was a lot smaller and the other one was medium sized. Cocoa was the biggest one. Who could resist seeing all these wonderful creatures squeezed in a 30 gallon tank? Not me! - and home I drove with 3 tortoises.

I called the smallest one Daisygirl, she looked so innocent and I was sure, she is a girl. Cocoa was my big love though from day one. She was the most outgoing tort I have ever come across. And she loved me from the very beginning, always came to me, never feared my hands, and just loved to get cuddled. Georgy was the medium one, he was an explorer, climber and destroyer. Nothing was safe from him, he was a real character.

Later when I realized how messy thee torts can be, I also covered the sides of the pen with a plastic liner. I used a green shower curtain for that purpose.

They really felt home from day one, have all been very outgoing and seemed to be happy in their new habitat.

They loved to bath in the water dish and sometimes they would stand in a row to enter as soon as one got out.

Here is Georgy, eating watermelon

And Daisygirl (now Daisyboy) posing for a picture.

Rosie, the fashion Lady

2009-08-11T08:27:00.001-05:00

She's decided to wear her green Romaine hat today

Bobby exercises his tippy toe ballet skills

2009-08-11T08:06:00.005-05:00

... and up the heels

higher Bobby, higher

There ya go, what a classy tippy toe!

2009-08-10T16:22:00.006-05:00

I packaged the box today as test to determine the shipping costs. Because of the heat the last days, I had to delay the shipment a couple of days. The babies will be shipped now on Wednesday.
After I got everything ready, my stomach got upset again, just like with the first 2 shipments. Although I still have them a couple of days, I gave the an extra treat of sweet potato and cuddled each one of them for a while.

Here is Bobby, he still has some sweet potato on his mouth.

Rosie caught a hair of mine when I gave her a kiss

And Ginger baby, some sweet potato hanging on her nose.

This time it will be the hardest for me, because there is no baby left, when they are gone. I probably will give my big guys a big hug after I am being left babyless. I think every day at Kiwi my first born, Lily and Cookie and that I don't know what happened to them. It is a terrible feeling and sometimes I have the wildest imaginations, then I start crying. How heartless can anyone be to adopt 3 of my precious babies and never ever contact me again to show me a picture of them?
I wish I still had them, and will never forgive myself that I adopted them to this jerk.

The new parents of Bobby, Ginger and Rosie have started a blog where I can read about them and see pictures. If you want to see them grow up too, click here
I am sure, they will be loved very much and that's all I wanted for them.

The flies had a feast, and the elephants are gone

2009-08-10T12:11:00.007-05:00

The flies appreciated the nutritious breakfast that I laid out for the torts

This is what the 3 Elephant ears look like after the torts had them discovered. All broken off the stem. Now, anybody thinks, torts cannot reach the high leaves? You bet, they know how to get to them!

And here are the 2 malfactors, right at the scene, looking as if nothing had happend.

The Elephant ear destroyer

2009-08-10T09:03:00.004-05:00

I saw Mom planted a new elephant ear yesterday, mmmhhh it was good, I ate it all. Better I go hiding, before Mom notices it.

It wasn't me Mom, it was Daisyboy

Honestly, could these eyes lie to you?

Wake-up at 7am

2009-08-10T08:47:00.000-05:00

Bobby:"Do I smell breakfast?"

Ginger:"Yes, I smell it too, I'm coming"

Why do we have to go through this bath thing every morning? Can't we go directly to the breakfast table?

Finally, it was about time guys, I am so hungry.

Rosie: You have to be relaxed while eating

Ginger: Not sure, what I should eat first.

Cocoa changed her mind

2009-08-09T08:49:00.002-05:00

No eggs yet, it was so incredibly hot yesterday that Cocoa didn't move at all. She was sleeping all day long in her hiding container and didn't even come out to have a drink or something to eat. She must be exhausted with all the eggs and not being able to lay them. And it doesn't look as if the temperatures change in the next days. Maybe she doesn't even carry eggs yet and had just the need to walk around early in the morning a few days ago, who knows. This girl has her own head anyways and sometimes she's unprecictible.

Georgy is protecting his pregnant wife

2009-08-07T14:30:00.005-05:00

I just went out to look what Cocoa is doing. It is terribly hot today and I can't even be outside for longer than a few minutes. I found her in her favorite bin and Georgy hanging sideways on her. This bin is big enough for 1 tort, not for 2, but Georgy has managed it somehow to squeeze himself in, even if that means, he must hang sideways all day long. Too funny, he obviously doesn't want to miss when the eggs get laid.

Little Ginger was out again and nibbled a bit on the hosta plant

The hungry wolfes

2009-08-07T10:58:00.010-05:00

This morning everybody was up early, even the babies. Little Bobby showed up from under the moss, when they still were in the kitchen at around 6:30am.

I had to hurry to make their breakfast ready and the bath and bring them outside.

Bobby is the first one who wants to leave the water dish, because he sees the food just a few inches away.

There ya go, little Bobby

Ginger (foreground) and Rosie still enjoyed the warm bath, while bobby was already eating like a little piggy.

A few seconds later, they both wanted to get out of the water dish and have their breakfast too.

Ginger eating some Carrots

Rosie

Little Bobby munching Papaya

Rosie munching Papaya too. Mmmmm, there is nothing better!

Rosie came out again after 3 hours to have a second breakfast. She obviously was very hungry today. I wonder from what!?!?

I've planted some Hosta in their pen yesterday and she started eating the leaves as if she didn't get enough this morning, so I took her out and let her have a second round on the breakfast table.

Cocoa is a drama queen

2009-08-07T10:24:00.004-05:00

I knew it, Cocoa didn't lay any eggs yet. She obviously didn't find the right perfect spot in the entire yard. She's always very choosy, stresses everybody, and it takes her days to finally accept one spot, because she can't hold the eggs any longer. She wandered around for several hours this morning to turn back into her favorite hide place to rest. What was interesting that at around 6am Georgy came out of his hide and followed her, but without bothering her. Unfortunately my cam batteries just went dead. He obviously knew she is ready to lay her eggs and as a good husband, he wanted to be with her. When she lays in the yard, he is always by her side and sits patiently beside her when she's digging the nest until she's completely finished. Not so Daisyboy, although he is part of the game also, but he doesn't care about Cocoa more than having his fun with her.

I need to watch her closely this afternoon, when it gets cooler she might wander again and try to find a place to lay her eggs. Pretty early this year, usually she doesn't start laying eggs until late october.

Cocoa becomes restless again

2009-08-07T07:41:00.005-05:00

This morning at 5:30am when I sat on the patio to drink my morning coffee, I heard something just around the corner. When I went looking what it is, I saw Cocoa restless wandering around.

She is usually a sleepyhead and doesn't get up that early. I thought she may be hungry and hurried in the kitchen to make her a nice breakfast, but she totally ignored the plate with all the goodies and passed by. Well, that can mean only one thing. She is already ready to lay her first eggs and looking for a good spot in the yard to do it. Poor girl, she hasn't eaten in 2 days now and I was already wondering why she wouldn't eat. She probably carries a bunch of eggs with her and has no space for food any more. I hope she finds her spot early enough before the big heat breaks out today.

Good news, the last 3 babies got adopted

2009-08-06T20:32:00.003-05:00

Today we found a very good home for the last 3 babies with the help of Julie from the Turtle rescue of Long Island
A family in South Georgia has decided to give them a forever home. They are truly committed and I am thrilled to know my last babies going into a bright future, just like the first 2. The guy that adopted my other 3 babies, never contacted me again after he got them, didn't even send me a picture of their safe arrival and I have regretted it so much that I trusted him. I have begged him several times to please send me a picture, so that I can see they are all alive and well, but my emails got ignored from that day on when he had them. Shame on this guy, who probably adopted them for resale. Should he ever read this blog, which he probably won't because he obviously didn't have any interest anyway, then know that what goes around comes around and everyone will get justice one day for bad things they have done. I hope you get yours soon!

Anyway, it will be a last time a very stressful night for me, when they are on their way to their new home, until they have arrived. They'll be shipped on Monday evening. It will be very hard to be left with nothing but the empty pen. I've loved them all like my own babies, basically they were my babies, not Cocoas. She only laid the eggs, I incubated them, helped them hatching, fed them, bathed them and loved them. She did not care for her babies at all.
But I won't breed any more, it was too much to endure, all this adoption process and the separating and shipping. As much as I loved them for a while, but the pain does not justify the fun I had.
I will however be a part of their life through pictures from the first and the third adopters, which makes me happy also.

Tomorrow I will make a lot of last pictures, so I can always look at them in the future and remember the time when they were my babies.

It's getting quiet in the baby pen

2009-07-23T12:10:00.007-05:00

Only 3 babies left and in the morning, when it's feeding time, I miss the other ones mostly. Peanut and Cookie were always the first ones to show up in the morning, now that they are gone, nobody comes out by itself any more. I need to dig in the moss and find them to get them ready for breakfast.
I am not used to only have 3 babies and like yesterday I prepared way to much food.

Look how Bobby stretches his little legs to reach something what awoke his interest.

They all eat like there is no tomorrow

That's Rosie on the right. She couldn't get enough this morning and it took 40 minutes until she was finally full.

I am rearranging their pen today, since they don't need that much sphagnum moss now. I will plant on half with edible greens and the other half pile up with moss, where they can sleep. Hard to imagine to give the last babies away also, once an adopter is found.

Btw, I didn't hear anything from the last adopter yet, other than they arrived and are ok. I am really sad about it, had hoped I would get at least an update on how they are doing, if they ate well and maybe a picture.

They have arrived :)

2009-07-22T08:44:00.001-05:00

Just got an email from their new Dad, they all have arrived and are well. I am so relieved. Now I can start working. UPS still didn't update the scans. What a PITA they are!

Anyway, the babies are fine and I hope they are hungry and eat a lot.

3 1/2 hours since the departure from the airport and no update yet

2009-07-22T08:00:00.003-05:00

I just called UPS to find out if there are any problems. The departure shows 3 1/2 hours ago and no arrival at the destination yet, which is only 100 miles away. The woman on the phone said, they will be delivered by 10:30, and that the driver has not unloaded the car yet, hence they didn't get scanned yet. I really hope she knows what she's talking about. Why does this driver take so long to unload the car? Can't he move his butt a bit faster? I would fire this guy, if I was UPS. This is beyond ridiculous. The last time when I shipped the first babies to Virginia, everything went smoothly withing minutes from the airport.
It is already 9am in SC and I am getting extremely worried now.

Where are my babies?

2009-07-22T07:02:00.003-05:00

The travel is not done yet. The last UPS scan was 1 1/2 hours ago. I was up until midnight and followed their journey, then I fell asleep on my desk. When I woke up at around 3am, they just left Louisville Ky. What a joke, they first fly north to then fly back south.

This must be so scary for them to feel the movement of an airplane twice, not being able to move and not knowing what's going on. I hope they could sleep during the travel, but I doubt it. If they only get delivered in time. I am running to the bathroom almost every 10 minutes now, this whole adoption thing is completely draining on me. I wish I could find somebody close for the last 3 babies, so I can drive them myself.

I pray to God again to be with them and make the last piece of the journey go by fast now. It's 8:12 at their destination city now and they should be already out for delivery, but the scan still shows the departure from the airport, which is 100 miles away. Geez, hopefully the driver had no accident or something.

The babies got picked up at 4:30pm

2009-07-21T17:08:00.002-05:00

Honestly, I will never understand how people can intentionally breed Tortoises and sell them for profit. I wouldn't ever be able to make a business out of selling animals. I understand that it's important to breed them in Captivity rather than having wild caught tortoises imported, but you must have a heart of stone, if you can do this.
It teared my heart apart, when the babies left me today. I am still crying, although I know they go into a very good home. If I had sold them, I would have to sell them to anybody who pays the money, not being able to chose their new home carefully.

I have probably refreshed the UPS tracking site a hundred times since they got picked up, but it doesn't show anything yet. They will get scanned once they arrive at the airport, I guess, just like the last time. It drives me nuts to know the package in many people's hands who probably don't care.
And if it wasn't enough stress yet, now it started to rain and pours buckets from the sky.

But I know God will be with them.

The babies are ready for the trip

2009-07-21T15:01:00.006-05:00

I ordered the pick-up at 6pm, and like usual, UPS showed up already at noon. I told the guy that live animals cannot stay in the box for that long and that I ordered the late pick-up for a reason. He promised me to come back around 4pm, which is the allegedly latest pick-up they can do in my area. Okidokie, I hope he really comes again and doesn't forget about it now.

I got the babies ready, it's 3pm here. They had a warm bath, and then I fed them again. They all 3 had again some good bites.

Cookie on the left, Kiwi in the middle and Lily on the right.

Here is Kiwi in the plastic container. He looks as if he doesn't understand what's going on.
I gave him a last kiss and said good bye.

Here are the 2 little ones Cookie and Lily already packaged up. They are on the bottom of the box. I placed Kiwi's container on the top, some peanuts and newspaper in between.
Also the little ones got a last good bye kiss.

I pray to God that he is with them on the travel and protects them.
Here is the box ready to go. I opened it later again, because I thought, they don't need to be in the closed box until the guy actually arrives and picks them up. I will close the box again, once he is here.
Can't work today. This is wearing me out. Damnit! I am crying again. Why is this so hard?

3 more babies got adopted

2009-07-20T15:02:00.004-05:00

Kiwi, Cookie and Lily got adopted today and will be shipped to South Carolina tomorrow. An other sleepless night for me, but I am glad I found a very good home for those babies also. when I ordered the UPS pick-up today, I started crying again. Why is it so difficult to part with them? It always feels as if a piece of my heart gets torn out.
I guess that's the punishment, because I didn't think about the future, when I started incubating the eggs. I wanted so badly see a little tort baby hatching, but I had no idea I would bond so strongly with all of them. They are like my own kids.
Cocoa will lay more eggs soon, but I won't breed any more. It is too hard on me to give them away and every time when a box with some of them inside leaves me, it is as if I lose a piece of myself.

I hope they all have a wonderful life in their new families. Tomorrow will be a horrible night for me again until I know they have safely arrived at their destination.

The new shade construction

2009-07-12T09:55:00.005-05:00

The big pen that i built for the babies wasn't appreciated. The babies are still too small to be lost in such a huge pen and every time, when they finished eating, they immediately disappeared in the hides. Also with all the plants and rocks in there, they would fall on their backs trying to climb on everything and it was just too worrisome to let them out there, when i couldn't stand right beside it. Anyway, they are outside all day long, because they just love to be in fresh air, but still in the small under the bed container. To prevent them from being in direct sun, I took a big table cloth and hang it over the top of the container with 2 flowerstands on the left and the right to hold it up.

I am looking around since days to find a bigger storage box than the one I have right now, but the biggest size is only 3 inch longer, not much of a difference.
I found an outdoor pond at Lowes, rectangular, which would fit perfectly on top of the folding table.
I could even keep them in the winter inside in this pond and have them in the kitchen on that folding table. It is a great size, even when they get bigger. Once I have the pond (needs to be ordered) I will install an insect screen on the top, which I have left over from my storm door and buy 2 clamp on beach chair umbrellas, to use on either side.

The adoption so far isn't going to well, too many people who have no idea what a redfoot tortoise needs, want to adopt them, but they fail to provide the most essential things like proper lighting, outdoor pen or the right diet. So I have decided to take it easy with the adoption and not make a rushed decision, until somebody comes along, who really wants to get into it the right way.

What a feast

2009-07-06T15:34:00.003-05:00

8am in the morning, when I mist the substrate in the baby pen, one little head after an other is coming out of the moss and looking for food. This morning I fed them indoors, since it was rainy and pretty windy. But nevertheless, the food is always appreciated, no matter, if it's served under the UVB lamp or under the sun.

Kiwi, the sleepy head of course, preferred to sleep a little longer than the babies, because he wants the food dish all for himself. Once the babies are done, I have to wake him up and place him on the food dish or he would sleep until late morning.

The mushroom pieces, which I serve every day, are the main attraction and always will be eaten first. I feed the babies only twice a week some fruits, because they become easily diarrhoea from too much. For sweetness I add smashed baby carrots every day, which they love very much also. Today they had beside the mushrooms and the carrots, kale, Lily flowers, Hibiscus leaves and flowers, romaine and nasturtium leaves and flowers.

The Mud Queen Cocoa

2009-07-05T19:26:00.004-05:00

Cocoa is officially the mud queen. After a heavy rain last night she looked for mud puddles all day long to wallow in them. I bathed her 3 times, but she went straight back to the mud, then I gave up. Look at this naughty girl.

She looks like an alien

I am adopting out all my babies

2009-07-05T15:49:00.002-05:00

If you are interested in adopting one or more of my babies, please go to the adoption form that I have prepared. Please answer all questions and be as specific as possible. No adoption will be considered without any pictures of indoor and outdoor setups.

Peanut & Pebbles arrived safe and sound in their new home

2009-07-02T20:32:00.009-05:00

Last night was a nightmare for me. Since they had left in the box with the UPS guy, I couldn't help and cried a few hours. It really wore me out and I had the worst imaginations on how people would throw the package around and upside down during the transport. UPS provides great tracking unlike USPS, and I could follow every step of the journey, so that was at least something. The new Mom even stayed up the entire night and checked on the tracking status regularily. I woke up with an extreme headache this morning and believe it or not, lost 3 pounds, because I had to run to the bathroom all the time, so nervous I have been. At 4am I woke up and after a cup of coffee, I turned the computer on to check the shipment status and saw, they had arrived in Louisiana, Kentucky. The new Mom was also awake and we wrote emails forward and back. some of you may think we are nuts, but it was my first time shipping animals, and I was so afraid, something terrible could happen to them. I was glued to the computer and refreshed the shipping status maybe a hundred times, until they finally arrived in Virginia. Then it took an other 2 hours until they got delivered and at 9:45 I got the email from their new Mom, that they had arrived and are doing well.

Here are some pics of them in their new home.

First soak

First meal

It seems as if they didn't even notice any difference. The setup was almost identical to what they had here and even the food dish was the same like I had for them. I was so happy that they found such a good home and extremely relived to see them well and eating after this sleepless night.

Thank you Kathy for adopting my babies (now yours) and being such a loving Mom to them.

Peanut and Pebbles got adopted

2009-07-01T19:40:00.006-05:00

Unfortunately I can't keep the babies, since my space is limited and I have no room to overwinter them all in the house.
The first 2, Peanut & Pebbles got adopted by a woman in Virginia. They went on their journey today at 4:30 pm. I've shipped them UPS over night and probably can't sleep tonight until i know they have arrived and are fine.
Here is a last pic of them, when I packaged them in the box.

I covered them with moist sphagnum moss, but left the containers open until the UPS guy showed up. They both climbed out of the container and looked at me like saying: Good bye Mom.
It broke my heart and I cried for a couple of hours.
I am sure they will heave a great life at their new home, but I felt miserable, not knowing how people take care of the package during the flight.

My heart is bleeding. I still have 6 more left that are going to get adopted. Julie from the Turtle Rescue on Long Island helps me to find very good homes for them all. And with every shipment a piece of my heart gets torn out. I won't breed any more babies.

Breakfast party in the baby pen

2009-06-24T10:40:00.004-05:00

All babies are eating well now, even little Ginger started to eat today. She took a longtime after hatching to find pleasure with real food. Her little brother Bobby started eating right way after hatching, and although he is over a week ahead of his sister, he is much smaller than her. Ginger was a mega huge baby that hatched from a mega huge egg. Her egg was almost double the size of all the other eggs I had. She may come after her MomCocoa, who was with 3 years already as big as a 6y/o. Cocoa is much larger than the 2 guys Georgy and Daisyboy, who are all the same age.

Kiwi had already enough and is now going to explore the pen.

New Redfoot baby outdoor enclosure

2009-06-21T09:32:00.025-05:00

This morning we launched the Redfoot baby enclosure for 4 hours, as long as it still was in the shade. The plants are still too small and don't provide shade during the day, so I thought, it might be a good idea to get them used to their new enclosure every day a few hours, until they feel comfortable and the plants are bigger.

They sure did explore every inch of it and i had to count 8 probably a hundred times to not lose anybody. I was sitting right beside the enclosure, made some pics and watched them carefully, so I can see what I have to improve to make it safer.

It all started out with a morning bath.

Then the breakfast got served

Here is a full view of the enclosure, while the babies still eat breakfast. Next week, when the plants are bigger, it will have natural shade and I can let them out a bit longer to get used to it.

Here is an other view from the side. where you see the glass door in the house that's my office, so I can have a direct view on them when I sit on my computer.

View from the opposite side. Babies are still eating.

The 2 plant screens you see on each side will be soon covered with Morning glories and Trumpet vine.

Little Rosie (in front of the pile in the middle) was done eating and started to explore.

3 are still eating and 4 headed to the green hide, while Rosie wandered around on the other side of the pen.

Here we see Kiwi on the right, 3 in the green hide, 3 still eating.

Peanut remains eating, while Kiwi got already hungry again and goes back to the breakfast table.

Here is Lily and Bobby under the Morning glories in the left and Peanut still eating. He'll get a big one, as much as he eats every day.

There is Pebbles, exploring the other side of the pen now.

Here we see little Rosie.

Peanut finally done eating and now climbing on top of the hubba hut. He actually managed to get on top of the rocks and I will have to make a higher barries on that side, so nobody can escape. Little Cookie between the succulent plant.

Peanut now under the Morning Glories, digging for something.

2 of the babies disappeared under the big hubba hut and one is checking out the Nasturtiums.

Yeah, those Nasturtiums are delicious, must try a few.

2 in front of the big hubba hut, 1 on the Nasturtiums

After 3 hours they became all tired and disappeared in the hides. That's when the sun came out and it got hot. I decided to get them back into their plastic bin for sleeping, which is in full shade, so they won't be baked in the sun. We will do this now every morning, until everything is covered with plants, so that I can let them in there during the day.

There was an american violet 5 minutes ago

2009-06-18T16:13:00.004-05:00

This is what the American violet looks like after Peanut and Pebbles discovered it. Now it's all gone. Little Lily didn't even get a chance to get close to the leaves.

It's around 95 degrees and the big guys are hanging out in their hide bins and wait patiently until it gets cooler, so they can walk around.
Each one in his own bin.

Daisyboy

Georgy

and Mom Cocoa. Seems as if she found a mud puddle earlier today.

Pebbles hungry again

2009-06-18T15:53:00.004-05:00

4pm and Pebbles showed up again. She walked a bit around to look if there is anything of interest, until she found the american violets. Seems as if she is going to eat every leaf available.

What a hungry little girl.

Haha, just checked on her again and she now got company. Peanut came out and joins her (in the foreground) Lily also came out, but didn't get to the leaves yet. I've planted these american violets only an hour ago and now they are almost gone.

Pebbles wants some mushroom

2009-06-18T13:35:00.001-05:00

Only a couple hours after breakfast, Pebbles comes out of his hide and looks around. We know this look, don't we? It means, he wants a mushroom.
There you go Pebbles.

Mmmhh, that mushroom is good.

All babies

2009-06-16T17:04:00.008-05:00

The last baby (Ginger, second row on the right) has hatched 3 days ago. All babies are eating, except little Ginger (Bobby had his first breakfast this morning). I think Ginger will be interested in food tomorrow or a day later.
Bobby took some bites of Romaine and ate a whole Nasturtium leaf.

Kiwi is always the last one. He wakes up, when he hears the babies munching, but then he is soon all over the place.
First group is eating. Pebbles in the front, Peanut in the middle, Lily and Rosie in the background. The breakfast today was Romaine, Hibiscus, Nasturtium, flowers and leaves, Chickweed, Mushrooms, Carrots, Lily flowers and some yellow squash. In the afternoon they mostly get a little fruit treat and the older ones get a worm once a week.

Last baby hatching

2009-06-11T18:22:00.004-05:00

The last baby is in the process to hatch. Little sleepy takes his time. I could catch a couple of sweet pictures how he sleeps now in his half open egg.

Baby Bobby has hatched

2009-06-10T17:12:00.003-05:00

Bobby hatched from a cracked and leaking egg. I didn't remove this one like I did with the cracked eggs before and God thanks, I didn't. He is so sweet and full of life. An other egg has pipped today and probably will hatch tomorrow. The last egg was a dull and I threw it away.

Welcome to this world, Bobby.

Georgy and Daisyboy sun taning

2009-05-27T14:53:00.002-05:00

Between the Black Cohosh plants is their favorite place where they hang out all day long. they have 4 of those plastic bins with openings, where they can hide and sleep. Cocoa actually sleeps rigt now in one of them, while Georgy and Daisyboy catch some sunrays.

First breakfast for the new hatchlings

2009-05-24T10:48:00.005-05:00

This morning they all had their first breakfast, even little Rosie, the troublemaker, although she is only 2 days old. She grabbed a piece of strawberry like she had never done anything else. Like a big one haha.

The new hatchlings didn't eat a lot, but they did eat something. After they were done, Lily and Cookie just stayed where they were on the plate, while Rosie climbed over the edge and fell on her back

I turned her around and she ran right into the spaghnum moss pile to burry herself, before I could get her back into the bowl and the incubator. Well, it's warm today outside and very humid, so I figured, I just let them all outside. I covered the other 2 hatchlings with moss, because they didn't do it themselves. Rosie is only 2 days old and she acts like a 1 year old. What an amazing girl!

Rosie looking for a hide.

All babies have hatched and are well

2009-05-23T17:25:00.002-05:00

Group baby picture

From left to right:
Kiwi 1 year old, Peanut 2 months old, Pebbles 3 weeks old, Rosie 1 day old, Cookie 3 days old, Lily 2 days old

2 more babies

2009-05-22T19:40:00.006-05:00

It was hectic the last days. The second baby hatched yesterday and the third today. The third one took 3 days to get out of the egg.

Here is Cookie with Lily

Cookie on the right, Lily on the left. Lily is a bit more red than cookie, that's how I can see who is who.

Here is my third baby that didn't want to come out of the egg.

Her name is Rosie. When she finally got out of the egg and I gave her a warm bath to get the eggshells left over off, she was a little rebel and climbed out of the bowl, run around like crazy and I couldn't even make a pic of her. This girl has pepper in her butt, haha. She even tried to bite my hand, unbelievable! I have never had such a rebel before.

Tomorrow I will make pictures of all the babies (5 now and 1 yearling) assumed, Rosie will let me.

Cookie has hatched

2009-05-19T16:04:00.006-05:00

Cookie hatching

Checked the incubator today after 4 days not looking at all and yeah, I saw a little shell. Cookie was already fully hatched and the eggshell was laying on top of him.
An other egg is pipping. Should get an other hatchling tomorrow.

Pipping egg

Cookie tired from hatching

Cookie's yolksac

Pebbles was eating the first time

2009-05-05T10:35:00.004-05:00

Day 9 in Pebbles life and she was eating for the very first time. Actually I was very concerned about her the last days, because she was so different than the other 2 babies I had before her. She didn't move at all and couldn't lift her head. When I bathed her in the morning, I had to hand support her head or she would have been drowning in the very shallow water dish, because her head would just hang on the ground with the nose down.

Today she surprised me, when she grabbed her first green leaf to eat, and boy did she wolf down. Now everything is fine and I hope she finds as much pleasure as the other 2 ones in the morning, when the breakfast gets served.

Redfoot's daily life

2009-04-29T14:33:00.007-05:00

8 am in the morning: "Hey Mom, where is our breakfast? You are late today"

Peanut exercises his leg muscles

Oops, that hubba hut is already taken

If Mom can find us here behind the grass?

Let me see, if she has something to eat

Can you please let me sleep a bit longer? It's only 8am!

Do I see food? Ok, I forgive you Mom to wake me up so early.

Second day in Pebbles life

2009-04-27T08:52:00.007-05:00

Pebbles is a bit bigger than a quarter. she was very tired this morning, when I got her out of the incubator. But she had to endure some more pictures I made of her.

Her yolk sac is only half the size of what it was yesterday.

She got a nice warm bath with her siblings this morning. (Pebbles in the foreground)

Now look at Georgy. Isn't this the same face expression? Georgy must be her Daddy. Pebbles has the same look like her Dad.

After the bath she was fully awake and I could shot a close up of her. Isn't she adorable?
But that was as much as she could take today and I brought her back into the warm moist incubator, so she can go on sleeping, absorb her yolk sac and get stronger.

Peanut and Pebbles size comparison

2009-04-26T13:31:00.004-05:00

Peanut on the left, tomorrow 6 weeks old, and Pebbles, hatched today. Amazing how much they grow in only 6 weeks, isn't it.

Hello world!!!

2009-04-26T10:12:00.002-05:00

Pebbles has hatched. She is still a bit deformed, but that will straighten out in a couple of days. I cleaned her off the eggshell and put her between moist sphagnum moss back in the incubator. She will stay there until her yolk sac is fully absorbed. She is a fast one, other tort babies need 2-3 days from pipping the egg until hatching. She did it in only 24 hours. What a strong girl she is!! And an early birthday present for me :)

The first 1/3 is done

2009-04-26T06:20:00.004-05:00

6am Sunday morning, the egg has cracked and the head and front legs are to see. When I saw her head, the name Pebbles came to my mind. Don't know why, but that is how I will call her. I hope she is a girl.
She is so cute and was sleeping when I looked, so I covered it up again and let her rest.

There is a hole in the egg

2009-04-25T18:41:00.003-05:00

6:40 pm Saturday. We now have a little hole in the egg. The little guy obviously can't wait to get outta there.

The little guy made some progress

2009-04-25T17:12:00.002-05:00

5pm Saturday evening, 8 hours after the egg pipped it looks like this:

Can you see the difference between this morning? It should be open tomorrow morning. The little guy obviously is working very hard with his egg tooth.

We have a pipping egg this morning

2009-04-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

This morning I saw a pipped egg. I am sooooooo excited, and hope it doesn't take the little guy too long to get out of it. Can't wait to see the new baby.

9 am Saturday morning

It usually takes a couple of days until they fully hatch. I will make more pictures as the hatchling progresses.

The outdoor seasan has began

2009-04-24T14:57:00.006-05:00

Yesterday night I left the adults outside. It didn't get cooler than 58 degrees and I felt it was safe. I cleaned Cocoa's indoor pen out and threw all the soil and mulch in the baby outdoor pen. Lots of work, adn I still have to do the same with Georgy's and Daisyboy's pen. Uhah, you never get workless with so many torts.

anyway, the babies are enjoying the fresh air outside also, but I take them in during the night. Too dangerous with all the birds, cats and other critters around, and also too cold for them still.

Today they enjoyed their morning bath again, but under the blue sky

Ain't they the sweetest little cuddlebugs?

After their bath they had breakfast, this morning a mix of turnip, American violet, dandelion, hollyhock leaves, hibiscus leaves, carrots, mushroom, tomatoes and a little bite banana. Like every day I put some calcium powder from a cuttlebone on top of the food.

This is their little plastic bin, where I house them right now - but not too much longer and it will be only for the night to sleep in the house.

An other embryo lost

2009-04-23T11:23:00.002-05:00

This morning when i checked on the eggs, I found an other one leaking blood. I got the egg out of the container and opened it. What I found was shocking.

The embryo wasn't dead, it still moved. I couldn't believe it and thought, maybe I shouldn't have opened the egg? I feel so sick right now. This little embryo moved it's legs and head, damnit!!!!

I separated it from the yolk to which it was attached and threw it in the garbage. My heart is bleeding, I probably made a mistake by opening the cracked egg, but how could it have a chance to develop fully, when it was already leaking 4 weeks before the hatch date?

I will never do this again. I may have killed this guy for nothing.
Not sure, if I want to write more today. I am pretty much turned off.

The new baby outdoor pen is in work

2009-04-22T18:22:00.007-05:00

Last week I started to build the baby outdoor pen, as it gets warmer now every day and from next weekend on the gang will be housed outside day and night.

I bought 100 border stones from Home Depot and build them in an oval shape, close to the patio, so I can have an eye on my babies all day long, when I sit in my office on the computer.

I just put everything on top of the grass and sprayed the grass with round up concentrate weed killer. It doesn't work very quickly, because the nights are still cool and round up needs at least temperatures in the 80s to work well, so I had to wait a week and repeated the process.

When the babies get bigger, I can just buy more stones and enlarge the enclosure further back.

This is what the grass looks like after one week of weed killer spray. It turns a bit yellow now and the second sprayer hopefully will work a bit faster. I mowed the lawn today and threw all the cut grass into the pen. This weekend I will get the indoor pens empty, which means, lots of soil and mulch that has to be moved. All this soil and mulch I will throw in the baby outdoor pen and fill it up, then till everything and hope the worms will help me to loosen the soil, where it's still grass and weeds. I plan to fill it up to the second row and plant some nice shady plants into it, mainly greens that they can eat and also some small bushes, where they can hide under during the summer heat. I am very excited to plant this pen and get the babies to enjoy it. I hope they feel very cozy in it, once it's done. We still have all the eggs in the incubator and I should get some more babies shortly.

Stay tuned and watch my baby outdoor pen getting in shape. I will post more pictures as I go on.