horsfield tortoise

[billyd]

Hi i have a male horsfield tortoise and yesterday got my 2 females i put them in wiv my male and he doent stop buttin and trying to mate wiv them.As he mounts them and just about to do his thing the females pull away.

How will i no when they are ready or we he stop?

thank you

[Tamie]

Welcome to the forum.

Sorry but I have to ask a few questions:

What did you expect to happen by putting females in with a male?

How old are all the tortoises?

Why did you not quarantine the females?

In answer to your question; females will remain still if they are happy to be mated and basically your male will not stop - horsfields are relentless in their 'attentions'.

Tamie

[billyd]

No i new this would happin hopin to try to breed them one day.
My male is bout 15 and the females was told they are 6 they are the same size as him tho.
My frien before me quarantine them and i had them vet checked which come up they was fine 2.

[SWsarah]

Hello females tend to be larger than males. They are too young to be mated with the male and could cause some damage.

[billyd]

ok well i wanted to make a group and was going to get a few more to add to them.
Would u say it was best to separate the male from the females then?

[SWsarah]

Yes 100% what weight are the females? were did you get them from pet shop? have you tested them for worms and protazoa?

Its always best to quarantine a new tortoise for at least 6 months so that any illness can show up.

[billyd]

Not sure on there weight will check it tho.
From a friend did get them vet checked for parasites and that and said there we ok and healthy.
So are they never going to be able to be with the male as wanted to make a group?

[Tamie]

Originally Posted by billyd

ok well i wanted to make a group and was going to get a few more to add to them.
Would u say it was best to separate the male from the females then?

Yes - separate the females.

I am sorry if this may sound harsh but I really think you need to take some time to learn ALOT more about the tortoises - suitable housing, diet etc etc, rather than rushing in and putting the tortoises in danger. Risk of injury to a young female being placed with an adult is one to consider, stress by suddenly being 'got at' is another, also quarantine/health test etc.

I appreciate you may be really keen and eager but taking a little time to appreciate their needs is important.

So, how are you keeping the tortoises, what are you feeding them, how deep is their substrate, lighting/heat etc?

Tamie

[SWsarah]

Oh yes they can go as a group. I have 2 males and 6 females.

The mating ritual is nasty in horsfields very agressive. You have done the right thing in getting more than one female.

But 6 years old is too young to be mated with a male 9-10 years if grown properly and not too fast.

When you do put them togther make sure you have a large enclosure with lots of hiding places for your females. You should find that the male will calm down after a few days plus

[wizzasmum]

Originally Posted by billyd

No i new this would happin hopin to try to breed them one day.
My male is bout 15 and the females was told they are 6 they are the same size as him tho.
My frien before me quarantine them and i had them vet checked which come up they was fine 2.

I am afraid that unless the vet did extensive tests needing lab results he has no way of knowing they were fine and it was irresponsible of him to say so. Any vet with any knowledge of tortoises will be fully aware of the recent herpes scares and have advised you not to put the new tortoises anywhere near to the original one unless they had been quarantined. How long did your freind quarantine them for? If you are keeping these tortoises indoors in a small area then I'm afraid you are going to have to separate them for the sake of the health of all of them.