Feeding dilema - advice appreciated

[Emily Hubbard]

My female BP is almost 5 months old and weight 200 grams. I feel like that's kind of low, but I don't really have a huge basis of comparison. She is eating a 30gm adult mouse every 4-5 days and never refuses to eat, she's wonderful. Obviously, at 200 gm, she is about to outgrow mice. But unfortunately, I cannot find any pet store in my area that sells rat fuzzies, just small rats at 50ish grams each. So, going by the 15% rule, she needs to gain about 130 grams. Making a huge order online doesn't really work for me because I'm in an apartment with a small freezer. My plan is to invest in a small freezer JUST for rodents when my girl is full grown and on a consistent prey size.

So my option seems to be to keep buying mice and feeding about every 3 days until she gains 100ish grams. But I feel like feeding that frequently could be harmful, I know it is a catch 22 kind of situation because I have heard as soon as they get on rats, they grow like crazy.

What should I do? Do you think offering a 50gm small rat sooner would be really dangerous? It would make me nervous... they still look huge for her.

Anyway, just shoot me some feeding advice in this dilemma. I am well aware of the "the longer you wait, the harder it is to switch" argument, that is not what I need. I know she could give me hell when the time comes, but she has been a fantastic feeder, so I have high hopes for an easy transition, but we will cross that bridge when we get there. What do you think would be the safest weight to offer a 50gm rat, and in the meantime, how frequent is TOO frequent when it comes to feeding?

[KatStoverReptiles]

Unfortunately, I think my advice would be to wait. At least until she's around 250g and then the prey item will be around 20% of her weight. And maybe only do once a week or every 10 days until she's around 300 grams then back to every 5 days? Does that make sense?

Also, you can always use the string method to test for prey size. Take a string and wrap it around her widest point and make a mark where the string meets. Then do this to the prey item. Often, the fur is deceiving in that it makes them look bigger (fluffy).

Of course, there really is NO problem with mice. You could always feed 2 mice until she's up to size for the rats.

I sort of feel like I was rambling...I hope you got all that...

[Scaleyz]

I have a male fire, he gets fed some really fat adult mice every 4-5 days, I won't feed him any earlier than that and he's 245 grams. I haven't pushed him to small rats yet because he seems to be gaining and growing just fine with the fat mice.

Its your call, whatever is gonna be best for you, I think it sounds a little excessive especially if she is gaining properly. The size of the meal they should eat is in comparison the the largest part of their girth. Feeding them that often breeders do just before season to add weight in case either male or female stops eating, which usually happens this way they have plenty of reserve.

Good luck hope I helped you

[Emily Hubbard]

Thanks guys! I will just keep weighing her weekly and keep track of her growth on a 5 day feeding schedule.

I will try the string method when the time comes, for sure! If she will sit still for me, I feel she may protest that arrangement.

[Gbusiness]

Ok, what exactly are you trying to do with her? Are you planning on breeding her? Or, are you just trying to keep her up to a weight class that u think is right for her age?
I have two normal's right now. I have a cheap food scale that I guess I could try and use to weigh them both? One of my normal's was pretty thick at the start (2" circumference). But, she refused to eat f/t fuzzy mice and didn't eat for a few week's. I then had to buy live mice. In the last week or so I tried a method that I read on here? I left a thawed ween rat in her tub overnight(with her size I just went to ween rat's). And, YES! success she ate it. I just gave her another one on monday and checked tuesday and she ate it.
My other normal was way smaller and skinnier at the start. But, alway's feed on f/t fuzzies for me no problem's. And, after a few week's I offered a left over ween f/t rat (was suppose to go to the bigger normal. she refused at the time). I was supprised to see that he/she took it and finished no problem (consticted and swallowed right in front of me).
Basically, what I'm trying to say is? I feed my normal's every 5 day's on f/t ween rat's. I usually thaw out a bit the rat's then soak them in hot water. When there wet the fur flatten's and the ween rat is very skinny and flacid. So, if your bp is 1.5"-2" all around at it's thickest point? Then you should be ok to feed her a ween rat.
And, yes she will increase her growth speed immensely. Since, my smaller normal feed's everytime? He/she is passing the larger normal in circumference and almost length.
I do remember after she took the very first ween rat , she didn't feed the next week which was weird? But, she came back to feeding everytime I offered since then.

[shadow120]

i would just keep doing what your doing until shes ready for the small rats

[WingedWolfPsion]

If she'll take food every 4 days, you can go with that, but 3 is probably excessive, and she will probably refuse.
Or, as has been suggested, see if she'll take 2 smaller mice.

Her weight is fine for her age, I have animals the same age, around the same weight.

[Emily Hubbard]

If she'll take food every 4 days, you can go with that, but 3 is probably excessive, and she will probably refuse.
Or, as has been suggested, see if she'll take 2 smaller mice.

Her weight is fine for her age, I have animals the same age, around the same weight.

Ok good, I am glad to hear she is a good weight. She is my first snake, so I really don't know what is "normal." I have no intention of ever breeding her, so I'm not trying to get her up to any specific weight, I just want her to be happy and healthy and growing normally.

The only way it would be beneficial if she was fatter is she currently has gotten into the habit of crawling up the lip around the front glass (she is in a vision cage) and then falling down. I have tried stuffing a towel in the gap, but she just pushes it out. I don't know what her problem is, she spends 90% of her time completely hidden like a good little ball python, but when she decides to come out, I know it because all I hear are bangs and thuds from her falling over and knocking things around. Someday, she will be too fat to fit in the crannies around the glass and I can't wait, she's freaking me out.

[DooLittle]

I would just bump up to 2 mice per feeding, rather than shorten days in between. Then when you are up to size, you can move to the small rats. There must be something tasty about rat pups though. Occasionally my local feed supply is out of appropriate sized rat pups and I have to get mice. They eat them, but the rats must be like candy. Way different feed response to rats. The rats don't stand a chance, while the mice they are like ok, if that's what I get to eat.