10 lb rabbit for the dwarf

[reptileexperts]

So today I finally mustered up to try and feed the purple albino dwarf a massive 10 lb checkered giant rabbit. It was fed fresh killed not frozen and not live. I haven't posted feeding shots in a while so I thought I'd post here as a new thread in order to show case it properly and let others see what they're getting into with dwarf females! Can you handle the cost of food? She'll sit on this for maybe 2 weeks and be ready for another. Time for gains before breeding!






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[reptileexperts]

Title should have said. 10 lb rabbit for the dwarf


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[Daigga]

That's an impressive meal! Do you breed your own rabbits or do you buy local? How much does a meal like that cost? Is it more practical to feed massive meals like this every two weeks, or smaller and more frequently?

Lots of questions, I'm considering a retic in the future but it'll probably be some time before I feel like I'm ready for it.

[John1982]

Where's the killer rabbit with sharp, pointy teeth?

[Albert Clark]

That is really impressive and unbelievable! Unbelievable mainly bc in reality that is not even enough of a meal for that retic. Do you use the 15- 20% weight rule when you decide on what will be on the menu for her? I just always was under the impression that you really can't feed giant snakes enough. I know in the zoos they measure the feedings by the weight of the animal routinely. Do you think more giant snake owners should feed based on weight and is that the best method? Thanks and that dwarf is beautiful!

[bcr229]

That's an impressive meal! Do you breed your own rabbits or do you buy local? How much does a meal like that cost? Is it more practical to feed massive meals like this every two weeks, or smaller and more frequently?

Lots of questions, I'm considering a retic in the future but it'll probably be some time before I feel like I'm ready for it.

I buy my rabbit feeders, all f/t. The most expensive on a per-pound basis is the two-pound rabbit, the seller charges $4 each for those, but then the price goes up $1 per pound from there. So, a three pound rabbit is $5, and a 10 pound rabbit would cost $12. The other source I know of charges a flat $2 per pound.

My suuplier also sells rabbit pinkies for 35 cents, and rabbit fuzzies for 50 cents, which are the equivalent of a large-ish small rat and a medium rat. I'm going to try those for my larger female ball pythons, my adult brazilian rainbow boas, and some of the juvenile BCI's that have grown up enough to take them, rather than waiting until the BCI's are adults to switch them over from jumbo rats to rabbits.

[reptileexperts]

That is really impressive and unbelievable! Unbelievable mainly bc in reality that is not even enough of a meal for that retic. Do you use the 15- 20% weight rule when you decide on what will be on the menu for her? I just always was under the impression that you really can't feed giant snakes enough. I know in the zoos they measure the feedings by the weight of the animal routinely. Do you think more giant snake owners should feed based on weight and is that the best method? Thanks and that dwarf is beautiful!

LOL I'm not sure if I should take this comment fully seriously. A breeding female reticulated python that is between 50-80 lb can be fed 4-6 lb of meat weekly as a strong diet to maintain proper weight and health. Keep in mind, reticulated pythons are not suppose to be obese like Burmese / Anaconda / Boas (ish!). ESPECIALLY dwarf and super dwarf reticulated pythons. You must maintain proper body weight or you will destroy your python slowly over time and cause a lot of issues to arise. 15-20% rule is a ball python rule. NOT a retic rule.

For what its worth. This girl was 46 lb at my last weighing, which would put a 10 lb meal above the 20% threshold. Just because they CAN handle these large meals, it does not mean they SHOULD handle these meals with any large frequency.

I change her food up frequently. She goes from 3 XXXL Rats, to a 3-4 lb rabbit, to a G. Pig, to Rabbit, to Rats. It keeps things interesting for her, and makes her well rounded. You definitely can feed giants enough. And if you are not careful, they do not say no to food. You can feed a retic till they literally regurgitate the final meal you try and feed before they stop, and even then they may try a second time to get it down and force it.

Do not get me wrong, this is the largest meal she's ever seen, and will probably ever see. Except after a clutch*. I had this rabbit that needed to be fed, because it outgrew the feeding size for the rest of the folks. I get my rabbits live or fresh killed from a farmer about 20 miles out from my location. He charges me 5 a head for the 1-4lb rabbits, and 10 for the 4-10 lb rabbits. Then from there the price goes up accordingly. My fiancé and I make a run out there about once every few weeks to get a new batch of rabbits. SO much better than ordering frozen when I have the chance.

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Where's the killer rabbit with sharp, pointy teeth?

You made me soil my armor for that?

- - - Updated - - -

That's an impressive meal! Do you breed your own rabbits or do you buy local? How much does a meal like that cost? Is it more practical to feed massive meals like this every two weeks, or smaller and more frequently?

Lots of questions, I'm considering a retic in the future but it'll probably be some time before I feel like I'm ready for it.

See above :-)

It's better to do mixed sizes across food types to give variation to their diet.

[JLC]

Title should have said. 10 lb rabbit for the dwarf

Fixed it for you! It never ceases to amaze me the way these snakes can eat!

[JLC]

Do you use the 15- 20% weight rule....

Just have to point out that this isn't a "rule" for ANY snake. It's some formula someone came up with one day to help new keepers figure out how much to feed a young, growing ball python...and suddenly, most likely because of its simplicity, it became some hard-and-fast rule that everyone thinks must be adhered to. I would consider it a "guideline" to follow, at best, and then only under certain circumstances. It does not apply to large, mature ball pythons, for instance, but many new keepers assume it does because of the way it is casually tossed around as a "rule".

[reptileexperts]

Fixed it for you! It never ceases to amaze me the way these snakes can eat!

heh, thanks! Now it doesn't appear that a rabbit gets the snake ;-)