Quick Question About Sizing Up: To Feed Or Not To Feed?

[Phirou]

The brief gist of the issue is that I purchased a new ball python, was told that he'd be around 260 grams. Well, the little guy had a HUGE poop, and... he's hovering at 200. I have weanlings on hand (smallest at 30 grams) and I figured he'd be able to take that no problem, but I'm a little concerned that the 60 gram difference might make it risky to feed him. I also have some adult mice left over from shifting my rescue onto rats that are well within his ideal prey size range.

I'm not super used to the feeding rules for babies and only have experience with the weanling and up size range, which I know is a little more lenient. My question is do I feed the small weanling, defrost a mouse with the rats for my other snake and feed him that, or wait until next week's feeding to get pups in? I like to keep to a consistent feeding schedule for all my herps.

What's the risk on him developing a mouse preference if I defrost it with the rats? Is there risk for regurgitation? I'm leaning towards feeding with the scented mouse but I'd really appreciate any input!

[bcr229]

I would finish off the mice, assuming that you don't have any other snakes that can eat them. As long as he's not on them for too long he'll likely switch right back to rats.

[EL-Ziggy]

I'd give him the weaned rats and space out his feedings by a few days since the meals are a little larger.