Feeding in the cage vs separate feeding area

[erinisnice]

I'm part of another much smaller and less active bp forum, where everyone uses a separate container for feeding. I noticed that everyone here seems to feed in the snake's own home.

So far I'm feeding in a tub (like the ones most of you keep your snakes in full-time) and not having any problems, but then again I've only fed her four times. I keep my snake in a fairly deep tank though, and if I needed to reach in for some reason, it would be much more difficult. Also, the mice poop all over and I can just rinse out the tub when she's done eating.

What are your arguments for feeding in the normal enclosure? I'd like to read both sides!

[JLC]

If a person is currently feeding in a seperate tub and having success at it, I don't feel any need to argue differently. LOL


That being said, I'll tell you why I prefer to feed in their own enclosures...

One: Some snakes are extremely shy eaters and the process of moving them into an unfamiliar tub can quite easily put them off feed. (My gopher snake falls into this category for sure!)

Two: It significantly reduces the chance of accidently causing your snake to regurge its dinner due to the handling required to move it from the feeding tub back into its own tank.

Three: It's just simpler for me personally, and anything that doesn't hurt them while makes things easier for me is a "plus" in my book.

Four: I have no idea if it means anything to the snake or not, but I get the feeling that it could be stimulating (in a good way, rather than stress inducing) for them to actually get to "hunt" for their food. Even if you feed pk or f/t...they have to come out of their hides and find it. That is pure speculation on my part.

[Pythons Rock]

I personally have tested this theroy. Most of the time people are concerned that the snake will associate feeding in the enclosure with your hand and cause aggression concerns. Two of my snakes are tub feeders, the other four are not. I have noticed no difference in aggression in anyway.

[jglass38]

All of mine feed in the tub...No aggression other than what's directed towards the rat.

[daniel1983]

All of mine feed in the tub...No aggression other than what's directed towards the rat.

Same here.

[elevatethis]

If one could make a convincing arguement that feeding in the snakes cage would cause aggression to the keeper going into the cage, one could make an equally convincing arguement that the snake would become conditioned to expect to be fed each time it is removed from its cage.

[mr~python]

ive done both and they both worked out the same in IMO. feeding them in their tubs is more conveinent for me although i dont like the rat poop in their enclosures but thats usually easy to ake care of. i just remove the newspaper that the feces is on and its fine.

[kurgan]

Not to mention 5) handling a snake around feeding time is probably a great way to get tagged.

If a person is currently feeding in a seperate tub and having success at it, I don't feel any need to argue differently. LOL


That being said, I'll tell you why I prefer to feed in their own enclosures...

One: Some snakes are extremely shy eaters and the process of moving them into an unfamiliar tub can quite easily put them off feed. (My gopher snake falls into this category for sure!)

Two: It significantly reduces the chance of accidently causing your snake to regurge its dinner due to the handling required to move it from the feeding tub back into its own tank.

Three: It's just simpler for me personally, and anything that doesn't hurt them while makes things easier for me is a "plus" in my book.

Four: I have no idea if it means anything to the snake or not, but I get the feeling that it could be stimulating (in a good way, rather than stress inducing) for them to actually get to "hunt" for their food. Even if you feed pk or f/t...they have to come out of their hides and find it. That is pure speculation on my part.

[MedusasOwl]

I feed half of them in the tub and half in their cages, and mostly just because it seems to be what their most comfortable with and how they'll eat.

Ma-tsu gets weirdly distracted in her tank when I'm trying to give her more than one food item. I put her in the tub, and she downs them both like it's nothing. She even pounced her last meal from off my arm as I was putting her in and proceeded to start eating while still wrapped around me! But no worries about getting bit or regurge with her.

I put Neptune in the tub and he spends forever ignoring his dinner and trying to escape, all stressed out. I think it just depends on the snake.

[4theSNAKElady]

If one could make a convincing arguement that feeding in the snakes cage would cause aggression to the keeper going into the cage, one could make an equally convincing arguement that the snake would become conditioned to expect to be fed each time it is removed from its cage.

I currently feed ALL of my snakes in a separate feediong tub except one.....and it's not a BP. I have never had a problem doing it this way, and just like elevatethis said, that they may be able to be "conditioned" to expect food to be coming when removed from the cage.....I truly beleive this statementto be true, because whenever it's feeding day, and I place a snake in the feeding box, it seems to "turn on the feeding button".....I have been feeding my snakes this way for years, and I have never had one go of of feed because of stress from being fed in separate container, as well as I have never had a snake regurg from feeding in this manner.