Feeding Twice A Week..

[Lioness]

do you think it would be ok to feed Fendi two mall rats twice a week instead of 1 big one a week? Last time i fed her was Monday.. and i wanted to get her a small rat today to progress her growing.

..pros and cons i should know about??

[Freakie_frog]

do you think it would be ok to feed Fendi two mall rats twice a week instead of 1 big one a week? Last time i fed her was Monday.. and i wanted to get her a small rat today to progress her growing.

..pros and cons i should know about??

I think this is what they call power feeding. Most herpers agree that once a week or every 7 to 10 days feeding an item that is 1 to 1&1/2 the size of you snake at its biggest is more than enough. Someone correst me is I'm wrong here.

[Spaniard]

I would stick to feeding one prey item a week that is as thick as the thickest part of your snakes body. Over feeding can sometimes lead to fasting later on down the road. If you're having trouble finding the correct size I would feed the smaller item as opposed to the larger IMO.

[Jeanne]

There is no reason to feed twice a week, feed one appropriately sized rodent a week. Dont get impatient and try to "grow" your snake quicker..its not good for them.. power feeding in the long run is not good.. your snake will grow perfectly in its own time without being rushed by over feeding her.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Once a week is perfect ... stick with one of the smaller sized rats ... there is never ANY reason to feed any size ball python something "big".

-adam

[Freakie_frog]

There is no reason to feed twice a week, feed one appropriately sized rodent a week. Dont get impatient and try to "grow" your snake quicker..its not good for them.. power feeding in the long run is not good.. your snake will grow perfectly in its own time without being rushed by over feeding her.

Unless I also misread along time ago power feed can also lead to stunded growth or am I wrong?

[Lioness]

ok... u guys talked me out of it. i wont.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Unless I also misread along time ago power feed can also lead to stunded growth or am I wrong?

Personally, I wouldn't really call feeding twice a week "power feeding" ... as long as the snake is taking food on it's own ... ball pythons do a remarkable job at regulating their own food intake ... when they've had enough, they'll just stop eating (usually for several months) ... that's why so many stories about ball pythons fasting are floating all over the internet ... most likely either their husbandry is wrong, or they've been overfed to the point where they need to take a break from food and "catch up". Power feeding is much more of a concern in other species of snakes that will literally never refuse a meal. Methods like "chaining" and "stiching" used to get more size on a snake in a shorter amount of time are more clearly "power feeding" to me.

As far as stunted growth, pin heading, shortened life span, etc ... I think a lot of that is just speculation ... the only scientific study ever conducted and published on "power feeding" was done at USC years ago and the subject was fruit flys .... a VERY long way off from ball pythons.

Ball pythons have a VERY VERY slow metabolism ... even when compared to other snakes ... feed small!!!

-adam

[snakey68]

yes I agree with the once a week regime there should be no need to feed more than that IMO either.

I have never power fed a snake so I dont have 1st hand experience on detrimental factors but generally from my experience talking to other herpers and breeders it is not recommended as a safe practice.

I have heard tales of ineffective growth of internal organs and a shorter lifespan of the snake but I have also heard that certain species handle it better than others. none of which I can state as fact , just what I have heard over the years.

Alot of owners seem impatient to grow their snakes on ( not that I am suggesting the thread starter is one of them ) but for me I love to see a gradual healthy increase in size and an animal that is feeding well on a steady diet.

I dont think there is much harm in occasionally feeding the odd extra mouse here and there but personally I wouldn't make a habit of it on a weekly basis.

[Freakie_frog]

Personally, I wouldn't really call feeding twice a week "power feeding" ... as long as the snake is taking food on it's own ... ball pythons do a remarkable job at regulating their own food intake ... when they've had enough, they'll just stop eating (usually for several months) ... that's why so many stories about ball pythons fasting are floating all over the internet ... most likely either their husbandry is wrong, or they've been overfed to the point where they need to take a break from food and "catch up". Power feeding is much more of a concern in other species of snakes that will literally never refuse a meal. Methods like "chaining" and "stiching" used to get more size on a snake in a shorter amount of time are more clearly "power feeding" to me.

As far as stunted growth, pin heading, shortened life span, etc ... I think a lot of that is just speculation ... the only scientific study ever conducted and published on "power feeding" was done at USC years ago and the subject was fruit flys .... a VERY long way off from ball pythons.

Ball pythons have a VERY VERY slow metabolism ... even when compared to other snakes ... feed small!!!

-adam

Well there you go. Thanks Adam. I though that I had read somewhere that power feeding had adverse affects but I stand corrected. Very cool info there Adam thanks again