New BCI and feeding question

[Bruce1984]

Hello, I've been lurking on here for some time now researching BCI and Ball Pythons. I definitely have the room for a large snake and recently the chance to acquire a one year old female BCI. She needs a home and I feel I'm ready to provide and care for her properly. I haven't seen her yet but I've been assured she is in fine health (not that you can always believe what your told and I will still have her vet checked as a precaution.) A 55 gallon tank, UTH, and heat lamp are included. Though I'll be getting a 4x2 cage and helix thermostat from Reptile Basics next week. My question is this: She has been getting fed every 5-7 days. I want to move her a every two weeks schedule. That is right isn't it? One food item no wider than her girth every two weeks? How should I go about that? Bump it down to every 10 days for a while then go to every 14 days or should I just do it all at once? What would cause the least stress on the snake? Any other tips are appreciate as well. I have enough thermometers with probes and a digital hygrometer and plexiglass for over the top of the tank for humidty as well as foamcore to insulate it that way the 55 gallon will work for a week or to while i wait for the cage. Sorry this was so long but I thought I'd cover some ground and let you know how I'm going about it.

[JimiSnakes]

Sounds like you have a straight plan to me. I'd take her off the week feed slowly, 10 days and 14 days like you said. Just remember that if she's been on this routine for awhile that she might get a little aggressive until she resets herself and her routine, it'll go away. Every 10-14 days is what I feed, but I let the meal leave a noticeably small bulge in the boa. Hope I helped!

[Bruce1984]

Thanks a million, man. I was going to ask about some possible aggression because of the schedule change. That's good to know. I know that power feeding will take many years off a snakes life would a weekly(or like i said sometimes 5 days) feeding routine like this cause any long term health problems?

[JimiSnakes]

It shouldn't cause any issues. It's when it's done for a few years straight to get a Boa up to "breeding weight" that is causes serious issues.