Question about feeding multiple prey items

[kairotique]

Hi everyone. I got a new little girl awhile ago, and she's an odd size for my current feeding situation. Right now I have decently sized adult mice, and peach fuzzies, both frozen. And due to my location and the pet stores around here, I can't seem to find anything frozen or live anywhere in between those two sizes.

I think she'll be able to eat these adult mice in a few weeks once she grows a little more, but I have to feed her something until then, and I don't really want to place an order (with massively expensive shipping) for a single bag of frozen hoppers that I won't even use completely unless I have to.

Is it okay to offer her multiple fuzzies per feeding for just a couple of weeks until she grows a little more and can handle the adult mice, or is this going to be bad for her? I did it once and she seemed fine, not hungry anymore... curled up inside her hide and went to sleep, didn't regurgitate or anything. But I won't do it again if you guys tell me it's bad for her. Do you think it's okay to do this until she grows a little more? And if I do, is there any general rule about how much they should eat total, singular prey sizes notwithstanding?

Thanks!

[simplechamp]

People feed multiples all the time. I've done it a few times when the only mice available to me were too small. Nothing wrong with it. Just shoot for 10-15% of your BPs total weight. Feed like normal, and when it finishes the first one offer the next. Some people say they "start" the next one in the BPs mouth while the first is just finishing going down, and reflexes take over and keep swallowing. I don't like this method because it doesn't allow the BP to refuse if it doesn't want another.

[PythonWallace]

How big is she? I have fed plenty of small adult mice after about 4 weeks of rat fuzzies. It looks big but they tak them no problem, and don't hesitate to take another one 5-7 days later. I usually like to feed multiple smaller items, but baby balls can take a little bit larger prey with no worries.

[kairotique]

Oh of course, I would never start the next one in her mouth. I want her to be able to refuse. But she took 3 peach fuzzies, one offered separately after another, each after she had swallowed the last. Then I stopped offering, so I don't know if she would have taken a fourth, but she seemed happy enough after a minute or two and just got a drink and retreated to her hide to sleep, all like normal. So I think that was the right amount.

I can't actually give you a weight for her unfortunately, because I don't have a separate quarantine scale, but she was hatched in early August and she seems just a tiny bit too small for the size of my adult mice. Like I said, I bet I'll be fine with feeding her those mice in a couple of weeks, because she's almost there. But I don't want to risk giving her something too big and having her throw it up.

Just wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything horrible or depriving her of some vital nutrition or something.

[ohyeahnow]

People feed multiples all the time. I've done it a few times when the only mice available to me were too small. Nothing wrong with it. Just shoot for 10-15% of your BPs total weight. Feed like normal, and when it finishes the first one offer the next. Some people say they "start" the next one in the BPs mouth while the first is just finishing going down, and reflexes take over and keep swallowing. I don't like this method because it doesn't allow the BP to refuse if it doesn't want another.

If you are having trouble getting food in your area there are two good ways to get frozen. If a herp show is near to you go to it. If not I use http://www.bigcheeserodents.com/Pricing.html . They have really decent prices and unlike other places offer a varity of ways to ship. I have it sent by greyhound and pick them up at the station. Very cheap delivery rates that way. http://www.bigcheeserodents.com/Shipping.html

General rule 10%-15% their body weight is correct. Also the food should be no more than 1 to 1 1/2 the snakes girth. As a juvenile you can feed about every five days if she is hungry. My adult snakes are fed every week to ten days.

I agree with simplechamp. The only time I would suggest putting a second feeder in the mouth is if a snake has refused eating for so long that assist feeding was required, and it would take more than one feeder to meet the suggested intake (10%-15% their body weight)

[Muze]

What does she weigh? I start mine on adult mice at about 100 grams (if they've had 4 hopper meals already).

[JasonG]

If she was born in August I'd say go ahead give her a mouse. She should be fine. Worst she could do is refuse it.

You'd be amazed at how soon they can start taking mice...