upping on prey size question...

ok, so i missed feeding day by one day once again, but today i went on the hunt for another perfect sized small rat (70-80g). I fed my BP 2 small 30g mice the last 2 times, because i had no choice, the mom and pop shops i normally get a 70g rat were all out, well today i went into a petland and noticed a smaller rat in the "medium rats" tank, which usually hold medium rats that are definetley bigger than the thickest part of my bp, so i got him, when i got home he weighed in at 59g. When opened the tank and took out the water dish (my BP already knows its feeding time) his head came popping out, and when i had the box from petland over the tank and about to open it, i could not get it open fast enough, he was going NUTS, i mean i never seen him like this, i finally dropped the rat in, and the rat hid behind some bark, my bp was going crazzyyy looking for him, i mean i never seen him so intense, i even put in these feeding tongs i have to move the rat out of hiding, and he went straight for the feeding tongs (did no strike though) but it was like he was going insane looking for this rat, its like somebody who was in the desert for days and find a bottle of water.

Anyway, here is my question. The biggest "rat" i fed my BP was 70 odd grams, and to this day, i have never fed my BP a mouse/rat that has left a lump. After calculating his poop, and last feed, i would say my bp's raw weight would be around 575g, im thinking of going all out next week, as in a regular medium rat from petland (they usually are 100-120g). What do you guys think??? Am i pushing it?

Even after he ate that 59grammer, he was still looking for more! BUt its like, i go to petland and i look at a "medium rat" and i'am like thats way too big, but now i just got this feeling that thats what my bp wants....

if i were you i would keep feeding rats that are as big or a little smaller than your bp(i've never fed my bp anything that has left a lump either cause i think it would be verrry uncomfortable when she goes in her hide) and keep doing so as she grows. and as for her still looking for food after she eats mine and my brothers does the same thing. as long as they are gaining a decent amount of weight i wouldnt worry about upping the size of her prey or feeding 2 smaller items, what is your feeding schedule for her though.

100 gram should leave a nice lump and will be fine! My 400 gram bp eats a 45 gram asf every 5 days. When my Hog Island weighed 400-500 grams he would pound 100 gram rats every 7 days. Now that he is 1100 he is eating 150-180 gram rats every 14 days.

every 5 days

and im very against feeding 2 as opposed to just one descent size meal, because IMO, even if im not right, i feel that if i feed her 2 meals, she will start getting used to, after one meal, expecting another one. And thats not a pattern i want to start.

You will be fine to feed a 60g rat, now that your snake is over the 500g mark, you can feed every 7 days.
By feeding 100+g rodents every 5 days, you run the risk of your snake going off feed, or becoming overweight, which will become an issue if you ever decide to breed.

100g rat every week should be fine ^^ Balls do tend to stop eating if they get overfed, but some will keep eating. So it's important to mind their weight for them and know which of your snakes will pig out. Most of mine hit a certain plumpness, then fast until they get skinny, but a few will eat (I think until they look like blimps! ) though i've never tried to overfeed them, so I don't know if they'd ever stop, ha ha!

I've heard that two smaller prey items can be easier for them to digest and my guys will often get one big item or two smaller and they act hungry afterward no matter what. Though after a big rodent, they will usually not even strike at the second one, though they will sniff it a lot and act excited. Generally if they are hungry, they will act hungry, no matter what their schedule or expectations may be. It's easier to tell once you get to know them if they are hungry or not and what they tend to prefer if you are being observant. this is why i have to write down everything about my guys so I remember!

so its settled, 100gram next feeding it will be! However, what i will change is, if he takes the 100grammer, and is satisfied and does not act hungry, then i will cut it down to one every 7 days as opposed to one every 5 days....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FrankieCarbone

so its settled, 100gram next feeding it will be! However, what i will change is, if he takes the 100grammer, and is satisfied and does not act hungry, then i will cut it down to one every 7 days as opposed to one every 5 days....

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At that weight I think you would be fine with a 100 gram rat but I have a few words of advice. Don't worry so much. Your snake is going to be fine with a 60 gram rat every 5 days if that's where you decide to stay too. Just because your snake had a good feeding response doesn't mean its being under fed. I also don't see a problem with feeding more than 1 rodent. Your snake is going to eat whats it wants to eat. I sometimes offer a second rodent and sometimes my 1500 gram BP will take one and sometimes she won't. Its not a big deal. Good luck.

I tend to be a bit random with everything, I don't feed on a fixed timetable I feed loosely every 7-10 days sometimes they will get close to 10% sometimes less sometimes closer to 15% there are no hard and fast rules don't fed too big and you will be fine. Egapal said it don't stress.

if i can steadily find 60-70g small rats, thats what i would be feeding no problem, but it has become a issue, and the past 3-4 weeks i have not been able to find that size rodent. The way it looks for the time being is that my ONLY source of rodents is petland, and like i said, petland only offers 3 sizes, small, medium and jumbo, the small are way too small, i mean some of those mice sometimes weigh in at 20g, and the medium seem just a bit too big 100-120g, and jumbos, forget about it. Alot of time, like last week, they were out of small mice period, both petlands in my area, and only had mediums and jumbos. This is the reason why i stress it, right now i can get my hands on a 100-120 rat 24/7, now 60-70g, or even small mice, its maybe, so if i can feed him the 100-120g, it would be so much easier on my life, i work long hours and sometimes 6 days a week, not having to drive all over the bronx to 4 different petstores only to come up empty handed, or with 2 small mice that together barely make 60g would really help, if i can just go to one petland and thats it...

and thats why i'm stressing the issue