some feeding questions

Hi all, new to the forum and already met some really helpful folks in another section but still wanted to pose a couple of questions as to the care of my new 2 month old male pastel (named da Vinci :D)

1. Is there any general rule for not handling a new ball? ie should I leave him alone while he adjusts to his home for a while or until he eats his first meal before holding him?

2. Im seeing a lot of people say they feed inside the home enclosure. I was taught to feed my corns in a separate container to avoid aggression and impaction problems (I am using aspen- for our ball as well) What are the thoughts on this?

Thats all Ive got for now but Im sure I will be picking everyones brain a lot in the weeks to come. Ill post some pics of him too as soon as I get a photobucket (no way to post from saved files?) Thanks so much in advance and to everyone Ive already chatted with that has been super helpful.

I would wait until he eats for you 3 weeks in a row. If hes an aggressive eater then maybe after 2 feeings. You can still take them out for cage maintenance but other than that id leave them be.

Feeding in the enclosure is fine! :)

X2 keep handeling to a minimum until your new guy has eaten at least 3 time :)
I would definatley feed in the enclosure Ball Pythons get stressed easily sometimes and my dificult feeder became a great feeder once I stopped moving him to feed. I have been feeding on aspen for over a year now and have had no issues with aggresion or impaction :rolleyes:

I also have two corn snakes. They tolerate feeding in another enclosure very well, but I always feed my ball python in her cage. She seems more comfortable and she eats better for me. She's quicker to strike, quicker to consume, and quick to hurry back into her hide to digest. I also use aspen and I've had no problems. If some does get stuck on her rat, she's pretty good about getting it off. I've only had to remove a piece from the corner of her mouth once.

Thanks for all the great advice! I really appreciate how willing to share everyone has been to share their knowledge. Thanks again and Im sure I will come up with more questions soon :colbert2:

Welcome to the forum! Awesome name!! Yes, corn snakes have a stronger feeding response, and are generally simpler than ball pythons...


What's the deal with impaction?? The snake would be ingesting ALOT more dirt and stuff in the wild, and I've seen flecks of aspen in her poop, obviously she is passing them fine..also she is aware when she has some stuckin her mouth as she rubs along the glass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capray

Welcome to the forum! Awesome name!! Yes, corn snakes have a stronger feeding response, and are generally simpler than ball pythons...


What's the deal with impaction?? The snake would be ingesting ALOT more dirt and stuff in the wild, and I've seen flecks of aspen in her poop, obviously she is passing them fine..also she is aware when she has some stuckin her mouth as she rubs along the glass.

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Thanks Capray, I actually coach wrestling so ya. lol I figured it would be fine with everything Im seeing to feed in the cage just made me nervous. They seem to be pretty hardy animals I just didnt want to hurt the little guy in any way. Thanks so much for the welcome and the advice.

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[IMG]http://i1074.photobucket.com/albums/...u/d16ee404.jpg[/IMG]

Figured Id post a quick picture of daVinci while Im at it.