Feeding - the in between stage

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted any real questions lately, so I suppose it's about time.

I have done a little searching around but cannot come up with a true answer to what I think is a pretty common question:
How much do I feed my juvenile ball python?

I even think this sounds silly to me... but I just thought about this, I don't actually know!
I know that it is "feed to the widest part of the ball python's body" or when they are young, 10-15% of their body weight. I have also heard that this only applies to snakes up to 300 grams.
Do you agree or disagree with this?
When do you switch to adult rats - if you feed rats, as I do?

There is no clean and simple chart to follow, but I'm just wondering what some of your practices are.

Thank you :)

I feed babies the appropriate size food item twice a week until they are large enough to eat small rats, then I feed once a week.

I feed a prey equal the girth size of my BP without ever feeding anything bigger than 65 grams rats (about 4 weeks old) to the males and nothing larger than 125 grams rats (about 6 weeks old) to the females.

I don't weight the rats any more over time I know what a 65 grams and 125 grams rats look like ;)

Work for me my animals eats with consistency and rarely go off food (except for gravid females of course)

Instead of saying "the appropriate size" I should have said I feed rodents that are about the width of the pythons body. I don't think I've ever weighed a rodent.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Dave Green

Instead of saying "the appropriate size" I should have said I feed rodents that are about the width of the pythons body. I don't think I've ever weighed a rodent.

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Thanks!

I guess I'm more comfortable weighing the food because it's easier than trying to eye up my ball python's tummy with the rat ;) he's a mover. Plus I already weigh for my corn snake (because I follow the Munson feeding chart with her).

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I feed a prey equal the girth size of my BP without ever feeding anything bigger than 65 grams rats (about 4 weeks old) to the males and nothing larger than 125 grams rats (about 6 weeks old) to the females.

I don't weight the rats any more over time I know what a 65 grams and 125 grams rats look like ;)

Work for me my animals eats with consistency and rarely go off food (except for gravid females of course)

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This was very helpful!! I appreciate it, thank you.