Feeding in Blue

I took one of my BPs out yesterday and noticed he was in blue. His normal feeding day is tomorrow. My question is, do you guys in this situation typically wait until they shed and then feed or try and feed on their normal schedule? This particular BP is a pig, so he may very well eat, just wanted opinions on what others do.


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If he eats in blue, he eats. There's nothing wrong with feeding in shed. Most snakes don't eat in shed but some do.

There's a fair chance he will refuse the feeder, so you run risk wasting a mouse/rat (provided you don't have anyone else you know will take it) ― but if he just went into blue and is as much of a pig as you say he is, I would say it's worth a shot!

Just try to avoid feeding when you know he will actually shed in a day or two, as both digesting and shedding are very physically demanding tasks and there's the possibility of regurge (Or so I've been told). :)

You can try, many snakes eat even if in blue. Find out if yours does and keep doing the same in the future.

I suggest feeding away from object and laying some newspaper on the substrate to avoid injuries or particle ingestion.

Thanks. I suppose I'll try and feed him. He eats live, so if the rat doesn't get eaten, he goes back in the holding pen.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Morjean

There's a fair chance he will refuse the feeder, so you run risk wasting a mouse/rat (provided you don't have anyone else you know will take it) ― but if he just went into blue and is as much of a pig as you say he is, I would say it's worth a shot!

Just try to avoid feeding when you know he will actually shed in a day or two, as both digesting and shedding are very physically demanding tasks and there's the possibility of regurge (Or so I've been told). :)

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The possibilty of a regurge is the same whether or not the snake is in blue or not. Regurges are the cause of high amounts of stress, sickness, or some other lying problem. A general rule is not to handle your snake for around 36-48 hours after feeding. As long as your husbandry is fine, there should never be a regurge in or out of blue.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Aste88

You can try, many snakes eat even if in blue. Find out if yours does and keep doing the same in the future.

I suggest feeding away from object and laying some newspaper on the substrate to avoid injuries or particle ingestion.

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Don't bother with the newspaper thing. As long as you're not keeping your ball python on sand or pebbles, or something like that, you should never have any impaction problems. You think snakes in the wild have the luxary of not getting whatever is on the floor in their mouths when they eat you are mistaken. Ball pythons are hardy creatures and some substrate won't kill them or cause an impaction. I keep my snakes on coconut husk and everytime they eat they get a litte bit of fiber in their mouths and nothing happens. That aside I know NERD keeps their ball pythons on aspen with newspaper laid on top not because of feeding, but to add "make shift" hides.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seven-Thirty

The possibilty of a regurge is the same whether or not the snake is in blue or not. Regurges are the cause of high amounts of stress, sickness, or some other lying problem. A general rule is not to handle your snake for around 36-48 hours after feeding. As long as your husbandry is fine, there should never be a regurge in or out of blue.



Don't bother with the newspaper thing. As long as you're not keeping your ball python on sand or pebbles, or something like that, you should never have any impaction problems. You think snakes in the wild have the luxary of not getting whatever is on the floor in their mouths when they eat you are mistaken. Ball pythons are hardy creatures and some substrate won't kill them or cause an impaction. I keep my snakes on coconut husk and everytime they eat they get a litte bit of fiber in their mouths and nothing happens. That aside I know NERD keeps their ball pythons on aspen with newspaper laid on top not because of feeding, but to add "make shift" hides.

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Yeah, mine are in coco chips too. The only precaution I take is removing the water bowl so the rat doesn't jump in and get soaked, which would lead to a bunch of the substrate getting attached to it. I've never noticed mine swallow substrate.


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I actually don't offer live if any of my snakes are in blue as the likelihood of a bad strike is greater, resulting in the rat turning around and having a bite at your snake. Most of mine will take F/T or fresh killed so it isn't a problem, but the couple stuck on live can go an extra week without a meal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Seven-Thirty

Don't bother with the newspaper thing. As long as you're not keeping your ball python on sand or pebbles, or something like that, you should never have any impaction problems. You think snakes in the wild have the luxary of not getting whatever is on the floor in their mouths when they eat you are mistaken. Ball pythons are hardy creatures and some substrate won't kill them or cause an impaction. I keep my snakes on coconut husk and everytime they eat they get a litte bit of fiber in their mouths and nothing happens. That aside I know NERD keeps their ball pythons on aspen with newspaper laid on top not because of feeding, but to add "make shift" hides.

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I've had a BP miss and get a mouthful of coco fiber instead of the rat. She spent the next hour trying to spit it out.
Although nothing came of it besides refusing to eat, I now feed snakes in blue on a newspaper.

It might be an overkill but I'd like it not happening again.

PS: thanks for the NERD newspaper thing, that's a neat and cheap way to provide hides in low tubs, I'll try it