Feeder size for adult

Hello,
So I was going to order feeders pretty soon but don't know what size to get now..
My adult female has been on small rat and there are few more left. She just went over 1000 g and according to the feeding chart, females above 1000g are recommended medium rats. However, since medium rats weight vary so much, I was just worried if I would get more larger rats and end up not being able to feed it until later. I can't request specific size among the medium rats so it's like gambling. And if I order small rat and end up getting lower end ones, I can't even feed that too. Do you guys think it is better to go with medium rats and try to feed smallest first and then gradually increase?

Edit- Oh and also, I see that it says to feed every 7 days for 1000g and above, but I see people feeding every 2 weeks for 1000g and up balls, any opinions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gusanr14

Hello,
So I was going to order feeders pretty soon but don't know what size to get now..
My adult female has been on small rat and there are few more left. She just went over 1000 g and according to the feeding chart, females above 1000g are recommended medium rats. However, since medium rats weight vary so much, I was just worried if I would get more larger rats and end up not being able to feed it until later. I can't request specific size among the medium rats so it's like gambling. And if I order small rat and end up getting lower end ones, I can't even feed that too. Do you guys think it is better to go with medium rats and try to feed smallest first and then gradually increase?

Edit- Oh and also, I see that it says to feed every 7 days for 1000g and above, but I see people feeding every 2 weeks for 1000g and up balls, any opinions?

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1 small rat should be good


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Medium rats are fine.

Depending on where you are ordering from, you can ask for smaller mediums, or if luck of the draw, usually average 110-130g, which is fine for her at 1,000g.

If shes still growing, I would offer every week still, if she eats every meal. If she starts skipping meals, separate from her winter fast (if she fasts), then go to every two weeks.

Probably around 1,200-1,300g my female BP started skipping meals regularly when feeding weekly. This during the spring and summer and not during her annual 5 month fast.

I’ve been feeding every two weeks since and she’s 6 now, about 1,800g, and I am wasting a lot fewer rats.

Instead of eating 3/5 meals, or less. She eats 4/5 or even 5/5 depending on the period.

She skipped her last meal and it was her first miss in 3 months. She also may be starting her fast now.

I agree with dakski. Keep offering weekly until she starts refusing randomly, then cut back to 10-14 days. She'll kinda "tell you" what schedule she wants to eat on.
...and I think you're fine with mediums too.

Never mind my comment....wrong post [emoji23]


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

Medium rats are fine.

Depending on where you are ordering from, you can ask for smaller mediums, or if luck of the draw, usually average 110-130g, which is fine for her at 1,000g.

If shes still growing, I would offer every week still, if she eats every meal. If she starts skipping meals, separate from her winter fast (if she fasts), then go to every two weeks.

Probably around 1,200-1,300g my female BP started skipping meals regularly when feeding weekly. This during the spring and summer and not during her annual 5 month fast.

I’ve been feeding every two weeks since and she’s 6 now, about 1,800g, and I am wasting a lot fewer rats.

Instead of eating 3/5 meals, or less. She eats 4/5 or even 5/5 depending on the period.

She skipped her last meal and it was her first miss in 3 months. She also may be starting her fast now.

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Yea, the place I order from can't choose specific size that I ask so I am stuck to random size order haha. But from my experience, they seem to pack evenly distributed weight.
She is growing pretty fast, never power fed. Never missed a single meal in 7 months except when she is shedding. Eats weekly on small rat at this moment. She was at 200g and after about 7 months, she is at 1000 g !
And my plan was to go with bi-weekly once she is on medium rats but I will try offering weekly and see how it goes. Would be shocking to see her fast but it is her first winter with me and just hit 1000g so who knows.
I honestly expect her to grow pretty big from my observations but that is just my opinion.
Thank for the reply! :)

I weigh all mine when I get them. I weigh each one then write the weight on a ziplock bag. I then start with the smallest weight and work up to the largest weight to feed.