Need an ANSWER!!11one!! huh?

I've got a 4 foot female 1700g. Looks like she could take a medium rat, but the guy I got it from to feed it small rats. So I fed it a small rat yesterday, and every time I walk by she looks at me like,"Was that it?" So I got a mouse for her, and she wasted no time swallowing it down. The problem is, she's still looking at me like that. Should I give her another?

One prey item as thick as the thickest part of the snake. Can't go wrong with that rule. They may still be in hunt mode a day after you feed them. I believe they're opportunistic feeders so thats why you see snakes fasting alot, b/c people overfed them and they naturally let their bodies catch up by fasting.

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Originally Posted by Shaffer

I've got a 4 foot female 1700g. Looks like she could take a medium rat, but the guy I got it from to feed it small rats. So I fed it a small rat yesterday, and every time I walk by she looks at me like,"Was that it?" So I got a mouse for her, and she wasted no time swallowing it down. The problem is, she's still looking at me like that. Should I give her another?

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I would not just incase she regurges.With her being only used to a small rat to much to soon might make her go off feeding all together.Why are you switching from a rat then a mouse thats not a good idea.

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Originally Posted by joepythons

I would not just incase she regurges.With her being only used to a small rat to much to soon might make her go off feeding all together.Why are you switching from a rat then a mouse thats not a good idea.

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She apparently will eat either or. I think she could easily take a medium rat. Should I make up for the small rat by giving an extra mouse or two?

I've had better success with the small rats. I had bought a bag of med rats from rodent pro but my female would eat one, then not eat for a couple of weeks, so i started feeding just small rats and I haven't had a refused meal since and my guys are growing like weeds now. Better a slightly underfed snake that will be hungry and have a strong feed response everytime food is offered than an over fed snake that is going to fast and cause you stress.

cool thanks

I wouldn't even use mice at this point. One larger food item, at wider spaced intervals, is the best way to feed in my opinion/experience.

I feed my one BP 2 mice, she snatches them quick to. When we fed her for the first time we offerd her a third and she turned her nose up at it. So I'm sticking with 2 mice, I want to switch them all over to F/T, and get the multiple mice eaters on 1 small rat....here's so hoping that happens.

A reptile store over here (the only) is having a little clinic on feeding F/T next month. There going to feed over 20 of there snakes F/T and show how almost all of them accept it diffrent ways. (just throwing it in, making it "dance" etc.) I cant wait and hope this gets us on the right foot for it.

I breed my own mice and all of my Balls and two cornsnakes get them. The two adult females, an '03 and an '04, both get around 4-5 mice per week. The two '05 females get 2-4 adult mice per week and the 4 '06 babies each get one good-sized adult or two medium adults. The two '06 Corns get a large fuzzy mouse every week.

The late '04 female(Amani) is currently 1650g on empty and 4ft long(I've had her since she was 4 months old and she's always been fed mice). The '03 female(Breth) is almost 1400g, but was malnourished before I got her and only weighed around 850g a few months ago(May-ish when I got her). The '05s currently weigh 905g and 450g respectively(Arith and Hannath). Hannath came from Chris(Cueball) and she was slightly underweight as mice are nowhere to be found in goofy Tyler, TX, unless you feel the need to go to Petsmart where mice are $4.99 a pop. Chris, just to let you know, she's steadily gaining weight and doing great!
The '06 babies(Caylith, Mininth, Orlith and Rineth) are all between 160 and 310g and they do very well on either one fat adult mouse per week or 2 smallish adults. They let me know what they want on the menu by their body actions.

I would stick with the smalls. There is no reason to go with medium rats for a Ball Python unless you want her fasting for 2-3 weeks in a row, which is just frustrating for you.

I feed my 4 foot ball python a large rat at feeding time, and have been doing so since he was around 3 feet with no problems or food refusal.