Feeding out of cage question...

I posted this question in as a reply in another thread but i think it was overlooked, anyway....

Im convinced that its pretty much a personal preference...arguements for both methods make sense...Now if u go the feed out of tank route, how do you go about putting them back in the vivarium. Just pick em up? I would think they would still be in a hunt mode and the risk for a bite would be elevated. with my corns i gently turn the bin and let them slide back in there cage from no more than a inch from the substrate.

please share your methods...

Just pick it up, real easy like, and move it back to the enclosure. You're going to get bit from time to time, but them's the breaks when you feed out of the cage. One of the many reasons I feed in their tubs.

I feed maxwell out of her cage and in a kritter keeper, when shes done eating i do the same thing you do with your corns, i tilt it very slowly and she slides out really smoothly. shes only 18 inches now though, so i dont know what im going to do when shes 4 ft lol. i'll refer back to this post.

Feed inside the cage, problem solved.

I fed in a seperate container once or twice and I would just wait for her to start moving around and I would just let her crawl on me and then into her tank. Sometimes this took a long time though :/ . I would rather just toss in a mouse and be done with it.

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Originally Posted by kaorte

feed inside the cage, problem solved.

I fed in a seperate container once or twice and i would just wait for her to start moving around and i would just let her crawl on me and then into her tank. Sometimes this took a long time though :/ . I would rather just toss in a mouse and be done with it.

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x2

YouTube - Ball Python Strikes Rat

I took this for you just now... It's really bad footage (filmed with phone), but I wanted to show you. Since You can't really see anything...

I prefer feeding out of the cage. They eat a lot faster (I don't even have to pre-scent the room).. I was bitten once a few years ago, but that was BEFORE i started box feeding. My pythons are usually very mellow outside the box. The one in the video let me weight him right after he ate. Since I have been feeding in boxes they have never even striked at me in their tank. Also, it eliminates the chance of ingesting bedding AND the mess stays in the box.

My boxes generally last a year before I have to replace them.. :)

I just set the snake's hide in the feeding bin (hide has a bottom), the snake crawls in and I return the hide to it's cage. Quick and painless. I don't get my hands anywhere near the snake on feeding day so it doesn't associate my hands with feeding or mistake them for a mouse.

Oh, and if you fed your snake enough, mine never really stay in "feeding mode" when I reach my hand in. I just pick up the box and they lay down because their balance is a little off with the box in the air--just pick them up and place them in the cage. You don't have to move it super fast--just don't put your hand in their face. XD

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

I just set the snake's hide in the feeding bin (hide has a bottom), the snake crawls in and I return the hide to it's cage. Quick and painless. I don't get my hands anywhere near the snake on feeding day so it doesn't associate my hands with feeding or mistake them for a mouse.

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This only works if your hides have bottoms though. All of mine have open bottoms.

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Originally Posted by demonicchild

I just set the snake's hide in the feeding bin (hide has a bottom), the snake crawls in and I return the hide to it's cage. Quick and painless. I don't get my hands anywhere near the snake on feeding day so it doesn't associate my hands with feeding or mistake them for a mouse.

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Thats smart! But, wouldn't your snake associate the hide with feeding?

My hides have open bottoms though..