Finally took the leap :)

Congrats on her!

At her size I would be doing small rats every 10 days. I feed my boas smaller meals on a 7, 10, then 14 day schedule (baby, sub-adult, adult) with fine results. You don't need to stuff these guys with food to get them to large sizes healthily: here's my June '10 male who despite not being fed overly frequently and not giving him huge meals went through some nice growth spurts and he's currently on a large (not xlrg, not xxxlrg, not jumbo) rat every 14-17 days:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...psf0418070.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ps71c8cfef.jpg

The tub should last you a while, but note that sometimes when these guys go through a spurt they really spurt! I would look into at least a 4' cage for her, recommending a 6' for female Colombians. I really like Animal Plastics cages.

For feeding in blue: all but one of my boas will eat while in shed so I'd try her if you like.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

If a boas is round, that means they're being over fed. Their body should be a more square shape, not round. Whoa! Bi-weekly fed adults sounds way too much if you're feeding the appropriate sized prey. Obesity is very common in boas, so I agree with Jason. Small rats are a good start. Weaned rats is the alternative size if the small is too large.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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Bi-weekly as in every other week...if this definition has changed to mean feedings twice a week then my apologies for any confusion.

Bi-weekly can mean either. It's always annoyed me :P

Anyhow, welcome to the wonderful world of boas! "She" has some pretty neat markings! Boas are a blast, and easily my favorite reptile.

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Originally Posted by Physician&Snakes

Bi-weekly as in every other week...if this definition has changed to mean feedings twice a week then my apologies for any confusion.

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Yeah. I understood it as twice a week. No worries.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

So this is her temporary set up for now until I can save up for the 4x2x? or the 6x2x?.
I still am not sure what to use as a hide for her. I think for now I want to just get one for the hot side, because she seems to be just fine without one.
Also once her mite treatment is over I am going to put her on Aspen so that she can burrow if she wants too.
On Saturday I am going to go buy a bunch of small rats since my BP is also on smalls. So she will be fed on Saturday. I think for now I am gonna have her on a 10 day schedule until I see if she needs more or less.
I really hope that I am doing things okay. I want her to be happy.

http://i44.tinypic.com/35kprmw.jpg



I cant wait to take more pictures of her once she has eaten and the mite treatment is over! Shes so stinking pretty!!

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Originally Posted by jason_ladouceur

I personaly prefer to feed boas small meals more often as apposed to larger less frequent meals. I've got 6' females that eat 1 and occasionally 2 medium rats every week. At her size I would probably use either smalls or even large pups weekly. As has been stated boas have slow metabloisms, but they also have huge apitights so it's really easy to over feed them. She's been on mice up till now and she's looks about perfect as far as body wieght goes. Remember rats are far higher in fat then mice. Just feed her a relatively small meal weekly and moniter her weight. If she looks thin up her food a little, if she starts getting chubby back it off. She should always have a square muscular body shape. Far to many bread loaded shaped boas out there.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

My boas seem to like it a bit cooler I have noticed. I would try feeding her every 10 days and see how that goes. I have fed mine in shed. Just not while they are totally blue. Boas (at least mine) take longer to go through the shed cycle than balls do.

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Congrats on her!

At her size I would be doing small rats every 10 days. I feed my boas smaller meals on a 7, 10, then 14 day schedule (baby, sub-adult, adult) with fine results. You don't need to stuff these guys with food to get them to large sizes healthily: here's my June '10 male who despite not being fed overly frequently and not giving him huge meals went through some nice growth spurts and he's currently on a large (not xlrg, not xxxlrg, not jumbo) rat every 14-17 days:

The tub should last you a while, but note that sometimes when these guys go through a spurt they really spurt! I would look into at least a 4' cage for her, recommending a 6' for female Colombians. I really like Animal Plastics cages.

For feeding in blue: all but one of my boas will eat while in shed so I'd try her if you like.

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All of this material is excellent advice. To sum it up for you, less is better with boas. They do not need as large a prey as ball pythons do, relative to their size. If you're going to switch to rats, start out with one that is comparable in size to the mice you've been feeding, then go up in size slightly. I, personally, would go with a weaned rat and certainly not bigger than a small. A 10 day schedule is appropriate for a boa this size. Remember, even neonates can be on a 10 day schedule.

Boas are garbage disposals and I've never had an issue with one of mine eating while in shed.

Invest in that 4ft cage. You won't be sorry! Pro-Line (Constrictors NW) is excellent, so is Animal Plastics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PorcelainxDoll

So this is her temporary set up for now until I can save up for the 4x2x? or the 6x2x?.
I still am not sure what to use as a hide for her. I think for now I want to just get one for the hot side, because she seems to be just fine without one.
Also once her mite treatment is over I am going to put her on Aspen so that she can burrow if she wants too.
On Saturday I am going to go buy a bunch of small rats since my BP is also on smalls. So she will be fed on Saturday. I think for now I am gonna have her on a 10 day schedule until I see if she needs more or less.
I really hope that I am doing things okay. I want her to be happy.

http://i44.tinypic.com/35kprmw.jpg



I cant wait to take more pictures of her once she has eaten and the mite treatment is over! Shes so stinking pretty!!

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Sterilite/Rubbermaid...helping cheap hobbyists house $200 animals in $20 cages since ever. :cool:. Sounds good, hides are up to the individual my female is always out, while my male hides for at least 1/3 of the day.

You could try a cat litter box, the bottom with a hole cut out. Both my boas utilize by their hides.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

You could try a cat litter box, the bottom with a hole cut out. Both my boas utilize by their hides.

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I think this is exactly what I plan on doing. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Daybreaker

Congrats on her!

At her size I would be doing small rats every 10 days. I feed my boas smaller meals on a 7, 10, then 14 day schedule (baby, sub-adult, adult) with fine results. You don't need to stuff these guys with food to get them to large sizes healthily: here's my June '10 male who despite not being fed overly frequently and not giving him huge meals went through some nice growth spurts and he's currently on a large (not xlrg, not xxxlrg, not jumbo) rat every 14-17 days:

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...psf0418070.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i3...ps71c8cfef.jpg

The tub should last you a while, but note that sometimes when these guys go through a spurt they really spurt! I would look into at least a 4' cage for her, recommending a 6' for female Colombians. I really like Animal Plastics cages.

For feeding in blue: all but one of my boas will eat while in shed so I'd try her if you like.

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This is a BEAUTIFUL male boa!