Feed Inside da cage vs Outside the cage

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Originally Posted by supamyk

Bunker down for this one pal!!!! you are going to get sooo many different opinions and reasoning. My advice, do what works best for you. I was in the same situation trying to decide. I went with outside the tank just because I wanted to lessen the (risk) of tank aggression. My daughters handle our snake often and I wanted to remove any chance of them getting bit. I feed in a separate tank, let her settle down after eating for at least 25 minutes, then gentle remove her and put her right back into her tank. She has eaten at least 8 times since I have had her and haven't had a problem yet. (knock on wood). Do what works for you!!! Thats my advice

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Yup haha It's really cool watching him strike for the first time

Quote:

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Originally Posted by supamyk

Bunker down for this one pal!!!! you are going to get sooo many different opinions and reasoning. My advice, do what works best for you. I was in the same situation trying to decide. I went with outside the tank just because I wanted to lessen the (risk) of tank aggression. My daughters handle our snake often and I wanted to remove any chance of them getting bit. I feed in a separate tank, let her settle down after eating for at least 25 minutes, then gentle remove her and put her right back into her tank. She has eaten at least 8 times since I have had her and haven't had a problem yet. (knock on wood). Do what works for you!!! Thats my advice

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Yup thx haha Its really cool watching him strike for the first time

I always read to feed outside the tank, so I did. I still do with my corn snake and when I foster a snake. I used to with my ball python but now that's he's fat and healthy, Thursday are almost guaranteed a bite if you get within range! He's such an aggressive feeder but a baby otherwise. So he gets fed in his tank and his personality doesn't change, other than his feeding day. Like people have said before, what you want and what your snake will tolerate.

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Originally Posted by 18parkky

Yup thx haha Its really cool watching him strike for the first time

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One of the best parts of keeping snakes!


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I use small mammal aspen bedding for my ball witch has quite large shavings and would have more of a risk of an impaction if she swallowed it than if she swallowed normal snake bedding, so i feed her in a box outside her tank. I would still feed her outside with any bedding other than AstroTurf, repticarpet, or newspaper though. As far as tank aggression goes its kinda a tricky situation. it may cause your snake to have tank agro but probably not.

I feed mine outside of the cage to prevent aggression and to avoid it thinking that hands are meals.

I have a routine that has worked for years to feed in tank. I use for both my corn snake - a very aggressive eater, and my ball - who is less aggressive.

I always feed with the lights out. I always handle with the lights on.

If it is daylight or the room light is on they are going to be handled and they do not go into a feeding response.

If the lights are off and it's nighttime - food time! I have also had good luck feeding at night since both are nocturnal.

I have never had a feeding response during the day or at night with lights on. I know others who put a towel over their ball when it's handling time versus feeding time. All sorts of things work to have them associate handling vs. food time.

Bottom line: Feed in the tank. Especially with balls who can be shy. Shayna, our ball, is incredibly shy and I doubt would eat if I moved her and tried to feed her. My corn probably would eat either way, but why add the stress to them of moving, etc.

Just my two cents.

David

Ah, the old impaction risk paradigm:

Always cautioned about, never experienced.

Another forum phenomenon........

I have always fed in the cage, and so no reason to stop. So my advice would be to always feed in the cage...YMMV

Feeding outside the enclosure is a total myth, passed along mostly by pet stores to get a newb to buy a second tank and more unnecessary accessories! I have 12 ball pythons and have always fed in their enclosures. I've had rainbow boas, kings and corns fed in their enclosures as well. None have ever shown aggression afterwards as I give them until the next day undisturbed. I have also never had an impaction issue from feeding in their enclosure. What do you think happens in the wild...they kill their prey and then find a nice clean spot free of dirt or leaves to eat? Hardly. I've watched mine eat countless times and if substrate is stuck on the prey it almost always falls off as the snake works its way down the prey's body. And when it doesn't it's no big deal.