How often do you offer food?

Every paycheck easy to remember because we have 8 snakes

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I feed my adult female every 7 to 8 days. Unless she is in shed, and weight until she has shed to offer her the day after. I feed one small rat and it seems to work well. when I first got her, about 4 months ago, she was bit skinny. Her previous owner was feeding a small rat every 2 weeks. She has gained a bit of weight but not to an extreme. Once im happy with her body "tone/shape" ill most likely switch to a 10 days schedule and possible medium rats. but to each there own.

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Originally Posted by George1994

Hello everyone.

I have read in a few breeders blogs and a few different posts on forums that most of the snakes that have the longest for them, are the ones that feed about once every 2-3 weeks. I was feeding my adult male once a week, and he was putting on weight very fast. I thought that if I kept that up the he would reach an unhealthy weight. Like all things, eating too much will lead to negative health effects. So, I was just wondering what the average ball python keeper does.

I was thinking of maybe offering food somewhere around the 2 week mark from now on. Opinions?

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I'd think it would be pretty rare for a ball python to reach an unhealthy weight. Nature has a way of keeping them in check...when he starts fasting you'll be glad he packed on a little extra weight...

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Originally Posted by sho220

I'd think it would be pretty rare for a ball python to reach an unhealthy weight. Nature has a way of keeping them in check...when he starts fasting you'll be glad he packed on a little extra weight...

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Hmm, I guess it would be nice to have the extra weight there if he does start to fast. But that argument works both ways, even if he does fast, nature will keep him healthy till he eats again. I will trial the 2 week feedings for about 3 months and monitor his weight closely. I will note the differance and see if he gains or loses. A gradual gain would be nice, I just dont want it as steep as the once a week feedings.

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I think most BP will eventually fast if given more food than they can use for good growth at a given time.

I also think that unless you have a 1 in a million BP, all you're doing with limiting their food to control their growth is limiting their food.

They won't eat if they don't want to. They're not corn or king snakes who will hit food just because it exists. They eat to grow. They're not reluctant to refuse. Trying to limit their growth just seems like pure silliness to me. UNLESS you are seeing signs of OBESITY as opposed to GROWTH, but again - that's that one in a million BP. They don't get fat easily.

Just how much growth was it you saw that concerned you?

(I feed once a week.)

Hatchling holdbacks every 4/5 days.

Juvies every 5/7 days.

Adult once a week.

In the end it depends on the animal itself not all animals will eat every 5 days.

For hatchlings to yearling i offered every 2-4 day depend on how well each bp able to digest
For adults about 7-10 days :D

I feed hatchlings every 3-5 days depending on the snake. Over time i decrease the frequency to 7-10 days as adults. As previously said it all depends on the snake. I had a male go over a year without feeding so adding a little extra weight to them does help.

Like Deborah said, Its dependent on size and age.

Aswell TBH I will never go above a Med sized rate even for my bigger girls at 2,000+ Its just overkill

My males stay at small rats, Females at medium

Even on small my males constantly are growing just not massively like the females.

Aswell When im 2-3 months away from breeding i will offer the them food more frequently, Not power feeding as they have size but to get up fat reserves on them, To reduce slugs, infertile eggs, aswell knowing my males and females will sometimes go off food!

I fallow same Ritual as deborah, But when breeding coming up i offer females every 5-6 days, vs every 7-8 days! If they take yay, if they dont ohwell!

I'm not totally consistent on this. Sometimes 5 days, sometimes 10. I consider the size of the prey items I have on hand, the last time the particular snake ate, and whether or not they are exhibiting signs of hunger. If I go in there after dark 4 days after the last feeding and everyone's heads are poked out of the hides poised to strike, I offer. If they're in shed, they typically won't display this behavior so I don't offer.