How does everyone feed there Bp

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Originally Posted by Viol8r

If you only open the enclosure to feed, and never handle the snake, then it will most likely associate you opening the enclosure with being fed. If you handle him/her/them often, clean their enclosure, and feed, they will usually just sit and watch what you are doing when you open it.

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And this is totally false :gj:

This is just propagating the myth.

I do not handle my snakes (I have more than a few) they get fed they get cleaned (they are placed in holding tubs when cleaned) and they have never associated opening their tub with food.

I drop in live prey and they are usually dispatched with in a minute. However my youngest piebald is a little more picky. She will typically eat within an hour but sometimes she will go 10 to 12 hours.
In those cases I will only offer a 40 gr. ween rat so as not to jeopardize my snake. But in those cases I always periodically check to make sure my snake is safe.

Here is my set up. I usually take the water bowl and hide out and feed in tub. I drop rats in and while they eat I clean water bowl and hide to be ready to put back in after they have eaten. I also change the paper while I am at it.

BTW That is a 41QT sterilite rack that I made.


http://i328.photobucket.com/albums/l...ps62265f08.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

And this is totally false :gj:

This is just propagating the myth.

I do not handle my snakes (I have more than a few) they get fed they get cleaned (they are placed in holding tubs when cleaned) and they have never associated opening their tub with food.

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How often do you clean? How big is the enclosure compaired to the snake? I only said this cause I actually know of someone to which this has happend...:gj:

I feed f/t in the enclosure as well but my BP is on paper towel instead of substrate. No chance of him getting any thing in his mouth he's not supposed to and it's also much easier to tell when it's been soiled. I usually let him eat and move to his hide before I clean the paper if it needs to be then leave him for 36 hours at least

Sent from my HTC One M8

Well the last 4 live feedings I've done, I've removed my bp from enclosure and place in box drop live mouse in the box and he's always on it within a minute if that. Then I let him get it down and sit in the box for 20-30 min while I'm cleaning and such and doing a spot temp check on the uth. Put everything back in and pick the snake up and put him in there and let him be. Basicly I want to know if I'm risking a regugition doing this? I handle my snake usally every other day if not a little more.. Except the 36-48 hours after eating..

I feed in the enclosure. I tried using a separate feeding bin for the first couple of feedings (F/T) and the whole wiggling it with the tongs and my little guy wanted nothing to do with it. His first successful feeding was in his enclosure when all else had failed and I decided to see if maybe minimizing the stress by just setting the rat in front of his hide would encourage him to take it. He did and he has been fed in there ever since. I do lay down a piece of paper before putting the rat in just because I worry about him ingesting his bedding (many claim this is not an issue, so this may just be me being overprotective). He has even started striking and coiling recently, where before he would just nose around and then put his mouth around it. He has never struck at me or even balled up. I am going to agree with others on here that have said that the aggression from feeding association thing is a myth. I mean granted hands have a heat signature but they are much larger and (hopefully) not rat scented. I frequently reach in and lift the hide my guy is hiding under with his nose about an inch from my fingers and he has never so much as postured at me. I even found myself having to handle him while he was going into shed recently and he was not the least bit aggressive. Granted, some snakes will strike when you reach in to get them out, but I don't think that has anything to do with the feeding method. :)

Oh and as far as regurgitation goes, very gently moving him from the box to his enclosure should not be enough to cause that. Regurgitation is usually triggered by a prolonged incorrect temperature (which would cause the snake to conclude that it cannot safely digest) or enough stress and handling for it to feel in danger. I also handle Shesha every day except for feeding day and 48 hours after, he has never regurgitated and is always active and seems comfortable when he is out. I just base it on things like whether he is willingly exploring, not searching for a place to hide, and actively flicking his tongue. If I get him out after 48 hours and he seems very reluctant to move I play it safe and return him to his enclosure. Basically, if he is comfortable moving around I figure we are good to go on handling. Since snakes tend to just coil up and sit still while actively digesting, this is the sort of behavior that I look for to indicate that he is not ready to be out and about yet. The only real concern I am aware of with feeding in a separate tub is the risk of stress based refusal (which it sounds like you are not having a problem with) and the risk of being bitten actually increasing since you are handling (albeit briefly) while they are in feeding mode to put them back in their enclosure. If he is eating well and you aren't worried about him biting you, you should be just fine.

Yea I have no worrys about him biteing me he's never tried. Prolly cuz I let him roam free in the room when I have him out. Thanks that was the one thing I was worried about

Heres a vid I made of a feeding...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Qmn...QHNDbyDJXOBZUA

I put mine in a big, clear tub with a lid. If I feed him a frozen rat, I smack it against the side of the tub. It either makes him mad or interested, but either way it goes down his throat. If I feed live, I drop it in and he comes to it. I hate feeding live though.... I only do it when he WILL NOT eat frozen.