Questions about my daughter's new BP

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Wrong again, unfortunately, you have zero scientific papers or articles to back you up. Most of your information is from breeders and enthusiasts who tried something and it worked, that's not science.

Breeders are going to run hotter temps to get the BPs to gain weight faster so they can breed quicker as well as sell quicker. This is not true for your average BP keeper when long life and health is a priority.

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So you know what I was studying over 20 years ago and all that I've read since??? I've read books, written by doctors, scientists, herpetologists, breeders, etc....
I've read papers and listened to blogs and podcasts. So you're clueless and just making stuff up. Unless you were by my side the last 29+ years you can't possibly know what I've read.

But seriously, you're a colossal waste of my time. I'm done arguing with a rookie know-it-all.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

So you know what I was studying over 20 years ago and all that I've read since??? I've read books, written by doctors, scientists, herpetologists, breeders, etc....
I've read papers and listened to blogs and podcasts. So you're clueless and just making stuff up. Unless you were by my side the last 29+ years you can't possibly know what I've read.

But seriously, you're a colossal waste of my time. I'm done arguing with a rookie know-it-all.

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Ok then send me a link. Tell me the name of the peer reviewed study. Unless you can your posts are meaningless to me.

As I said my facts are from experience, I know what I saw, I know what I did, and I've seen the results. Your trying desperately to convince me otherwise and your not doing a good job

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OP, again, I'm sorry.

I don't even care if I get an infraction, but this idiot has wasted too much of our time.

I'm sorry you came here to learn and were derailed by someone with next to no experience who just wants to ruffle feathers.

He or she is a perfect example of why it's so important to cross reference information you receive. Follow the people who have experience and a good reputation. I'm not an expert, don't claim to be. I learn new stuff all the time. But I believe my knowledge, experience and reputation speaks for themselves.

We see clowns like that come and go all the time, I'm guessing this one will be just like the others and disappear when nobody buys into their bullcrap and ignores him/her.

Please don't let this crap deter you from seeking further help here, this is not a typical thread. There are plenty of people who know what they're talking about and are happy to help.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

OP, again, I'm sorry.

I don't even care if I get an infraction, but this idiot has wasted too much of our time.

I'm sorry you came here to learn and were derailed by someone with next to no experience who just wants to ruffle feathers.

He or she is a perfect example of why it's so important to cross reference information you receive. Follow the people who have experience and a good reputation. I'm not an expert, don't claim to be. I learn new stuff all the time. But I believe my knowledge, experience and reputation speaks for themselves.

We see clowns like that come and go all the time, I'm guessing this one will be just like the others and disappear when nobody buys into their bullcrap and ignores him/her.

Please don't let this crap deter you from seeking further help here, this is not a typical thread. There are plenty of people who know what they're talking about and are happy to help.

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You're right people like me looking to learn, offering what advice they have, come and go all the time cause you push them away, I've seen many times. Your issue with me is that I won't go away so that you can go back to being God of this forum. You have a God complex this isn't your forum your experience is just that YOUR experience. Can't stand to have somebody come and question your infinite wisdom.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Actually I have to disagree 60 percent is ideal humidity and it should not go lower than that.

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Well ..... to quote someone - ‘you’ to be specific .

“ Your numbers are guidelines not rules, get over yourself.”


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Well ..... to quote someone - ‘you’ to be specific .

“ Your numbers are guidelines not rules, get over yourself.”


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Lol you nailed it, thanks. I'm not above checking myself. I'm not here to be God just share my experiences without being provoked. I will "get over myself", appreciate it.

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Seriously though .. a quick search throws up that you only started keeping snakes a little over a year ago and so to be fair it’s probably best that you just keep reading and learning and giving tips on things that worked for you on that time .

I’ve been keeping well over a decade and I still feel as though I’ve only just scraped the surface of snake keeping knowledge and I still make daft mistakes .

I’d take a low profile for a while and then just be less ‘challenging’ on your return..

Oddly enough when I first started frequenting this forum I got in a quite a few bruising encounters surrounding LIVE feeding .. I turned it around so can you !!


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Seriously though .. a quick search throws up that you only started keeping snakes a little over a year ago and so to be fair it’s probably best that you just keep reading and learning and giving tips on things that worked for you on that time .

I’ve been keeping well over a decade and I still feel as though I’ve only just scraped the surface of snake keeping knowledge and I still make daft mistakes .

I’d take a low profile for a while and then just be less ‘challenging’ on your return..

Oddly enough when I first started frequenting this forum I got in a quite a few bruising encounters surrounding LIVE feeding .. I turned it around so can you !!


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Thanks but no thanks, I have been watching threads on this forum and every comment my personal experience or thoughts I would duck out before I got attacked cause I know how it is around here. This time I got dragged in no matter how I tried not to. The issue is I want to learn and if everyone says and does the same thing so you can't learn. Anytime anyone has something different or interesting to say they are stamped out cause it doesn't fit the narrative. No Thanks. Learning means keeping an open mind not hot fitting everything into a box.

I feed live, Yes I said it. Many others do as well but would never post this on the forum . That's just wrong

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Thanks but no thanks, I have been watching threads on this forum and every comment my personal experience or thoughts I would duck out before I got attacked cause I know how it is around here. This time I got dragged in no matter how I tried not to. The issue is I want to learn and if everyone says and does the same thing so you can't learn. Anytime anyone has something different or interesting to say they are stamped out cause it doesn't fit the narrative. No Thanks. Learning means keeping an open mind not hot fitting everything into a box.


I feed live, Yes I said it. Many others do as well but would never post this on the forum . That's just wrong

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I truly haven’t noticed any ‘stamping down’ in here well not since I upset loads of people by suggesting it was an horrific thing to do .. that’s years ago though and I was completely to blame ..

I think quite a few still feed LIVE .. we don’t in the uk and that’s what caused all my early ‘issues’ ..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I truly haven’t noticed any ‘stamping down’ in here well not since I upset loads of people by suggesting it was an horrific thing to do .. that’s years ago though and I was completely to blame ..

I think quite a few still feed LIVE .. we don’t in the uk and that’s what caused all my early ‘issues’ ..


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In attempt to get back on topic in the winter time how is it possible to heat a glass aquarium, to above 75 degrees without raising house temps to 78? Who is going to actually do that for 1 BP? If you run a CHE your humidity plummets and that's a whole other issue. The other option being a space heater that needs to somehow be regulated. What's the suggestion toss the whole setup?

I ended up putting in a second heat mat with hide set 80 degrees with sphaghnum moss to keep humidity maintaining 88, 80 and 72 spots. Worked great. In the wild temps go down to 68 all the time, they either move to hotter location or fast until the weather goes back to normal. I don't see an issue.

According to you I should just keep quiet until I get 15 years under my belt in order to post. Why?

Feeding live works for me right now and for my particular situation. That might change in the future who knows.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

In attempt to get back on topic in the winter time how is it possible to heat a glass aquarium, to above 75 degrees without raising house temps to 78? Who is going to actually do that for 1 BP? If you run a CHE your humidity plummets and that's a whole other issue. The other option being a space heater that needs to somehow be regulated. What's the suggestion toss the whole setup?

I ended up putting in a second heat mat with hide set 80 degrees with sphaghnum moss to keep humidity maintaining 88, 80 and 72 spots. Worked great. In the wild temps go down to 68 all the time, they either move to hotter location or fast until the weather goes back to normal. I don't see an issue.

According to you I should just keep quiet until I get 15 years under my belt in order to post. Why?

Feeding live works for me right now and for my particular situation. That might change in the future who knows.

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I really didn’t suggest that at all to be fair ..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I really didn’t suggest that at all to be fair ..


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That's the way I took it when you said keep a low profile for awhile. Maybe that's not what you meant.

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

Only question my daughter still has is about the humidity levels. Right now it is 45% on the hot side and 55% on the cooler side.

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I would strive for 60-65% humidity, but 50% is totally fine. Just make sure to boost them during shed. If you or your daughter aren’t sure of what methods you could apply to increase humidity, feel free to ask. I would also suggest adding a humidity box, that way you won’t have to worry so much about keeping the humidity up to 65-70% during shed.

To answer one of your earlier questions(apologies if someone did reply... there was just too much unnecessary reading):
A humidity box is not required, but it doesn’t hurt to have. However if you find that your snake spends ALL their time in there, then I would opt to put it in only when they are in shed. If they sit in there for long periods of time(and I mean days on end in there) there is an increased risk of scale rot.

Don’t be alarmed if your snake is in there through the duration of the day! That’s okay, as long as they are moving and getting around at night. I can usually tell that my snakes are active because stuff moves around, whether that he substrate or some plants/decorations.

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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

I would strive for 60-65% humidity, but 50% is totally fine. Just make sure to boost them during shed. If you or your daughter aren’t sure of what methods you could apply to increase humidity, feel free to ask. I would also suggest adding a humidity box, that way you won’t have to worry so much about keeping the humidity up to 65-70% during shed.

To answer one of your earlier questions(apologies if someone did reply... there was just too much unnecessary reading):
A humidity box is not required, but it doesn’t hurt to have. However if you find that your snake spends ALL their time in there, then I would opt to put it in only when they are in shed. If they sit in there for long periods of time(and I mean days on end in there) there is an increased risk of scale rot.

Don’t be alarmed if your snake is in there through the duration of the day! That’s okay, as long as they are moving and getting around at night. I can usually tell that my snakes are active because stuff moves around, whether that he substrate or some plants/decorations.

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This ^

If you put some branches in there Royals will spend ages in the evenings climbing all over the place ..


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Originally Posted by walzon1

In attempt to get back on topic in the winter time how is it possible to heat a glass aquarium, to above 75 degrees without raising house temps to 78? Who is going to actually do that for 1 BP? If you run a CHE your humidity plummets and that's a whole other issue. The other option being a space heater that needs to somehow be regulated. What's the suggestion toss the whole setup?

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There are many methods to assist with increasing ambient temperatures. For myself, I use a 60Watt heat bulb on a timer during the winter because my house temperatures can drop as low as 18 degrees Celsius. Many other individuals will use ceramic heat emitters, others will have a dedicated room for their reptiles where they are able to apply some sort of regulated heat source to safely heat a room to maintain proper temperatures for their animals. If you are curious about the different methods feel free to create your own thread and many people will offer great advice and wisdom.

The way I see it: if someone is willing to heat up their whole house for one animal, it only proves the large amount of dedication, commitment and love that they have for their animal[emoji846][emoji106]

Hi,

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Your post is on a public forum. People are going to comment, or in this case disagree.

People come here to learn, and sharing inaccurate info doesn't help anybody.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Not trying to attack you, I'm sorry if you thought that, I apologise. Really wish you would just let it go. I don't hold on to the past.

Not sure why you feel you are the only one who is allowed to post and have an opinion. You keep trying to discredit me and degrade me. I never did that to you. As you said, if you don't like it don't post. If you don't like it block me. It's a public forum right?

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Actually it's a privately owned forum - we just don't tend to restrict what anyone posts as long as it is within the rules. Since the day it started the Admin team have been the owners responsible for the bills etc. We just don't tend to mention it much. :P

So don't worry, if the bailiffs come knocking, it will be me with one leg out the window holding a suitcase. Lets hope not though as I live two floors up.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Wrong again, unfortunately, you have zero scientific papers or articles to back you up. Most of your information is from breeders and enthusiasts who tried something and it worked, that's not science.

Breeders are going to run hotter temps to get the BPs to gain weight faster so they can breed quicker as well as sell quicker. This is not true for your average BP keeper when long life and health is a priority.

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Not sure where you got this but hotter temps will speed up the snakes metabolism, so if you do try it without factoring in how much extra food you need to provide to compensate they will probably gain less weight in the long run. The breeding as well is much more focused on the body condition rather than just weight as I have seen horribly obese snakes with the weight over 1500g that are in no way fit to breed. I've also seen older, smaller, snakes under 1500g that bred perfectly well.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

In attempt to get back on topic in the winter time how is it possible to heat a glass aquarium, to above 75 degrees without raising house temps to 78? Who is going to actually do that for 1 BP? If you run a CHE your humidity plummets and that's a whole other issue. The other option being a space heater that needs to somehow be regulated. What's the suggestion toss the whole setup?

I ended up putting in a second heat mat with hide set 80 degrees with sphaghnum moss to keep humidity maintaining 88, 80 and 72 spots. Worked great. In the wild temps go down to 68 all the time, they either move to hotter location or fast until the weather goes back to normal. I don't see an issue.

According to you I should just keep quiet until I get 15 years under my belt in order to post. Why?

Feeding live works for me right now and for my particular situation. That might change in the future who knows.

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Glass tanks can be insulated on the outside with either polystyrene (Sp?) or cork sheeting to improve the insulation. We have some stickies that give good advice on how to do it.

As you have indicated there is no "one way" to keep these snakes in terms of temps or enclosures - lots of things can be made to work. VPI, for example keeps their animals in much different temp regimes than we initially advise.Both David and Tracy however are professional biologists and are incalculably better at spotting when things need changing. What we generally do is advise on a simple setup that will work for the majority of the species while people have a chance to get to know their animals well enough to start personalising things.

We also don't tend to judge on the FT/Live debate - I'm in the UK and have only ever fed F/T. But, as long as it is done correctly and responsibly to all animals involved, I have no problem with it. :)


Del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,





Actually it's a privately owned forum - we just don't tend to restrict what anyone posts as long as it is within the rules. Since the day it started the Admin team have been the owners responsible for the bills etc. We just don't tend to mention it much. [emoji14]

So don't worry, if the bailiffs come knocking, it will be me with one leg out the window holding a suitcase. Lets hope not though as I live two floors up.



Not sure where you got this but hotter temps will speed up the snakes metabolism, so if you do try it without factoring in how much extra food you need to provide to compensate they will probably gain less weight in the long run. The breeding as well is much more focused on the body condition rather than just weight as I have seen horribly obese snakes with the weight over 1500g that are in no way fit to breed. I've also seen older, smaller, snakes under 1500g that bred perfectly well.



Glass tanks can be insulated on the outside with either polystyrene (Sp?) or cork sheeting to improve the insulation. We have some stickies that give good advice on how to do it.

As you have indicated there is no "one way" to keep these snakes in terms of temps or enclosures - lots of things can be made to work. VPI, for example keeps their animals in much different temp regimes than we initially advise.Both David and Tracy however are professional biologists and are incalculably better at spotting when things need changing. What we generally do is advise on a simple setup that will work for the majority of the species while people have a chance to get to know their animals well enough to start personalising things.

We also don't tend to judge on the FT/Live debate - I'm in the UK and have only ever fed F/T. But, as long as it is done correctly and responsibly to all animals involved, I have no problem with it. :)


Del

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Thanks for this, what I meant in terms of temps is that most breeders will run an entire room at 80 simulating a perpetual summer environment, where as I believe most hobbyists will run at whatever their house temps are being somewhere around 75 which would be on the much cooler. I have read that slower steady growth is better than fast growth in the long term. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Also I do know there is no summer or winter in their natural environment its just easier for my brain to translate

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Thanks for this, what I meant in terms of temps is that most breeders will run an entire room at 80 simulating a perpetual summer environment, where as I believe most hobbyists will run at whatever their house temps are being somewhere around 75 which would be on the much cooler. I have read that slower steady growth is better than fast growth in the long term. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Also I do know there is no summer or winter in their natural environment its just easier for my brain to translate

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Indeed, VPI keep their facilty at a flat temp and only change it per animal when there is a reason to like follicle development or other parts of the breeding cycle. Their book is, frankly, one of the best books there are on understanding and keeping ball pythons. It isn't a cheap book however. And most hobbyists starting out can find themselves in real difficulty following their how without understanding their why. The main goal of the forum always has been to help new keepers and their snakes as well as we can until they understand what can be done and why it might be right for them.

We understand this can come across as "our way or the highway" but our main focus has always been to keep your snake and yourself on track until you know enough to pass beyond the basics.

It's a hard thing to judge ( someones experience and understanding ) through text posts. So forgive us if we recommend do this, this and this. And someone replies I did that, that and that and it worked out fine. We might have a few questions to find out if it really is fine or not. You really would not believe the number of posts we have seen saying " he loves his new huge enclosure - he's exploring constantly" followed the next week by "my snake won't eat".

You really wouldn't believe the total years amalgamated by the members on here working with these animals ( I tried to work it out once and gave up ). And every year we learn more through articles, shared content, and practical experience.

It's a lot of wisdom to give up because tone is read wrong through a text based medium.



del

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Originally Posted by jmcrook

That humidity isn’t too bad for when the snake is not in shed. I’d suggest covering 2/3 or more of the screen top with something to minimize moisture and heat loss though, especially during the colder months. Aluminum foil/plexiglass/etc will likely help your humidity levels. I try to aim for 65-70% or so when in shed.
You can use the dimmer lamp with a thermostat no problem. Thermostat will just adjust temps for you rather than having to fuss with the dimmer all the time.

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Thank you! We actually bought a different lamp without a dimmer to use with the thermostat, so we have both until we return one! Which is better to use?

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

Thank you! We actually bought a different lamp without a dimmer to use with the thermostat, so we have both until we return one! Which is better to use?

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You could keep the dimmer lamp and use the dimmer as a back up in case the thermostat ever fails. Just fiddle with the dial until you can maintain a temp a couple degrees above what you want the thermostat set at. Then if, god forbid, the thermostat should fail the dimmer will limit the amount of power available to the heating element


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Originally Posted by Faith.luu

I would strive for 60-65% humidity, but 50% is totally fine. Just make sure to boost them during shed. If you or your daughter aren’t sure of what methods you could apply to increase humidity, feel free to ask. I would also suggest adding a humidity box, that way you won’t have to worry so much about keeping the humidity up to 65-70% during shed.

To answer one of your earlier questions(apologies if someone did reply... there was just too much unnecessary reading):
A humidity box is not required, but it doesn’t hurt to have. However if you find that your snake spends ALL their time in there, then I would opt to put it in only when they are in shed. If they sit in there for long periods of time(and I mean days on end in there) there is an increased risk of scale rot.

Don’t be alarmed if your snake is in there through the duration of the day! That’s okay, as long as they are moving and getting around at night. I can usually tell that my snakes are active because stuff moves around, whether that he substrate or some plants/decorations.

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Yes, the humidity levels are definitely dropping in there now that the substrate has dried out a bit. We will spray it and cover most of the mesh cover, thanks!

We will probably buy a humidity box to be sure, as well. And he is definitely moving around at night, he comes out around 7pm and starts exploring!

I would like to say most people here don’t have an issue with live if it’s all your snake will take. But in general I fell feeding fresh dead then frozen/thawed is best for most snake due to the FACT that dead rats can’t bite. I spent a lot of money at the time for my bp and I’d be devastated if one day he got his eye bit out by a rat. The bigger rats can put up a fight, and I don’t know about u but none of my bp’s can strike perfect every time. Heck mine have missed the rat completely before and it can’t move lol

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Oh yeah btw Craig u can quote me any time sweetie pie!!

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Originally Posted by Danger noodles

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Oh yeah btw Craig u can quote me any time sweetie pie!!

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Awwww, shucks. Thanks handsome, I think i will ;)

Since it's come up a few times.... There's nothing at all wrong with feeding live...if done responsibly. I have fed live and will in the future if the situation calls for it.
But I will feed F/T 100 times out of 100 assuming the snake is taking it.

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Originally Posted by Danger noodles

I would like to say most people here don’t have an issue with live if it’s all your snake will take. But in general I fell feeding fresh dead then frozen/thawed is best for most snake due to the FACT that dead rats can’t bite. I spent a lot of money at the time for my bp and I’d be devastated if one day he got his eye bit out by a rat. The bigger rats can put up a fight, and I don’t know about u but none of my bp’s can strike perfect every time. Heck mine have missed the rat completely before and it can’t move lol

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Oh yeah btw Craig u can quote me any time sweetie pie!!

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That's all well and good for you, but one thing that nobody talks about when your a new owner is, what to do when your BP doesn't take frozen thawed. Well basically you get to throw it in the trash, perfectly healthy rat thrown away as garbage. In my opinion "rat lives matter" too. I have thrown at least half a dozen rats away trying to switch him over. It's horrible. I hate it. Feeding live is zero waste if he doesn't eat I just take it back the rat lives to fight another day. Ethically, I can't find a way to overcome this if I can find a way to switch and get gauranteed success I would, and might in the future.

And Craig you can quote me anytime as well just remember it takes two to tango, and I can dance all night

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Originally Posted by walzon1

That's all well and good for you, but one thing that nobody talks about when your a new owner is, what to do when your BP doesn't take frozen thawed. Well basically you get to throw it in the trash, perfectly healthy rat thrown away as garbage. In my opinion "rat lives matter" too. I have thrown at least half a dozen rats away trying to switch him over. It's horrible. I hate it. Feeding live is zero waste if he doesn't eat I just take it back the rat lives to fight another day. Ethically, I can't find a way to overcome this if I can find a way to switch and get gauranteed success I would, and might in the future.

And Craig you can quote me anytime as well just remember it takes two to tango, and I can dance all night

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Well, since I have your permission...

I agree with you in that "rat lives matter" and also hate seeing a life "wasted". There are a few solutions though...

1) get more snakes! And not BPs. A colubrid or carpet or some other garbage disposal that will eat the refusals (I know, not an option for everyone).

2) although not ideal, the general consensus is that you can refreeze a prey item one time. I'm honestly not sure why once is okay, but I know plenty of people who've done it without issue.

3) you can always toss the prey outside, some neighborhood animal will enjoy the treat. At least this way it's not a total waste.

But, yeah, I agree with you 100% wasting a "life" sucks.

I agree with what craig has said. This is not relevant to the OPs intentions for the thread at all but I will say that transitioning to F/T can be less than pleasant but is well worth it. I’ve only had to put in serious effort to switch one animal and it required offering a fresh killed prey item.

Having said that, some animals will never switch. But until all options have been tried it’s worth some continued effort. I agree wasting feeders sucks but sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.


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Originally Posted by jmcrook

I agree with what craig has said. This is not relevant to the OPs intentions for the thread at all but I will say that transitioning to F/T can be less than pleasant but is well worth it. I’ve only had to put in serious effort to switch one animal and it required offering a fresh killed prey item.

Having said that, some animals will never switch. But until all options have been tried it’s worth some continued effort. I agree wasting feeders sucks but sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette.


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Speaking of omelettes. I guess we are lucky enough to own chickens. They love rodents. Nothing goes to waste. Just waiting on my little Kingsnake to grow up and be another garbage disposal option.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Well, since I have your permission...

I agree with you in that "rat lives matter" and also hate seeing a life "wasted". There are a few solutions though...

1) get more snakes! And not BPs. A colubrid or carpet or some other garbage disposal that will eat the refusals (I know, not an option for everyone).

2) although not ideal, the general consensus is that you can refreeze a prey item one time. I'm honestly not sure why once is okay, but I know plenty of people who've done it without issue.

3) you can always toss the prey outside, some neighborhood animal will enjoy the treat. At least this way it's not a total waste.

But, yeah, I agree with you 100% wasting a "life" sucks.

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Another suggestion if one has a yard would be to bury the carcass under a tree. Good fertilizer. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Igotsmallballs

Speaking of omelettes. I guess we are lucky enough to own chickens. They love rodents. Nothing goes to waste. Just waiting on my little Kingsnake to grow up and be another garbage disposal option.

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I always thought chickens were herbivores eating just grain /seeds ... interesting


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I always thought chickens were herbivores eating just grain /seeds ... interesting


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They will literally rip a mouse in half fighting over it.

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Originally Posted by Igotsmallballs

They will literally rip a mouse in half fighting over it.

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I have chickens, can confirm. They are very cannibalistic too and will tear into roast chicken carcasses with glee. Their outdoor area looks like a graveyard with all the bones. :taz:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

I have chickens, can confirm. They are very cannibalistic too and will tear into roast chicken carcasses with glee. Their outdoor area looks like a graveyard with all the bones. :taz:

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They can be viscous brother!

Mmmmmm

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...84bf7a649f.jpg


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Originally Posted by Igotsmallballs

They will literally rip a mouse in half fighting over it.

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Yep. They'll also clear out insects and very small snakes in no time. The stable where I board my horse has free-range chickens for tick control.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

BP's need belly heat for digestion. Side mounting is no good, ignore the packaging as it is made for many types of reptiles.

Ambient temps really don't matter that much until they go below 70, so no need for any other heating devices besides the heat mat.

I never ever see my BP out unless I take him out. If I did see him out during the day I would immediately think something was wrong. They don't call them "pet rocks" for nothing.

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I definitely have to politely object to some of the advise in this post. I rarely have ever provided belly heat for a python or boa. I have 4 males currently, 2 seven year olds, 2 five year olds. 2 of them rarely hide, only when in shed, and two I only see when they’re hungry or soiled their hide. I don’t necessary have issue with the 70 degrees. I’m in Chicago but sometimes drops below zero, but I see no need to let it get much colder then 74. Peace ✌️

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Mmmmmm

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...84bf7a649f.jpg


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What? Google is actually WRONG about something? Say it ain't so. :sarcasm:

Though, it is technically right as they love fruits and veggies of various kinds (give a flock a watermelon for example and they will bore through the entire thing, rind included, within 24 hours); but make no mistake, they love the sweet taste of flesh just as much as our scaly noodle friends do.

I worked at a farm to table restaurant a few years back. They had chickens and the chickens loved good scraps. We did lots of functions, often brunch, and the chickens LOVED the scrambled eggs!

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

What? Google is actually WRONG about something? Say it ain't so. :sarcasm:

Though, it is technically right as they love fruits and veggies of various kinds (give a flock a watermelon for example and they will bore through the entire thing, rind included, within 24 hours); but make no mistake, they love the sweet taste of flesh just as much as our scaly noodle friends do.

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The fact that they meat doesn’t mean they SHOULD eat it ..

I seem to recall here in the uk having problems with our home bred beef and it turned out that some unscrupulous manufacturers had started putting in meat products in the cow feed to get better results in growth...


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

The fact that they meat doesn’t mean they SHOULD eat it ..

I seem to recall here in the uk having problems with our home bred beef and it turned out that some unscrupulous manufacturers had started putting in meat products in the cow feed to get better results in growth...


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Mad Cow Disease for 500 please.

Poor OP, this may be the most derailed thread I've seen.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Poor OP, this may be the most derailed thread I've seen.

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Lol! My daughter just walked by and said "why are you reading about chickens?" and I said "it's from your snake thread!"

Don't worry, I've been around the internet a long time!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

The fact that they meat doesn’t mean they SHOULD eat it ..

I seem to recall here in the uk having problems with our home bred beef and it turned out that some unscrupulous manufacturers had started putting in meat products in the cow feed to get better results in growth...


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This thread's already been derailed so hard that it's landed on another continental track altogether (including by me, for which I apologize), but allow me one last rebuttal:

Cows are herbivores so yes putting meat in their feed is a bad idea. Chickens however are optimistic omnivores that eat anything they can get their beaks on, which most certainly includes meat. At any rate, mine only get it as an occasional treat as they do with other type of food (fruits, veggies, greens, grass, bugs, ect.) beyond their staple formulated pellet food.

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

Lol! My daughter just walked by and said "why are you reading about chickens?" and I said "it's from your snake thread!"

Don't worry, I've been around the internet a long time!

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Hahahhahaha, that's hilarious!!!

Thanks for being a good sport! I hope all is going well.

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Originally Posted by Craiga 01453

Hahahhahaha, that's hilarious!!!

Thanks for being a good sport! I hope all is going well.

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She fed him for the first time yesterday and it went well! He seems to like to explore in the evening and we have added clutter and humidity.

Tomorrow we are going to put the new heat mat on the bottom. And add a thermostat to our CHE. Still not sure if we should just the CHE with dimmer with a thermostat or a CHE without dimmer with the thermostat!

And is it okay to re-do the heatmat once it's been 48 hours since he ate?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

Tomorrow we are going to put the new heat mat on the bottom. And add a thermostat to our CHE. Still not sure if we should just the CHE with dimmer with a thermostat or a CHE without dimmer with the thermostat!

And is it okay to re-do the heatmat once it's been 48 hours since he ate?

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48hours after feeding should be plenty. I'm sure you're aware (I apologize if I missed it) but definitely make sure the heat mat is on a thermostat as well. In regards to the CHE, I'd go with CHE on a thermostat and call it a day. No need for it to be on a dimmer as well.

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Originally Posted by Mr. Misha

48hours after feeding should be plenty. I'm sure you're aware (I apologize if I missed it) but definitely make sure the heat mat is on a thermostat as well. In regards to the CHE, I'd go with CHE on a thermostat and call it a day. No need for it to be on a dimmer as well.

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How long should we normally leave him alone after a feeding?

yup, the heat mat is already on a thermostat!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

How long should we normally leave him alone after a feeding?

yup, the heat mat is already on a thermostat!

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48 hours is a good rule. Some do handle after 24, but I like to give my BP more time because I rather not deal with them regurgitating.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

How long should we normally leave him alone after a feeding?

yup, the heat mat is already on a thermostat!

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Minimum 24 hours after eating. I usually wait 36 to be safe but some people wait 48. It's really up to you and your animal but at least 24 hours to prevent stress and regurgitation. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Hi again!

Just a few related questions that have come up with temps and humidity (I wasn't sure whether to continue posting in this thread or make a new one?)

We're still struggling with getting the temperatures right in the tank. We bought a new heat mat and installed it on the bottom of the tank on one side (removed the one from the side of the tank) with the probe from the thermostat between the glass and the heat mat. We also have a CHE that is on a dimmer switch and is also now connected to a thermostat.

Right now we have:

90% humidity, 78 degrees on "cool" side
80% humidity, 83 degrees on "warm" side

What are the ideal numbers we want on each side?

She just sprayed the tank so those humidity numbers are generally lower...he's also going into shed so she said they need to be on the higher side now? Now that we have the UTH the warm side isn't getting as warm as it was?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rosiegirl

Hi again!

Just a few related questions that have come up with temps and humidity (I wasn't sure whether to continue posting in this thread or make a new one?)

We're still struggling with getting the temperatures right in the tank. We bought a new heat mat and installed it on the bottom of the tank on one side (removed the one from the side of the tank) with the probe from the thermostat between the glass and the heat mat. We also have a CHE that is on a dimmer switch and is also now connected to a thermostat.

Right now we have:

90% humidity, 78 degrees on "cool" side
80% humidity, 83 degrees on "warm" side

What are the ideal numbers we want on each side?

She just sprayed the tank so those humidity numbers are generally lower...he's also going into shed so she said they need to be on the higher side now? Now that we have the UTH the warm side isn't getting as warm as it was?

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Ok, you want to aim for 78-80 cool and 88-89 warm. Remember, the heat mat is there solely to provide a hot spot, not for ambient temps. Your CHE is there for ambients. So you'll want to use a temp gun to check the actual surface temp above your heat mat. This should read 88-89. From there you may have to play with the location and temp setting of the CHE to get the gradient.

The humidity is fine for now, since she's in shed. But after the shed you'll want to be in the 60% range. Mine stays in the 50s-60s unless in shed.