why does everyone hate on out of cage feeding?

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Originally Posted by EL-Ziggy

The other day I threw the food in, she missed it but lunges halfway out the enclosure as I'm closing the door. The rat was behind her but I still had to use a hook, which she bites anyway, to stuff her back in her cage.

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Been there done that.

The other day my Dum was in a bad spot so instead of giving the rat with tongs I decided to toss it in the cage. He caught it mid air. It was really something to see. He is also good for a show because he will hit the glass with his mouth wide open and try to get you for several seconds. It looks like something from a movie. Maybe a killer zombie snake movie. Non fed days though he is great. Some certainly have a larger switch than others.

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Originally Posted by KMG

Been there done that.

The other day my Dum was in a bad spot so instead of giving the rat with tongs I decided to toss it in the cage. He caught it mid air. It was really something to see. He is also good for a show because he will hit the glass with his mouth wide open and try to get you for several seconds. It looks like something from a movie. Maybe a killer zombie snake movie. Non fed days though he is great. Some certainly have a larger switch than others.

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:rofl: Video! We'd love video! :rofl: I've had snakes do that too, incidentally- hit the glass with mouth wide open & keep trying to come thru it for the prey....even my little Aussie python does that sometimes, silly sneks! But your Dum gets bonus points for a mid-air catch! :gj:

I guess I’m the only one with a snake that should eat outside the enclosure…she really has no issues with it and it has worked great for the past 2 years (she is also a ball python so it is not that hard to carefully place her plastic tub in her enclosure and let her carefully slither back herself). With different snakes it’s definitely different. :)


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Originally Posted by Claire&snek

I guess I’m the only one with a snake that should eat outside the enclosure…she really has no issues with it and it has worked great for the past 2 years (she is also a ball python so it is not that hard to carefully place her plastic tub in her enclosure and let her carefully slither back herself). With different snakes it’s definitely different. :)


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Should? I would disagree. It is not necessary....even with loose substrate.

I feed on a mixture or cypress mulch and reptibark. Sure sometimes they take some in but it is no different than them being in the wild. Snakes are not as delicate as some seem to believe they are.

I would suggest trying a mixture or cypress mulch and the Eco Earth. This will reduce the dusting of the food when it is wet by the Eco. I used to use cypress mulch(Forest Floor), Eco, and Reptibark and still do at times but got kinda tired of the dusty nature of the Eco once it dries out. I use the mixture because I prefer the look as it looks more natural to me.

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Originally Posted by Claire&snek

I guess I’m the only one with a snake that should eat outside the enclosure…

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I disagree with this too, but you have to live with the results of your choices, we don't. We can only suggest the best methods, based on our many years (decades actually) of experience. The rest is up to you.

Ok, thank you! Definitely listen to them because they know more than me…I can only tell you my experiences…I believe constructive criticism is a blessing and should not be ignored so thank you!


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I don’t get why people use the loose substrate argument, in the wild what do they do go ahh bit a dirt there I better not………


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Originally Posted by DatBoiAJ_

I feed my bp out of her cage and it's always worked fine for me. I get that it can stress them and all, or identify you as food time, but it works better than you think. If you just take them out and put them in the tub with the food ready, there's no hassle. And you don't have to worry about substrate sticking to their "Spit" on the prey as the snake was grabbing on to it. It's an issue with a bioactive enclosure with the moss and the dirt stuff. It happened to me once and i had to pull moss and dirt/small sticks out of my snakes mouth. She'd been trying to get it out for like 10 mins and it was difficult to pull moss out of a snakes mouth lol.

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I also see this though


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Originally Posted by Claire&snek

I also see this though


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I guess it is up for interpretation. They say it is no hassle but in my opinion needing to move a snake is a hassle.

Let us look at the steps involved.

The way I do it.

1. Come in the snake room with a tub full of hot rats.
2. Select rat for snake to be fed.
3. Give rat to snake.
4. Move to next snake.



Feeding outside.

1. Come in the snake room with a tub full of hot rats.
2. Decide which snake is going to be fed first.
3. Select a container that can hold that snake while eating.
4. Open that snake's cage and remove it.
5. Place the snake in the container.
6. Give rat and wait of them to eat it.
7. Move the snake from that container back to it's house.
8. Move to next snake.

Even if I used several containers to feed in it would take me a long time to feed everyone. Plus it is hard enough to get some of my snakes to go into a container while I am cleaning without having the smell of food in the air or on me. That would make for a real nightmare with some of them. To me that is a hassle when I gain nothing from doing it.

Let me ask this. If feeding in their cage works great for GTP, ETB, Bloods, Dums, and so on why would I need to do something different for a Ball? Do they eat differently? What makes them special to need such accommodations?

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Originally Posted by Claire&snek

I also see this though


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It's not terribly hard to put a plastic or cardboard box top over the main area of substrate where you're going to offer & feed your snake. You can even use a real plate, or a shallow tub that fits inside the main tank/enclosure- your choice. Your hungry snake will follow that prey into or over that "plate" to grab & eat. This is far better than picking up the snake, which has been known to kill their entire appetite for the day.

And you should be using feeding tongs too- they come in handy now & then to pull a bit of substrate out of a snake's mouth if you see they've still managed to pick some up while eating. Very easy.