How long do you leave a feeder in unattended?

I've done one of all of those options before. Most of my snakes nail the rat in about 5 seconds of putting it in the tub. Some of my snakes take their time and it takes a few hours or all night for them to decide that they want to eat. With those picker eaters, I ALWAYS place three rat food blocks in the corner of the tub of that snake for the rat. So in case the rat gets hungry during the hours or during the night, it has food for to nibble on.

Like said above, a well fed and watered rat, should not feel the need to attack or nibble on a snake. It more then likely will just make a "nest" away from the snake, and hang out there. Or at least that is what I have seen from all of the rats I've fed off or have seen be fed off at PKR.

Having seen what a rat can do if the snake doesn't strike it correctly, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving a live rat in overnight. The 2 snakes that are only eating live right now have superb feeding responses so I dont even have to consider leaving the feeder in. If on the off chance they don't eat, the feeder would go back into the holding tub w/ food and water.

Usually my snakes eat right away. If one is just coming off a fast or being finicky I'll put a live rat in with it and leave for 10-15 minutes. If it is not gone by then, I'll just take away the food item and wait until the next feeding day to offer again.

I watch mine for a bit when I first put it in if they don't take it in 10 minutes or so I put a little rat food in there and give them about an hour if its still not gone I take it out.

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I doen 15 mintues at the most I have had once or twice I was feeding and get a fire call and comehoem get a shower and go to bed and remember in the moring as i am feeding the rodents and foundo ne in the corner of the tub waitingot be removed. but theat only happen once so far.

Some of my snakes won't eat if im hovering above them watching.

I check every 5-15 minutes i'd say, depends on the snake, my pinstripe is very pissy and i know she won't let anything come near her she doesn't want to so i wouldn't worry leaving a rat in there for a half hour or longer. but normally by that time she figured out if shes gonna eat or not, so i take it out b4 hand anyways. but my smaller normal female is a very passive snake and just hides her head if she doesn't want to eat, so I check on her more often because if a rat did try anything i know she wouldn't do crap but run.

but i think your choices are bad for the poll, more like never, 5 minute, 15 minute, half hour anything above that even rebel me would find irresposible.

exception to that would be frozen feeders, which my big carpet python i just throw it in there and its gone in the morning. she doesn't like to eat in front of people for some reason.

I currently feed live, but both my BPs are fantastic eaters. The rat/mouse never last longer than 1 min in the cage.

If I did happen to have a snake that was hesitant about eating with me watching, I would probly just dim the lights and see if that worked. If not, I'd leave and come back every 5-10 mins. These are my pets, and I will not risk the chance of them getting hurt.

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

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I agree, unattented live feedings is just asking for trouble ;)