When do you remove your snake from the seperate feeding container?

I am considering moving my snake into a seperate feeding spot because I have too much decor in her cage and it gets a little hard to make room to feed. When would I REMOVE the snake from the SEPERATE CONTAINER? Should this be done while she is constricting the mouse? After she swallows it? When??

I recommend to keep feeding her in the enclosure, keeping them in a separate enclosure will stress them out. Some don't take it well and will refuse. Others will take it no problem, but do get some stress out of it.

When I wasn't too educated about that I would just put the feeding tub into the snake's enclosure and tilt it so it slithers into its hide since the snakes were still in a feeding response no matter what LOL:P

Do you feed live or frozen/thawed?

For feeding outside the enclosure, find a tub or box big enough for the snake to move a little, but something with high walls helps. Putting paper towels down helps with cleaning. Put the mouse in first, and then the snake. Wait 'till the snake has eaten and realigned his or her jaw, and carefully move her back into her tank. Generally, putting the mouse in first (unless you do f/t, in which case dancing it around on tongs will help, so snake first, then mouse) lessens the chances of getting bit, which will most likely happen at some point if you feed outside the enclosure.

Really, though, it's unnecessary, and they can manage pretty well even with all the clutter :)

It's been a long time since I fed outside of the enclosure, but when I did, I just waited for the snake to finish eating and start moving around the feed tub, then gently lift them out and put them back in the enclosure, making sure to support as much of their body as possible...

Well sometimes she bites when I dangle the thing in front of her but she doesnnt always kill and constrict it. I'm starting to notice that if I wait a full week to feed she will kill and eat as soon as I dangle it; if I feed twice a week or so, she is usually more reluctant with the second or third one.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EvesFriend

Well sometimes she bites when I dangle the thing in front of her but she doesnnt always kill and constrict it. I'm starting to notice that if I wait a full week to feed she will kill and eat as soon as I dangle it; if I feed twice a week or so, she is usually more reluctant with the second or third one.

---

Then just feed once a week :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kaorte

Then just feed once a week :)

---

That's what I'm going to start doing but I can't lie, I find it very amusing watching her eat. It's obvious I am a new, first time snake owner but let me enjoy it. :)

I actually just got my ball python last week and had the same question.

The individual whom I adopted it from would wait until the mouse was mid length down the stomach and then remove him from the separate feeding space.

I remember reading from some places that one should leave their BP alone for a day or two to leave them in peace to help them digest, but I can't see this happening with a separate feeding enclosure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Flowerbridge

I actually just got my ball python last week and had the same question.

The individual whom I adopted it from would wait until the mouse was mid length down the stomach and then remove him from the separate feeding space.

I remember reading from some places that one should leave their BP alone for a day or two to leave them in peace to help them digest, but I can't see this happening with a separate feeding enclosure.

---

Move them back to their cage quickly, and then leave them alone for at least a day or two. ;)

I wait until the snake has finished swallowing and the bulge is no longer obviously moving down the neck. Once the snake starts moving around and looking for either another mouse or a way out, it's pretty safe to pick them up.

Maybe I'm missing something but how can you have to much decor for the snake to feed. Just toss the carcass in and come back a few hours later. It will be gone. As long as the snake can get to wherever the body lies you should be good to go. Unless your snake just doesn't want to eat. In that case drag it around with the tongs for a minute or so and see if it catches her eye.

I have around 50 ball pythons and I feed in the same tub as they are house. I have a few that when I slide the tub forward from the rack, they come out about 18 inches mouth wide open head going side to side. I wish all my females had this feeding response. The few that does this, I just hook and grab with the other hand.My female that does it the worse, handles the best out of all my snakes. once they know it's not feeding time they are fine.

If you want to feed in a different tub, give the snake a little time after it swallows. this allows the food to reach the stomach and less chance of a regurg.

I feed outside because of the substrate. If they were on newspaper or something like that, then I'd just feed in the tank.

I do frozen/thawed and I'll tell you what, they know when it's feeding time when I move them into the feeding tub. Eve will rest her head on the side and when she gets a glimpse of the rat she'll start inching up waiting for me to present it to her.

When they start cruising the feeding tub I move them back. I find it easier to tell when I'm not feeding them enough either. When I go to get them out of the tub, they will sometimes get really curious about my hand. Walle has been doing that every feeding so this past feeding I gave him two mice. He took both just fine and when I got him out he was ignoring my hands.

I do know that this could all be in my head, too.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bsd13

Maybe I'm missing something but how can you have to much decor for the snake to feed. Just toss the carcass in and come back a few hours later. It will be gone. As long as the snake can get to wherever the body lies you should be good to go. Unless your snake just doesn't want to eat. In that case drag it around with the tongs for a minute or so and see if it catches her eye.

---

I feed live and have heard it isn't wise to leave it in there unattended.

I feed outside of the tub. I don't believe in feeding inside the enclosure even though there is plenty of room and there are no substrate problems.

I move the snake by hand into the feeding tub (no other contact on feeding day). I twirl the mouse around for a bit to get him dizzy and drop him in.

Wait until the snake is done pushing the mouse through it's stomach before moving it.

I don't pick my snake back up. I grab the whole feeding tub and gently place him back in.

No contact for another 24 hours after that. Simple.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EvesFriend

I feed live and have heard it isn't wise to leave it in there unattended.

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bsd13

carcass

---

^^^^^



do not compute

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by EvesFriend

That's what I'm going to start doing but I can't lie, I find it very amusing watching her eat. It's obvious I am a new, first time snake owner but let me enjoy it. :)

---

Enjoy it, but not at the expense of the snakes specific eating routine. Over feeding could hurt the snake. Keep in mind, they can go over a year without food. They dont need to eat 3 meals a day like we do :D