Breeder Female Prey Size

I have 2 girls that I am getting ready for the season starting November 1st (so excited). Now they are about 1700 grams and both over 2 yrs old. Ones been proven and the other is a virgin. Now I normally feed 150ish gram rats to these girls. Last sat (feeding day) they both took down 200 gram rats just fine. But now what I am wondering is, weight is always good to add to a female about to get into the season but what is the proper diet for these girls? Should I keep it at 10% or less (medium rats instead 120 grams) or bump it up higher to the 200 gram rats?
I know I have my males on a diet of small rats so they don't get fat and lazy and won't breed. Cuz I don't want that, want my guys lean and mean. All males in the collection are 700-850 grams and already a year or coming close.

It's really up to you, but I feed my bigger breeder girls one small rat every week. ~70 grams.

I noticed when I fed my girl larger prey, she went off feed a lot. Now that she is on smaller prey every week, she downs them all the time. I also give her my "leftovers".

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Originally Posted by Sarin

It's really up to you, but I feed my bigger breeder girls one small rat every week. ~70 grams.

I noticed when I fed my girl larger prey, she went off feed a lot. Now that she is on smaller prey every week, she downs them all the time. I also give her my "leftovers".

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Off feed during the breeding season or off feed in the off season. If it's the off season these 2 girls are absolute animals and normally never refuse meals.

I also don't want my girls laying slugs or getting over weight as well as wanting to add some weight to help them out when they lose all that weight after they lay.

Medium rats.

All depends on the female. I have some still on smalls, that don't want anything to do with mediums until about 2300 grams, and others who'll take mediums at 1200 grams.

Try mediums, if they take them, stick with those.:)

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Originally Posted by A.VinczeBPs

All depends on the female. I have some still on smalls, that don't want anything to do with mediums until about 2300 grams, and others who'll take mediums at 1200 grams.

Try mediums, if they take them, stick with those.:)

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I mean they will take down large rats not an issue, these girls are GREAT eaters.
It's not if they can it's what's healthier for them to put on weight but not get fatty so they don't throw slugs.

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

Medium rats.

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I normally stay on the large side of "medium" so then I'm good at 150-175 gram rats

Stay with mediums then, if you feed them large I'd think they'd gain weight too fast, and not good weight, just fat.

I don't think you should ever need large rats for ball pythons, mediums should easily cover a breeder female for a very long time.:)

I keep my biggest girls on smalls mostly with the occasional medium.
Under 2000 gram girls get 75 gram rats at most or a few large weanlings if that is all the I have at the moment.
My biggest girls will easily take down and eat large rats but it almost always slows them down or stops them from eating for a few weeks to digest.

Is there any reason to keep them on such small prey?
I just weighed my girl after she emptied herself out (#1&2) and she was 1689 so pretty much 1700. Is there any reason in particular that ppl stop the 10% rule?

Great thread... I've also been wondering what is "best" to feed the big girls.

I feed smaller preys weekly about 85/100 grams even to my 3000 grams girls.

Now that's the feeding throughout most of the year when breeding season approaches I do some heavy feeding I feed the same size but every 5 days starting in September up until they go off feed, ovulate, or march (which ever come first)

I agree with those saying it depends on the size of the female. I have two normal girls that both exceed 3300 grams, and both of those girls are on large rats. My smaller breeder girls are on mediums rats year round. If your girl is 1700 grams, I'd stick to the mediums. If you don't cool your snakes (I don't, and they breed and subsequently lay eggs in the spring), you shouldn't have to worry about them getting fat and slugging out. If you do cool your tank(s), stick to a smaller meal.

I had the same question and most breeders I talked to advised to feed small rats (70-100g) every 7 days. Even my 3500g girl gets one small rat a week and that is what her previous owner fed her. She, along with all my other girls, are satisfied and eat every week. I think the 10% rule only applies to babies/juveniles.

So keep them at 80-100 gram rats until they go off feed , if they do at all. Got it.
Is there a reason for this? Been proven that larger prey causes fat lazy snakes or slug throwing?