Where do you feed your BCI?

So do you feed your bci's in their tank? Or seperate enclosure? How are they in your opinion with cage aggression. I can see both sides of this. Trying to avoid aggression, but who would want to move a full grown one when they are either hungry, or just ate.

I feed all of mine in their enclosures. They only get aggressive when they smell rat and go into feed mode. And there is no way I'm going to try and move any of my larger ones at that point. That's just asking for a bite...

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I feed all mine in tubs. Only one has bit and that was the one that I got from someone who didn't properly care for him. He was almost 2 yrs and still eating fuzzies and rat pups.

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I feed my girl in her tank because when I come home with food, it's like she knows. Lol. She won't let me close enough to take her out. However, she greets me the same way (albeit a little less aggressively) every time I go near the tank. I'm still trying to figure out if it's aggressive or if she's just inquisitive. Either way, I'm hook training her. When it's feeding day, I don't go near the tank except when it's feeding time and I open it with a rat on the tongs. I have no interest in trying to move her when she's an adult so I'm starting her young with the training. She has been like this since the day I got her, so I know it had something to do with how she was raised. My Dumeril lets me pick her up on feeding day as if it were any other day. But I've had her longer and she was younger when I got her as well. I will be hook training her as well though. It's a matter of preference. Adult boas are much bigger than BPs and their feeding response is much more pronounced. No need to risk a bite from an adult boa by moving them on feeding day IMO. Come to think of it, I can't think of anywhere large enough to move them to. :P

Sorry if this doesn't make much sense. I'm typing on my phone and falling asleep. :P

Yeah, I didn't think moving them about would be much fun. I know it doesn't matter if we feed our bps in their tubs, but wasn't sure what the standard was with the bci. What exactly do you do when you "hook" train them?

Always in the enclosure. I can't imagine dragging out my 5 foot girl while there's rodent scent around... :O It's just much safer, easier, and less stressful in cage. It really would be a nightmare to try and move around bigger boas when they're in feeding mode.

I don't hook train myself, because Eve is very docile. She always acts like she's going to strike when I reach in to handle her or clean, but as soon as I actually touch her, she calms down completely.

I feed in the cage. I don't want to get nailed by a 7 footer in food mode.

I feed in cage. IMO, most cage aggression is due to poor socialization or husbandry. Sometimes the animal is just an ahole and there's nothing you can do about it.

I'm with everyone on this one. There's no way I'm handling any of my boas when they're in "feed me" mode, that's just asking to get bit. My Colombian strikes at anything that moves when he smells food.

Like I said before, only one has bit and I still think its my husbands fault. Mine don't go into 'feed' mode until they are in their tubs. I can stick my hands in their tanks at any time even if they haven't ate for whatever reason in a few weeks, they will not bite me. I have had 1 bite. Ruby, my red tail, my children could get that snake out (with my supervision) and she is 4. Regardless, I also feed live/stunned rats. It's easier to intervene if something bad happens.

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I feed in the enclosures it's pointless and not smart to try and move a boa around when it's feeding time, "cage aggression" is bs and is actually a great feeding response that most people misinterpret. When you move them in and out of tubs you risk getting bit and regurges so it's just stupid and a waste, don't feed in tubs! I hook train all my snakes, I just rub a coil with the rounded part(back side) of the hook then reach in and grab them out with my hands.

^^^That. Now that I'm more awake, I'd like to add that I'm convinced my BCI is just inquisitive as all get out with an amazing feeding response. When I open the cage she's very interested, but as soon as I touch her softly with the hook, she just lays down and waits to be picked up. She's a total sweetheart as soon as she realizes there's no food in the encounter for her. :P

You also run the risk of impaction if you feed in cage. If you use forest bark, aspen, or pretty much anything other than newspaper or papertowels. Another reason out of cage. Id rather take the risk than pay a hefty vet bill.

I don't bring in rats until after all snakes are in tubs. Rats stay outside in a separate tub, I wash my hands and use sanatizer then put all snakes in tubs. Only after that I bring in rats. Once they smell them come in, then they go into feeding mode. After they eat, I let them sit for a bit then will get them out and put them straight into cages.

Cage aggression is not bs. There are some who are aggressive. Yes they may have a great feeding response but are still cage aggressive.

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I do use Aspen, but when I introduce the prey item, after the snake grabs it, I lay down paper towels over the bedding so that she doesn't swallow any. I did see an instance of her getting a mouth full of bedding once, which is why I started laying down the paper towels.

I feed my Hog Island boa right in her tank. I have her on aspen and I put a piece of paper towel so she doesn't ingest too much substrate.

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I just wanted to point that out to the new snake owner who may read this forum (whoever that may be) that you do have to lay something down. I think tank/tub feeding is a personal choice. Just be careful bc of possible health implications.

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So basically this is highly debatable, just like when its asked about a bp. And probably boils down to personal preference.

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Originally Posted by DrDooLittle

So basically this is highly debatable, just like when its asked about a bp. And probably boils down to personal preference.

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Yeah except boas are not PITA eaters like balls!

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Originally Posted by Rob

Yeah except boas are not PITA eaters like balls!

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Yeah, my guy ate an Asf pink for me. I was expecting a little more "shazam", but he went up, sniffed it, then opened his mouth and bit onto it, then coiled up on it. All real casual like. Maybe its because he is baby lol, but my balls hit harder than that. They hit so fast its all a blur.

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

I feed all of mine in their enclosures. They only get aggressive when they smell rat and go into feed mode. And there is no way I'm going to try and move any of my larger ones at that point. That's just asking for a bite...

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Originally Posted by rebelrachel13

Always in the enclosure. I can't imagine dragging out my 5 foot girl while there's rodent scent around... :O It's just much safer, easier, and less stressful in cage. It really would be a nightmare to try and move around bigger boas when they're in feeding mode.

I don't hook train myself, because Eve is very docile. She always acts like she's going to strike when I reach in to handle her or clean, but as soon as I actually touch her, she calms down completely.

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I do the same - feed in the enclosures. My boas have strong feed responses and my Argentine is positively insane when it comes to food. :O But even so, he is a total lamb if I just touch him (I do not hook train) along his back for a moment then scoop him up. He knows then that I'm not offering food and he can just relax.

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

I feed in cage. IMO, most cage aggression is due to poor socialization or husbandry. Sometimes the animal is just an ahole and there's nothing you can do about it.

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Some times there is the oddball that is aggressive no matter what you do, but I agree that 90% of aggression is due to poor socialization or poor husbandry. And I also don't think it's a reason to not feed in the enclosure.

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Originally Posted by tjohnson722

I just wanted to point that out to the new snake owner who may read this forum (whoever that may be) that you do have to lay something down. I think tank/tub feeding is a personal choice. Just be careful bc of possible health implications.

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Depends on the substrate you're using and what you use to "lay" on top of it. I use www.cageliners.net and obviously don't need to put anything else down at feeding time, but I do sometimes use aspen because my boas love to burrow. But I've NEVER had a problem with any of them swallowing it. I know there are risks, but there are risks involved with EVERY way you try to keep and feed these animals. You can't protect from every thing. Lay a piece of paper towel on top of the aspen and your snake is apt to swallow that which is a MAJOR problem - much more so than if it swallows a couple pieces of aspen. They swallow dirt and leaves and who knows what else in the wild.....

There's no right or wrong anwer to that debate and its been debated for as long as snakes have been kept in captivity. I don't intend to start any further debate or argument - just pointing out a few additional things..... ;)

People freak out over a little substrate going down all the time. But think about it, out in the wild they swallow all kinds of crap off the ground along with the prey item and do just fine. We just tend to over analyze everything with our pets because we care about them so much. But sometimes you gotta sit back and use common sense.

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Originally Posted by Rob

People freak out over a little substrate going down all the time. But think about it, out in the wild they swallow all kinds of crap off the ground along with the prey item and do just fine. We just tend to over analyze everything with our pets because we care about them so much. But sometimes you gotta sit back and use common sense.

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I'm with you on that. They break down bones for crying out loud.

I know I'm chiming in a bit late here, but imo it is of the utmost importance to establish a feeding routine early on. While moving a baby for feedings is not a concern, moving a hungry adult it's ridiculous. When feeding my female, I won't get my hands near the cage (I open the cage using a clothes hanger). As soon as she senses the door opening she pops out like a 5-foot spring. If I don't have a rat to occupy her immediately I'm in trouble, and even then she tends to overshoot... Us ball python owners know that an aggressive feeding response is a GOOD thing, but it also means that more care needs to go into feeding routines and hook training.

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Originally Posted by boadaddy

I feed in the enclosures it's pointless and not smart to try and move a boa around when it's feeding time, "cage aggression" is bs and is actually a great feeding response that most people misinterpret. When you move them in and out of tubs you risk getting bit and regurges so it's just stupid and a waste, don't feed in tubs! I hook train all my snakes, I just rub a coil with the rounded part(back side) of the hook then reach in and grab them out with my hands.

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This exactly. Hook training really works, especially if you start them young.

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Originally Posted by Rob

People freak out over a little substrate going down all the time. But think about it, out in the wild they swallow all kinds of crap off the ground along with the prey item and do just fine. We just tend to over analyze everything with our pets because we care about them so much. But sometimes you gotta sit back and use common sense.

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I totally agree - it's exactly what I said..... ;)