ball python first feed tips please :)

So today is going to be Sids first fuzzy. He's about 6 months old i think. He seems to of settled in quite well. He is in his hide of a day and actively exploring his enclosure of a night time. I've been told it's best to feed in a separate tub. When I've had him out (this was brief while i was installing a thermostat) he seems very timid. Put him in a clear box but if there was a slight movement towards him he would hide in a ball. So I'm thinking he may not want to feed outside his enclosure. If he doesn't can i leave the mouse on a dish in his viv over night? Or just try again next week? Hopefully the mouse smell will entice him! Any tips or advice would be great thanks

Feed him in the same enclosure. No need to move him to a seperate "feeding" enclosure.

Don't leave any live rodents in with him for longer than a few minutes without checking on them. If he obviously isn't going to eat, remove the rodent.

By the way, a 6 month old ball python should be around 5-600 grams and eating large weaned rats or small rats. A fuzzy isn't going to be much of a meal. Do you have any pics of Sid?

http://www.imgur.com/86MYddK.jpeg

http://www.imgur.com/vux5mpK.jpeg

Maybe he is younger maybe 3 or 4 months I'm not sure. It's what i was given to feed anyway
I forgot to say it's a frozen thawed fuzzy. So shall i just dangle it in front of his hide? See if he takes it?

Dangle it, see if he shows any interest. If not you can leave a thawed fuzzy in there for him. Looks like a healthy young guy, fuzzy should be fine as long as its girth doesnt exceed your babys widest girth

Okay thanks will be trying after work. The fuzzy is smaller than his widest part so hopefully he will take to it.

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

http://www.imgur.com/86MYddK.jpeg

http://www.imgur.com/vux5mpK.jpeg

Maybe he is younger maybe 3 or 4 months I'm not sure. It's what i was given to feed anyway
I forgot to say it's a frozen thawed fuzzy. So shall i just dangle it in front of his hide? See if he takes it?

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Good lookin dude. 3 to 4 months is probably about right. You can try a fuzzy but he is definitely big enough to take an adult mouse.

Just dangle it in front of him with feeding tongs and do the little rat/mouse zombie dance. Some don't need a whole lot of drama, and some seem to need the dance to get them excited. Just depends. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Thanks I will let you know how it goes. I was watching a video the other day that rat zombie dance had me in stitches haha

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Originally Posted by sho220

Feed him in the same enclosure. No need to move him to a seperate "feeding" enclosure.

Don't leave any live rodents in with him for longer than a few minutes without checking on them. If he obviously isn't going to eat, remove the rodent.

By the way, a 6 month old ball python should be around 5-600 grams and eating large weaned rats or small rats. A fuzzy isn't going to be much of a meal. Do you have any pics of Sid?

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500-600 grams for a 6 month old???? What do you feed yours, McDonalds?!

That's what I'm saying seeing some of the weight threads lately.. Mine is 6months and 180 and perfectly healthy..

I know they all grow at diff rates and that breeders don't typically feed the ones they r going to sell the same they feed their holdbacks but dam I would think that 150-300 grams would be avg healthy weight at 6months looking at the babies at the shows and my own

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Originally Posted by BoostedMX3

That's what I'm saying seeing some of the weight threads lately.. Mine is 6months and 180 and perfectly healthy..

I know they all grow at diff rates and that breeders don't typically feed the ones they r going to sell the same they feed their holdbacks but dam I would think that 150-300 grams would be avg healthy weight at 6months looking at the babies at the shows and my own

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My male will be 6 mos. old on the 28th. He should be around 190g by then, according to my calculations. Switching from 7 day feed schedule to 5.

I've been on a 6 day feed schedule since I got her..

But to the op your snake def looks like its ready for a rat pup or adult mouse

Thanks i will pick some up for next feed. I'm going to feed in his viv i think. I think i will get a better response. I've always had better responses feeding my lizards inside viv rather than in a rub. Should i be concerned about him eating aspen though?

Should i feed him both fuzzys today? Then pick up some rat pups? I heard it's best to get them on rats asap

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

Should i feed him both fuzzys today? Then pick up some rat pups? I heard it's best to get them on rats asap

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If he will take them, I would.

btw, to those nay-sayers :P This is my love Henna, a lesser pastel female fed on a 5 day schedule. She hatched July 10th, 2012. She is 7 months old and (just weighed her, empty, feeds tomorrow.) 720g. I switched to a 7 day in Jan.
(she had eaten about 2 days prior to this picture)

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps910e26ce.jpg

Vday pic
http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps78dd1c70.jpg

Lovely snake :) on my way home now so will see if he is hungry

She's a lil fatty haha..

I wasn't knocking the big ones so much as saying they don't need to b that heavy to b healthy that young.. At least not from what I have seen

Kill the prey/ thaw the frozen. Before you go to bed, lay the pray in front of his/her enclosure and go to bed. It will be gone!

You might want to wait until night time. I am dealing with a picky eater, and I've found that many times if I turn out the lights and leave him for an hour or two, then come back, he is 'hunting' in his tub. That's when I'd expect to get the best feeding response.

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Originally Posted by BoostedMX3

She's a lil fatty haha..

I wasn't knocking the big ones so much as saying they don't need to b that heavy to b healthy that young.. At least not from what I have seen

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x2

Just my opinion, but after much q&a with breeders and other members, she's def not a fatty ;) Bp's should be a round body, not pointed towards the top or triangular. personally, if I was looking to buy a snake and it was only 120g at 6 months old, I would pass, and fast. She is a very good grower, but the very lightest I would want / think was healthy, would be a 300g at 6-7 months. I'm not saying your snake is unhealthy, but to me it seems like if it is infact round bodied, it's a very slow grower, which is fine too.

She is most definitely not fat. She's pleasantly plump, and my best grower :P

My mojo,about the same age, is only 450g (he's about 6 months).

Sounds like a good plan. He didn't show an interest right now. He just slithered away under a bush. Shall i just leave it in a bowl or on top of a hide or something

She's "fluffy" haha

Im just stating what I see at the expo it seems all the babies for sale are about the same size..

Did u hatch her yourself? Cuz that would explain some I could see a self hatched holdback being heavier then one your trying to sell and maximize profits

She was purchased from Gulf Coast Reptiles at 1 month old - 89g. :) So I've had her since she was a little worm hehe. They start all their babies on rat fuzzies, so she's been on rats since hatching. Who knows, she's a beast, and a loveball. ^_^

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

Sounds like a good plan. He didn't show an interest right now. He just slithered away under a bush. Shall i just leave it in a bowl or on top of a hide or something

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Leave it in front of the bushes where he's hiding and leave him alone. Check back in 15 min or so maybe?

Females tend to be larger than males, so would that play into growing sizes and weights as youngsters?

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Originally Posted by 33rpm

Females tend to be larger than males, so would that play into growing sizes and weights as youngsters?

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it most definitely could. Males tend to grow leaner, while females tend to get that junk in the trunk. Snakedonkadonk.

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

it most definitely could. Males tend to grow leaner, while females tend to get that junk in the trunk. Snakedonkadonk.

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Bahaha! Mmm, juicy! :hump:

No luck with that mouse. Will try again next week going to leave him undisturbed for a week so he can settle down more. What's the best way to defrost and so the mouse is warm enough for him to recognise it? Mug of hot water seems to be the most popular method? Might try that one

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Originally Posted by 33rpm

500-600 grams for a 6 month old???? What do you feed yours, McDonalds?!

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Just rats. Baby BP's grow very fast and can easily gain 100 grams a month or so for the first year. Growth rate tends to slow down a bit after that.

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Originally Posted by BoostedMX3

She's "fluffy" haha

Im just stating what I see at the expo it seems all the babies for sale are about the same size..

Did u hatch her yourself? Cuz that would explain some I could see a self hatched holdback being heavier then one your trying to sell and maximize profits

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I wouldn't use expo babies as a gauge. A lot of the baby balls I see at shows are woefully underweight and pitiful looking...borderline neglected. Breeders pinching pennies by "maintenance feeding"...i.e. feed just enough to keep it alive until you can sell it...:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by RoseyReps

http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps910e26ce.jpg

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Nice! :gj:

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

No luck with that mouse. Will try again next week going to leave him undisturbed for a week so he can settle down more. What's the best way to defrost and so the mouse is warm enough for him to recognise it? Mug of hot water seems to be the most popular method? Might try that one

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Into a ziplock and into warm/hot water until fully defrosted and warm.

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Originally Posted by NormanSnake

You might want to wait until night time. I am dealing with a picky eater, and I've found that many times if I turn out the lights and leave him for an hour or two, then come back, he is 'hunting' in his tub. That's when I'd expect to get the best feeding response.

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I'm going to try this way next week. I think waking him out of his hide while it was still light put him off. I often see him roaming around 9ish so that sounds like the best approach. Going to let him settle for another week first

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

I'm going to try this way next week. I think waking him out of his hide while it was still light put him off. I often see him roaming around 9ish so that sounds like the best approach. Going to let him settle for another week first

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Just a thought from a fellow new owner. My sons snake which is just over a year (hatch date 2/7/12) is 475gr. Looks healthy to me. We have had him about three weeks. Fed him a live feeder mouse the first time no problem. Last week I bought a small frozen rat about 50 gr. I tried to lift his hide and do the dance and all that to no avail. He would check it out then move on to something else. Ended up leaving the rat in his cage turned out the light and left him alone. Came back an hour later and he was in his hide with the rat half way down. IMO i think some snakes need some privacy. Let it in there overnight and see what happens. No harm in that.
gdlk

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Originally Posted by Seanjackmc

I tried to lift his hide and do the dance and all that to no avail.

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I don't think lifting the hide up is a good idea, you should try and get the scent of the rat/mouse into the cage, with a blow/hairdryer.. and wait for the BP to come out.

I made the mistake of lifting up his hide. I think that alone stressed him enough to go off any food. I'm going to wait till he's actually out of it himself later on in the night next week.

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

I made the mistake of lifting up his hide. I think that alone stressed him enough to go off any food. I'm going to wait till he's actually out of it himself later on in the night next week.

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You should try pre-scenting the room your snake is in, like I said before maybe just blow drying the rat so the scent will get to the snake.
I always blow dry the rat before feeding my BP and he comes out instantly, my BP always feeds never misses a meal when I do this.

Thanks will try that. He's not really had a chance to settle in yet. I've been messing with bulbs and such trying to get his temps right so leaving him alone for a week so he can adjust

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

I don't think lifting the hide up is a good idea, you should try and get the scent of the rat/mouse into the cage, with a blow/hairdryer.. and wait for the BP to come out.

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Much agreed, call it a learning curve. Do you blow dry directly above or in front of the enclosure? It's feed time tonight so ill try that and see if he comes out.

Just watching him now. He keeps poking his head out for a bit then retreats back in his hide. I have a feeling waving a mouse in front of him is going to scare him away. This is with all lights off just watching with a red bulb from the tank.

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Originally Posted by Seanjackmc

Much agreed, call it a learning curve. Do you blow dry directly above or in front of the enclosure? It's feed time tonight so ill try that and see if he comes out.

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You can just blow-dry it from the front of the enclosure, I use a tub so it could be a little different for you (depending on what you have)

Picking up some mice tomorrow to try next week's feed. Do you recommend upping the size from a fuzzy? He does look a bit underweight imo :/

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

Picking up some mice tomorrow to try next week's feed. Do you recommend upping the size from a fuzzy? He does look a bit underweight imo :/

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What does your BP weigh?

I will check tonight. I've read that they should be completely round but then others say slightly triangular. He was the thickest of the two youngsters they had. I'm still trying to get his temps right so I've been faffing with the tank all week which isn't helping his stress levels. It was too hot yesterday I'm still waiting for my thermostat in the post.

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Originally Posted by hovercroft

I will check tonight. I've read that they should be completely round but then others say slightly triangular. He was the thickest of the two youngsters they had. I'm still trying to get his temps right so I've been faffing with the tank all week which isn't helping his stress levels. It was too hot yesterday I'm still waiting for my thermostat in the post.

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In my opinion, you should sort his set-up out.. also if you haven't got a thermostat I would regularly check the temps to see if they are ok.
Once you have sorted everything out I think you should leave it a week let him settle in before you feed him.
Once you weigh him, his weight divided by either 0.10 or 0.15.. (for example: 520*0.10/0.15 = 52/78) and that is the rodents weight size you should be feeding your BP. (this only applies to hatchling and juvenile BPs under 500g)

Hopefully this makes sense I'm a bit rusty with information. :P

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

In my opinion, you should sort his set-up out.. also if you haven't got a thermostat I would regularly check the temps to see if they are ok.
Once you have sorted everything out I think you should leave it a week let him settle in before you feed him.
Once you weigh him, his weight divided by either 0.10 or 0.15.. (for example: 520*0.10/0.15 = 52/78) and that is the rodents weight size you should be feeding your BP.#

Hopefully this makes sense I'm a bit rusty with information. :P

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Just a note on that 10-15% "rule". It only applies to hatchling and juvenile BPs (under ~500g). Most adult ball pythons never need more than one small rat per week (50-80g). Anything more is just a waste of nutrients.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Just a note on that 10-15% "rule". It only applies to hatchling and juvenile BPs (under ~500g). Most adult ball pythons never need more than one small rat per week (50-80g). Anything more is just a waste of nutrients.

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Ar, ok.. Thanks I'm super rusty with my knowledge have been away from this site for a while but I have just updated my previous post, Thanks :)

Thanks. The "full set up" didn't include a thermostat so I'm hoping it arrives today. I've heard about that 10% before. But if he is about 4 months old which is my guess. He should definitely be having something larger than mice fuzzys? Which is what I was given

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Originally Posted by SRMD94

Ar, ok.. Thanks I'm super rusty with my knowledge have been away from this site for a while but I have just updated my previous post, Thanks :)

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No problem. Folks get used to giving advice on hatchlings and don't always think about what a gargantuan rat that would mean for a 3000g adult female! :O

Yes - He should most likely be eating larger than fuzzies. I start brand new hatchlings on RAT fuzzies, which are much larger. Just weigh him and that will allow you to determine what he should be eating. There are rodent size/age charts on www.rodentpro.com and www.micedirect.com, as well as other sites.

Much appreciated. I shall hopefully sort the setup out this evening then will leave him for a week to settle and offer him the correct size food and hope for the best. Thanks!