Switching to rats

I just recently switch to feeding my python med rats. Should I still feed him every week or go to every two weeks?

Age, size? I personally am sticking to weekly, if they're hungry they'll eat, if they're not they won't :)


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When I first switched, I still offered every week but she usually only ate about every 10 days. I got a little rodent cage and just kept the rat if she didn't eat it and then offered it again three days later and she'd usually eat it then. After awhile, she started taking it every week. I don't remember exactly when I switched to rats, maybe 8 months ago? But at this point she takes them immediately every week just like she did when she was on mice.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Age, size? I personally am sticking to weekly, if they're hungry they'll eat, if they're not they won't :)


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14 months about 450 grams

At 450g, a medium rat seems way too large. That could just be a difference in naming, though. How much do those rats weigh? (approximate).

450g is still fairly small and growing. I wouldn't cut back to biweekly by any stretch.

Appropriate sized meal once a week.

I have my 542g on large weanlings for comparison. They weighed in at 67g

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Originally Posted by 200xth

At 450g, a medium rat seems way too large. That could just be a difference in naming, though. How much do those rats weigh? (approximate).

450g is still fairly small and growing. I wouldn't cut back to biweekly by any stretch.

Appropriate sized meal once a week.

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He ate it just fine and I'm not sure what the weight of the rat is

Most adults get a small to medium rat, maybe it is different wording?

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Most adults get a small to medium rat, maybe it is different wording?

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Probably. That's why I like weights. Names are ambiguous (small, med, weaned), but weights are universal.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Most adults get a small to medium rat, maybe it is different wording?

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what do you mean

Welll his body did look little inflame now that I thought about it

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Originally Posted by southbay54

what do you mean

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Most adult ball pythons get fed small to med rats. They are way to big for a snake of your size.
I'm thinking your description of a med rat may be different

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Originally Posted by southbay54

Welll his body did look little inflame now that I thought about it

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Be aware of a possible regurgitation

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http://i42.tinypic.com/zu5bac.jpg give or take

That is a hell of a lot bigger than what I feed my 542g and he is fed 10-15% of his body weight. I have just fed my last two otherwise I would have uploaded a photograph.

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Be aware of a possible regurgitation

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just check no regurgitation yet

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

That is a hell of a lot bigger than what I feed my 542g and he is fed 10-15% of his body weight. I have just fed my last two otherwise I would have uploaded a photograph.

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thought you fed by the thickest part of their body

Either or, he was 618g full and 542g empty. A lot of people also use the 10-15% of the body weight test sometimes a little more (20% ish for example) if he is eating it and no sign or regurge though maybe he should be on that size prey(?) I honestly have no idea! You can go by either measurement as far as I have read/been told

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

Either or, he was 618g full and 542g empty. A lot of people also use the 10-15% of the body weight test sometimes a little more (20% ish for example) if he is eating it and no sign or regurge though maybe he should be on that size prey(?) I honestly have no idea! You can go by either measurement as far as I have read/been told

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thanks

Can you post a picture of him, I can't imagine he's that wide
My girl is about 415 not far from yours and there's no way that she is that wide.
And I do feed by body size not the 10-15%
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Originally Posted by southbay54

http://i42.tinypic.com/zu5bac.jpg give or take

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That looks like something I'd be feeding one of my 1800g females.

http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html this website states medium rats at 80g - 149g (which is a rough estimate) It is recommended that a BP at around 450g would have prey at 45g-66g ish which would be a large weanling/small rat depending on where you buy from. As I said my boy is on a large weanling. I think you might benefit from getting your F/T or live (whatever you feed) on some scales to let us know their weight and perhaps get your BP's dot on weight too?

yesterdayhttp://i44.tinypic.com/2qs2cxx.jpg i goof up i guess

If anything else he is a gorgeous BP :)

I wouldn't stress yourself over it too badly. I fed my 600ish gram ball a 120 gram rat. She took it down like a champ. She's kind of short and fat though. If your ball took it down without issue and it wasn't much thicker than his girth, you're fine. If you're really concerned, you could definitely bump down in feeder size.

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Originally Posted by MootWorm

I wouldn't stress yourself over it too badly. I fed my 600ish gram ball a 120 gram rat. She took it down like a champ. She's kind of short and fat though. If your ball took it down without issue and it wasn't much thicker than his girth, you're fine. If you're really concerned, you could definitely bump down in feeder size.

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thanks