Feeder Size?

I've read that the feeder should be the same size in girth as the snakes girth at the widest point?

The owner of the store where I got Mya advised to feed her rat pups. Although they seem a reasonable size to pass through her mouth and neck, they are definitely smaller than she is at her widest point. Does this mean they are too small?

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I've read that the feeder should be the same size in girth as the snakes girth at the widest point?

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Yes until a certain point once they are fully grown and their metabolism has slowed down you want to feed small to medium rats and nothing larger.

I'd experiment with it. If you think rat pups are too small then feed her a small mouse and see how she handles it. If you underfeed her a bit, she'll be just fine.

Even though I want to breed someday, I'm not in a hurry. So having my animals grow as fast as possible isn't really important to me. It all depends on your priorities I guess. That's my two cents.

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You could always feed two smaller rat pups if you feel that one is too small. I do it when the feeders around me are too small just feed one once it's swallowed wait about 5 minutes and then throw the other one in. Never leave then both in at the same time and if the second one isn't gone in 20 minutes just take it out and wait til next feeding

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Originally Posted by BumbleB

You could always feed two smaller rat pups if you feel that one is too small. I do it when the feeders around me are too small just feed one once it's swallowed wait about 5 minutes and then throw the other one in. Never leave then both in at the same time and if the second one isn't gone in 20 minutes just take it out and wait til next feeding

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I think I'll do that for now as I got 6 rat pups when I went to get her this morning. See how she goes with that. Next time I buy feeders I'll have a look at the mice/rat weaners.

feed your snake what you think is the correct size rodent. after the snake has the rodent all the way down. you should be able to see a slight bulge. if you don't, up the size a little next feeding. keep it simple.

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Originally Posted by Kat1204

I think I'll do that for now as I got 6 rat pups when I went to get her this morning. See how she goes with that. Next time I buy feeders I'll have a look at the mice/rat weaners.

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It works for me and from what ive read theres nothing wrong with it besides having to pay for twice the feeders. Every place around me its like they have small rat pups or small rats that are way too big for me. Hopefully I can switch to frozen soon and stock up on weaned rats

Just been to the reptile shop and the owner says weaners are too big for her!

Asked about fuzzys n he said they are smaller than pups!!!! No they aren't!

He showed me couple of weaners and I said well that small one should be fine as its the same girth as Mya.

He said girth is only half of it. It would be too long! It would either put her off feeding or if she did eat it she'd probs regurgitate it!

Best thing to do is offer a couple of pups at each feed. That will stretch her stomach then in a months time she should be ready to move up.

I personally always stretch what they "can" take. I could be feeding large weaned rats to my lesser, but I feed smaller sized smalls on a regular schedule to put some weight on her.

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Might go between the 2 and try fluffs?

When she had the pup beside her it was deffo thinner than her by quite a way. And only weighed 7g.

Store owner obviously not going to help so think I'll have a look online.

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Originally Posted by Kat1204

Just been to the reptile shop and the owner says weaners are too big for her!

Asked about fuzzys n he said they are smaller than pups!!!! No they aren't!

He showed me couple of weaners and I said well that small one should be fine as its the same girth as Mya.

He said girth is only half of it. It would be too long! It would either put her off feeding or if she did eat it she'd probs regurgitate it!

Best thing to do is offer a couple of pups at each feed. That will stretch her stomach then in a months time she should be ready to move up.

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Fuzzies are smaller than pups.

If it's a rodent and it fits in her widest part, she will be fine....no need to work on stretching exercises for her stomach.

When I looked at the sizes on the net it goes:

pup, fuzzy/fluff, small weaner, large weaner, small rat, medium rat, large rat, XL rat.

Can you have a look at pic n vid n see what you think please?

This is a pup.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-34.jpg

Here is vid

http://youtu.be/xCSgGrsF4_E

Thinking of trying fluffs then if she manages those ok can move up to small weaner? Rather than jumping 2 sizes straight away?

Looks to me like she is eating a little snack! I bet you would be amazed at the size they can take down. Also...I've found 100x better advice on here than any "pet shop" person.

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Originally Posted by Kat1204

When I looked at the sizes on the net it goes:

pup, fuzzy/fluff, small weaner, large weaner, small rat, medium rat, large rat, XL rat.

Can you have a look at pic n vid n see what you think please?

This is a pup.



Here is vid

http://youtu.be/xCSgGrsF4_E

Thinking of trying fluffs then if she manages those ok can move up to small weaner? Rather than jumping 2 sizes straight away?

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Ahh. This is why I like numbers better. Terminology varies from place to place, but 25g is 25g everywhere.

If you're not sure of your ability to eyeball food yet, you can weigh it. Weigh your snake (in grams), and weigh the food. If your snake is relatively young, a general guideline is 10% to 15% of bodyweight. Although that is by no means a hard and fast rule, it is a very good guideline to start with. Once you weigh your food a few times and get some experience with the numbers backing you up, you'll get more confident in your ability to eyeball the food.

If you want, post both weights here and someone will let you know if you are way too big or way too small.

P.S. The food in that pic is too small. She can definitely move up in size. Don't be fooled by the head and neck...if it fits in the middle of their body and it's rodent shaped, it will fit down the mouth and neck.

I know it would help if I knew her weight but I want to let her settle in first and have a couple of successful feeds before I start handling her.

I will weigh her when I next handle her then I'll have a better idea.

Going to see how she does moving up 1 size for now. If she manages fluff ok I'll look at another move up to small weaners.

Thanks everyone !

Keep it simple!

Snakes absolutely can handle some pretty big meals. If its too big, they wont eat it. If a meal is a little small, they'll just be hungry again sooner. If its a little big, it'll take longer for them to digest. As long as your conditions in the cage are properly supportive its not a big deal. We as a group tend to obsess about every detail with these animals, when the reality is they do just fine in the wild where they dont get to pick between a fuzzy or a pup, or how frequently they feed.

Again, keep it simple!

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Originally Posted by 200xth

Ahh. This is why I like numbers better. Terminology varies from place to place, but 25g is 25g everywhere.

If you're not sure of your ability to eyeball food yet, you can weigh it. Weigh your snake (in grams), and weigh the food. If your snake is relatively young, a general guideline is 10% to 15% of bodyweight. Although that is by no means a hard and fast rule, it is a very good guideline to start with. Once you weigh your food a few times and get some experience with the numbers backing you up, you'll get more confident in your ability to eyeball the food.

If you want, post both weights here and someone will let you know if you are way too big or way too small.

P.S. The food in that pic is too small. She can definitely move up in size. Don't be fooled by the head and neck...if it fits in the middle of their body and it's rodent shaped, it will fit down the mouth and neck.

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Who goes to pet shops and says "oh, let me break my scale out and weigh it first".

Seriously?

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That's what a lot of people call a rat pink or pinkie. What I would call a pup is what you're calling a "small weaner," which is what I've been feeding my BP. The stage between a fuzzy and a weaned rat--it has fur, is about three inches long and weighs 20-30 grams (depending on where you order from). But some people do call a day-old rat a pup.

So... like 200xth said, numbers are better than these confusing names :rolleyes: since everyone uses their own terms.

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

Who goes to pet shops and says "oh, let me break my scale out and weigh it first".

Seriously?

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Buy what you think is right, weigh it when you get home.

Any other simplistic issues you're having problems with, please start your own thread.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

Buy what you think is right, weigh it when you get home.

Any other simplistic issues you're having problems with, please start your own thread.

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But then what if it's too big or small? Lol, if you want to be defensive about a pointless idea by all means do so.

Buying your feeders from someone who knows the actual stages of rat life is a better idea.

This is the best resource anyone can get, this chart will help.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/18/7esave7y.jpg

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Originally Posted by Kodieh

But then what if it's too big or small? Lol, if you want to be defensive about a pointless idea by all means do so.

Buying your feeders from someone who knows the actual stages of rat life is a better idea.

This is the best resource anyone can get, this chart will help.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/02/18/7esave7y.jpg

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If you aren't certain what size you should feed your snake, a chart with proper nomenclature doesn't help, nor does a breeder who uses the same terminology you do. You still don't know what size to feed your snake. Numbers don't lie.

I'm going to ignore you from here out. I've seen your posts before where you try to start inane fights with people over harmless topics because you're trying to prove something to someone. It's dull. Have a nice day.

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Originally Posted by 200xth

If you aren't certain what size you should feed your snake, a chart with proper nomenclature doesn't help, nor does a breeder who uses the same terminology you do. You still don't know what size to feed your snake. Numbers don't lie.

I'm going to ignore you from here out. I've seen your posts before where you try to start inane fights with people over harmless topics because you're trying to prove something to someone. It's dull. Have a nice day.

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If I've irritated you already, you should stop trying to give advice now. Your recommendation was pointless and doesn't help. Lol.

Since the prey item was 7 grams it is a pinky, not a pup. I would move on to fuzzies in correct terms or what sounds like weaned rats from your current supplier..
Do you know if you can find anyone else to buy from?

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Just feed your snake what you feel is right.
I know I fed my snake some pretty big weaners (being mice that are small but no longer suckle on the mothers tit hahaha)
She was just fine it took her a good 15-18 minutes to swallow but she gets it down no problem.
She usually gets a little bulge (you can tell theres something extra) and within 2 days shes almost back to her normal size.
All in all just feed her what you think is right and if she doesn't eat it it isnt right.
But judging by your video you can def. feed her what i feed mine and shell be fine.

The rat in that picture IS a pinky getting close to a fuzzy but not there yet.
Kodieh posted THE STANDARD chart that most all of anyone goes by.
By your photo, I would be doing at least a pup every 5 days or so.

What the hell is a "fluff"???

Hahahaha!!! I've started something now haven't I?! LOL

I've found a few sites I can order from.

I'm going to weigh her tomorrow night, then go with the feeder that's roughly 10-15% her body weight.

This site has the names and weights listed together so that deffo helps!

http://www.scalesandfangs.co.uk/rept...od/frozen-rats

It seems different places have different names for the ages of rats.

Fluff over here seems to be between what we call a pup (pinky) and a small weaner.

Thanks for your advice peeps xxx

Okey dokey. I've weighed her so I can get her feeders ordered. (Was advised on another forum, as it was a small meal she would be fine to handle just to weigh her)


She's only 146g bless her!!!! Has she been underfed all this time?!



Going to order some rat fluffs (14-19g) as the small weaners are 35-40g

Took the opportunity to grab a few quick pics too:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-37.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-38.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-35.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-36.jpg

Shes so pretty bless her! Now to get some weight on her!

To me....the untrained.....she looks healthy and in no way underfed so far.....

Pretty snake.

25 rat fluffs on their way!

Hope she likes them! :)

She looks thick for her age, I'll take a picture of my pinstripe who was born last year around September who has had a grand total of 5 meals now since birth. He's thin, long, and looks dreadful.

But he took two pinks last night, so he's on his way now. Your snake looks good, body condition wise.

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Originally Posted by Kat1204

Okey dokey. I've weighed her so I can get her feeders ordered. (Was advised on another forum, as it was a small meal she would be fine to handle just to weigh her)


She's only 146g bless her!!!! Has she been underfed all this time?!



Going to order some rat fluffs (14-19g) as the small weaners are 35-40g

Took the opportunity to grab a few quick pics too:

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-37.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-38.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-35.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...z/image-36.jpg

Shes so pretty bless her! Now to get some weight on her!

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And she's seven months old?! Wow! She's tiny! Did she take forever to start eating or something? My butter gal was 469g and eating small rats at seven months!

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Originally Posted by TurkeyPython

My butter gal was 469g and eating small rats at seven months!

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They all grow at different rates. You simply can't compare two snakes and draw conclusions. LOTS of factors to take into consideration. Kat, your little girl looks pretty healthy to me, but certainly ready for larger prey than you have been giving her so far. Moving up to the "Fluffs" was a good choice.

She's small but I wouldn't sweat it since she looks healthy. I got a male who was underfed from the start and was around 150g when I got him at 10 months old. he looked healthy and proportionate, just tiny for his age. He was on adult mice of about 30g each (although the guy who owned him must not have been feeding very often), so I went straight to rat weans (about 35g) with no issues. I fed every 5 days at first and have moved his prey size up accordingly over the months and am now feeding small rats weekly (he refuses sometimes now, so I might go every 10 days soon), and he's been up to about 1000g for a couple of months now. I only got him in August 2013, so he's now about 16 months or so. They make up lost time fast if properly fed.

As comparison though, I have a female hatched Aug 6th (so 6.5m) and she's over 800g. My female hatched mid Sept (so 5 months) is about 650g. They are great eaters though. I think it's clear that yours was "underfed", although it may have been due to pickiness and not neglect.

Thanks all. Its good to know she looks healthy.

She did take a while to start feeding looking at her feeding record:

Born 15/7/2013 @ 62g

She took a feed 30/7/2013 but then refused until 3/9/2013 She's then fed every week since, refusing only once 16/1/2014.

I got her on Saturday and fed her Sunday, which she took.( ate 1 of 2 offered)

So prey size must have been too small for her over the past few weeks???

Hopefully she'll put the weight on now she'll be getting bigger meals from Thursday

Oh yes!!! These sleepy fluffy little snacks look a far better size for her!! Brilliant quality too!!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ds/image-3.jpg

They mainly range from 16-19g although there are a couple 12-14g so will start with those.

Hope she likes them :)

Yeah those are rat fuzzies. :gj:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Yeah those are rat fuzzies. :gj:

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I thought so. They're called fluffs here :)

Totally forgot to post this on here the other day!! (From Thurs)

Over the moon!! She ate her first rat fluff this morning!

Got a vid of the action. Not the best like as my son was whinging and playing with toys in the background, she took 3 attempts to actually grab and constrict the rat, then I couldn't get the forceps out as she squeezed so hard!! lol note to self. Feed her when Lucas is in another room or in bed!!

So ignoring all the background racket! here's the vid:

http://youtu.be/K6M735bMP6g

And here's some pics after she finished eating http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forum...ies/smile1.gif

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ds/image-4.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ds/image-5.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ds/image-6.jpg


So pleased she was keen to eat only 6 days after getting here. Think I need to work on my technique so she can grab it first time tho. I was then advised she could handle bigger prey after she was seen eating, but as I bought 25 fluffs I thought I'd see if she was still hungry by offering her a 2nd fluff that night.

I got a night feeding vid!!! Crap visibility (as her lights are off for the night) but then I swear she plays to the camera!!! She pulled it into a patch of light to eat it!! Also didn't help that the rat was black!!! LOL Something rather eerie about watching a snake eat in the dark!!! Then as I closed the door she reared back into a strike pose. Beautiful!!

Stood and watched her for a bit and she calmed down and then just yawned in my face a few times LOL. Okay so its night time now Mam!! LOL Back went the hide and she's well full of another 15g of rat!!

That girls has some appetite!!

Okay, like I say, its pretty dark (and I've just realised I didn't turn phone on its side to get a wider shot! DOH!) but here's the vid:

http://youtu.be/RF2dwuhaqfE

And a couple of pics from after too:

Backoff I'm in feed mode!!!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ogz/012-18.jpg

And.....chill!!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ogz/013-20.jpg

Goodnight!

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ogz/014-15.jpg

So Im going to offer her 2 fluffs every 5days till they're gone, then get her some weaners. Hopefully she'll have put on some weight by then.

2 days since she fed so thought I'd see if she fancied coming out tonight.

She was no bother at all! Was looking out of her hide when I went to get her. She's a curious girl n whenever I do anything in the viv she comes to see what I'm up to. Didn't ball up at all when I removed the hide or stroked her, then let me pick her up no probs http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forum...ies/smile1.gif

Had her out for about 15/20mins. She had a bit explore of my legs and hands then curled up on my hand for a lil pic.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/f...ds/image-9.jpg

Shes a little poser!! So beautiful!!! I'm amazed how such a little thing has so much power! I love her face too! She looks so kind http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forum...ies/smile1.gif

I think she might be starting the shedding process as her dark colours have a slight blue tinge to them and her belly has a slightly pink look.

Can't wait to see her freshly shed!! http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forum...ies/smile1.gif