Does this seem excessive?

In this link, check out the paragraph under "How often should I feed my ball python?"

http://www.strictlyballs.ca/feedingfaq.htm

Doesn't this feeding routine seem excessive, even for power feeding?

No it seems fine to me - I don't even consider it power feeding. :confusd:

So is it a problem if my snakes aren't willing to feed at this rate? I keep two in tanks in my bedroom, which I am thinking may not be ideal since the light and activity may bother them at nighttime. (And I hope it's not a problem that I use moonlite bulbs for supplemental heat). Is it generally better to keep royals in racks, or can conditions in tanks be optimized for vigorous feeding? Thanks again!

I fed my girl 10-20% every 3-4 days till she hit 433g, then I switched her to every 7 days. She is in a 30 gallon(36x18x12) tank since she was a little 102g 12" baby and now just over 3 months later, she is a 433g 30" eating machine. I use a CHE exclusively and just use room lighting as well as lights from my bearded dragon cage to throw ambient light on her. I'm kind of a night owl and watch tv late at night and the tv lighting doesn't bother her at all, she still comes out at night and cruises around I'm assuming looking for food as she LOVES to eat. Every snake will be different. As long as they look healthy and don't have loose skin hanging off them or their backbones sticking out, I probably wouldn't worry.

I feed anything under 250g every 5 days.

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

So is it a problem if my snakes aren't willing to feed at this rate?

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If they're eating, growing, pooping, shedding, and are generally healthy, then no, it's not a problem. Feed them at whatever rate and size works for you.

Just out of curiousity, how big are your snakes and how often are you feeding them?

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Originally Posted by 200xth

Just out of curiousity, how big are your snakes and how often are you feeding them?

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I have a couple dozen f/t jumbo mice to go through, averaging about 30-35 grams. I've got an albino girl at 1100 grams, hatched 11/2/13, and a blue Lucy boy at 500 grams, hatched 8/6/14. I feed her every 1-3 days, depending on her appetite, and have even fed her twice in one night. I feed him every 2-3 days. Going by the guideline in that link, I calculate they should eat the mice I've got about once every 1.5 days, so I try to come close as possible. They are both healthy and happy!

Ive got a related question: some suggest that once a royal reaches adulthood at 1000g one should reduce the feeding frequency. Does this apply to males at the same weight, or is a male considered adult at a lower weight?

thanks again all...;)

You should try and switch your 1100g girl over to rats and move her to a once a week feeding of a single size appropriate meal, a small rat. Otherwise you are going to be feeding lots of mice and it will cost a lot more. I feed my 433g girl a weaned rat once a week and she does fine. Unless you are planning on breeding, I would just go with a small rat once a week for both. If your female turns out to be a big girl, maybe a small medium rat but your boy should be fine on small rats. I have never really seen an obese ball python. I have seen an obese boa as my BCI is kind of chunky so ive actually dropped her down to a medium rat every 2 weeks and shes 5-6ft long. Boas get fat easy though :(

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

I have a couple dozen f/t jumbo mice to go through, averaging about 30-35 grams. I've got an albino girl at 1100 grams, hatched 11/2/13, and a blue Lucy boy at 500 grams, hatched 8/6/14. I feed her every 1-3 days, depending on her appetite, and have even fed her twice in one night. I feed him every 2-3 days. Going by the guideline in that link, I calculate they should eat the mice I've got about once every 1.5 days, so I try to come close as possible. They are both healthy and happy!

Ive got a related question: some suggest that once a royal reaches adulthood at 1000g one should reduce the feeding frequency. Does this apply to males at the same weight, or is a male considered adult at a lower weight?

thanks again all...;)

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I think I got confused.

You posted a link to site that says feed every 7 to 10 days, and asked if that was excessive. You then said you feed your snakes every 1 to 3 days.

I wouldn't feed them every day or every two days. Just feed them once a week. If you need to feed them two mice on that day.

I wouldn't say it's an excessive schedule for breeders. Most of mine are pets, not breeders. Non-breeder females are on a 10-14 day schedules and males are on a 14 day schedule. The adult breeders all get offered a meal weekly, though they'll all refuse a meal periodically, especially if in shed.

All of the adult males typically don't eat more than every 3-4 weeks over the winter, and I have one that has fasted since Halloween.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

Unless you are planning on breeding, I would just go with a small rat once a week for both. If your female turns out to be a big girl, maybe a small medium rat but your boy should be fine on small rats. I have never really seen an obese ball python

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Thanks for the advice! I have some frozen small rats as well. I can save the mice for new snakes...

I actually am planning to breed this pair. How would this alter the feeding regimen? Sorry I've got so many questions! Just want to get husbandry and breeding methods down...

The breeder my albino girl came from also told me that ball pythons will not overfeed...:)

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Originally Posted by 200xth

I think I got confused.

You posted a link to site that says feed every 7 to 10 days, and asked if that was excessive. You then said you feed your snakes every 1 to 3 days.

I wouldn't feed them every day or every two days. Just feed them once a week. If you need to feed them two mice on that day.

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Sorry for the confusion! I've been feeding them jumbo mice. That site says to feed at 10-20% of the snakes' weight each 3-4 days for juvenilles, and each week for adults. That would be a 110-220 gram rat for my albino! (Do rats get that big? Lol). My jumbo mice are maybe 35 grams, hence the increased feeding frequency...:)

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Sorry for the confusion! I've been feeding them jumbo mice. That site says to feed at 10-20% of the snakes' weight each 3-4 days for juvenilles, and each week for adults. That would be a 110-220 gram rat for my albino! (Do rats get that big? Lol). My jumbo mice are maybe 35 grams, hence the increased feeding frequency...:)

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Ah, I missed that. My adult males and smaller adult females get small rats, my largest females get mediums. I don't offer adults 20% of their body weight each feeding, LOL!

Well some say to feed every 2 weeks unless you are breeding, then feed every week or at least offer every week. I personally don't breed so someone who does might be able to offer maybe a better schedule. I mostly just meant, for BPs I would just offer food every week regardless. Conditioning for breeding is a whole new ballgame that I have no idea in as I have never bred BPs but I'm sure someone who has can chime in on that aspect. As for 10-20%, that whole rule goes out the window when they get to be adults. I personally quit even weighing food for my girl when she hit the 433g weight. Around 500g, I would just eyeball it and give them a rat that's about as thick as they are or slightly thicker. Around 500g they should be on small rats or close to it. The 10-20% every 3-4 days is for babies or anything up to around 500g but like I said, I threw it out the window at 433g on my girl as she is healthy looking. Plus I like to actually see her come out sometimes and when I was feeding her every 3-4 days, I hardly ever saw her except for her head and neck every 3 days when she would poke her head out of her hide to look for a rat.

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Sorry for the confusion! I've been feeding them jumbo mice. That site says to feed at 10-20% of the snakes' weight each 3-4 days for juvenilles, and each week for adults. That would be a 110-220 gram rat for my albino! (Do rats get that big? Lol). My jumbo mice are maybe 35 grams, hence the increased feeding frequency...:)

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I gotcha now. I see what you're saying.

I have one who only eats jumbo mice (33g to 45g usually) and day old chicks (same approximate weight). She won't touch rats.

She gets fed once a week (7 day cycle) like everyone else. Two or three times she's gotten two prey items, but normally it's just one. She skips on shed weeks as well.

She's gone from 503g end of September to 852g as of last week feeding that way. One of those mice a week, maybe two if you want, should be more than enough. You definitely don't need to do 20% each feeding.