Failed feeding and power feeding

I've read people on bp net suggest you should wait three to five days after a failed feeding attempt to try again. Does this also hold true when power feeding? I'm trying to bulk up my female albino for breeding this year. Do I wait the minimum three days, or even less for power feeding?

Just wait a week and try again. Don't rush things.

*disclaimer*

I don't agree with power feeding.

*disclaimer*


Just pry open her mouth and jam it in. Besides, power feeding and pushing them is really what is best for the health of the snake.


How about waiting a year for her to put on weight and size at a normal pace?

Offer an appropriate sized feeder once a week. She'll get up to size on her schedule, not yours.

Maybe her refusing food should be a hint :rolleyes:

Lol

Well she's just over 22 months old and about 1150 grams. She went on a seven month hunger strike starting the last new year. I'm just hoping she's over 1200g by October. She still won't accept rats so for the moment I'm stuck offering jumbo mice more often than once a week.

Btw Is there anyone here who considers power feeding ok and under what circumstances? The breeder I bought her from, who is definitely reputable, essentially told me that in his experience a ball python will not glut itself to its own detriment as certain other species may.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Maybe her refusing food should be a hint :rolleyes:

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Yeah that's true of course, and a good point. It's just that when she returned to feeding after her seven month fast, for about two weeks she was aggressively moving towards me in an "S" each time she saw me, and instantly striking every mouse I offered her, so for that time I guess she was power feeding, and quite happily at that ;)

Forgot to add; I get the message, thanks all. Do not try to force things, as it'll stress her out! :oops:

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Btw Is there anyone here who considers power feeding ok and under what circumstances? The breeder I bought her from, who is definitely reputable, essentially told me that in his experience a ball python will not glut itself to its own detriment as certain other species may.

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False. Many boas and colubrids will eat themselves to death, but ball pythons can as well.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...y-failed-liver

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Btw Is there anyone here who considers power feeding ok and under what circumstances? The breeder I bought her from, who is definitely reputable, essentially told me that in his experience a ball python will not glut itself to its own detriment as certain other species may.

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My first question is WHY??
What would consist of a good reason?
Money, Greed, In ability to properly care for an animal?
Those are the only reasons I could see.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

False. Many boas and colubrids will eat themselves to death, but ball pythons can as well.
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...y-failed-liver

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They can eat themselves to death? O_o

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Lol
Btw Is there anyone here who considers power feeding ok and under what circumstances? The breeder I bought her from, who is definitely reputable, essentially told me that in his experience a ball python will not glut itself to its own detriment as certain other species may.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

Yeah that's true of course, and a good point. It's just that when she returned to feeding after her seven month fast, for about two weeks she was aggressively moving towards me in an "S" each time she saw me, and instantly striking every mouse I offered her, so for that time I guess she was power feeding, and quite happily at that ;)

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I think you are misusing the term "power feeding". Power feeding is taking a normally behaving snake and repeatedly offering food at a higher frequency than appropriate for an extended period of time. The goal of this is to push a snake into breeding size that would not be ready at it's own pace.

Temporarily offering extra meals to a hungry snake who just fasted for half a year is not power feeding.

Temporarily offering extra meals to an already acceptable breeding weight female who's appetite has skyrocketed because she's depleting her energy to reproduce is not power feeding.

Ok, message received. I will not push her to eat. Honestly, it wasn't about greed or anything like that. I just wanted to see her grow after her long fast. Plus I'm excited to try breeding for the first time, just for its own sake, and hope that ideally she's ready for in season breeding. I do care about Ruby (my albino girl) above all! So I will take all your posts to heart. Thanks

I do have another question about a subject touched on in this thread. Ruby and Moby (my blue Lucy boy) will not accept rats. Should I stop offering mice, and keep offering rats once a week till they take them? I currently use f/t, so should I try a live rat to kickstart feeding, if you will?

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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky Dragons

I think you are misusing the term "power feeding". Power feeding is taking a normally behaving snake and repeatedly offering food at a higher frequency than appropriate for an extended period of time. The goal of this is to push a snake into breeding size that would not be ready at it's own pace.

Temporarily offering extra meals to a hungry snake who just fasted for half a year is not power feeding.

Temporarily offering extra meals to an already acceptable breeding weight female who's appetite has skyrocketed because she's depleting her energy to reproduce is not power feeding.

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Thanks for that. I wanted a clear idea of what constitutes power feeding. Do you believe it's ever appropriate? I have got conflicting opinions about it here on bp net, which will happen of course. And I'd rather err on the side of caution, and not power feed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by RoyaLoveRay

I do have another question about a subject touched on in this thread. Ruby and Moby (my blue Lucy boy) will not accept rats. Should I stop offering mice, and keep offering rats once a week till they take them? I currently use f/t, so should I try a live rat to kickstart feeding, if you will?

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For converting to F/T rats, you can ask for some dirty mouse aspen from your local pet store... (aspen that their mice lived and pooped in). After the F/T rat is completely thawed, heat it up, and roll it around thoroughly in the dirty aspen to scent it with mouse. And try offering that. This has a high chance of success imo.

After a few weeks of this, your snakes should eventually be able to take the F/T rat without being scented.

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Originally Posted by Solarsoldier001

They can eat themselves to death? O_o

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A lot of snakes in captivity, especially kings, corns, milks, and boas, are overfed to the point of obesity. Being overweight can cut decades off of their lifespan.

I was always worried I was power feeding because everyone used to tell me I was. My girl eats a small rat every week. She will sometimes get 2 when Boots only eats 1. She is 1108g today ^^ by the end of the year, she will have passed breeding size. Honestly, start offering multiple prey items at each feeding WITHIN REASON and you should be fine. However much she should eat is what she should get!

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