Feed Two or Bigger?

Loki is a three year old male ball python. The breeder told me that he'd been feeding him small rats, so that's what I've been feeding him. But I notice that he kinda keeps looking around, as if he's still hungry? I just finished the pack of small rats, so I'm torn between getting more small or getting a pack of medium. I know the rule of thumb is food the size of the fattest part of their body, but Loki is very skinny. Not underweight, no hanging skin or anything, just very thin. So I wonder if a medium would help him fatten up just a little? On the flip side, I've read controversy about feeding two rats in one feeding.
What should I do?

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Originally Posted by mischiefneko

Loki is a three year old male ball python. The breeder told me that he'd been feeding him small rats, so that's what I've been feeding him. But I notice that he kinda keeps looking around, as if he's still hungry? I just finished the pack of small rats, so I'm torn between getting more small or getting a pack of medium. I know the rule of thumb is food the size of the fattest part of their body, but Loki is very skinny. Not underweight, no hanging skin or anything, just very thin. So I wonder if a medium would help him fatten up just a little? On the flip side, I've read controversy about feeding two rats in one feeding.
What should I do?

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I can't vote. I don't think either is right. How long is he and how much does he weigh? It would be very unusual for a male to ever need more than a single small weekly. Even with that many will go off food for up to six months out of the year.

I'm not voting for the same reason, both answers are "wrong" IMO. What I'd likely do is keep feeding smalls, but a little closer together. How often are
you feeding??? Snakes "can" often digest 2 prey items, but some barf it up, and that's a set-back, as then you have to wait longer to feed a snake that's
already on the thin side (so they have time to replenish their digestive enzymes). After feeding smalls at a slightly faster pace (as long as he's digesting
well), only then I'd size up to mediums and lengthen the time between so he has time to digest well.

Also, I'm not seeing your snake...I size the prey fed so it's a little smaller in diameter than the snake is at it's widest part...so that determines what size
I'd use right now & in the foreseeable future if I were you.

Yeah, I can’t agree in good faith either. All mine are mousers. I have two 1600 gram plus 4 year olds males (all I have is males).I just give them a jumbo mouse every 5 to 7 days. If I stick to the 7 days around September I’ll occasionally give two. To many overfed snakes. They never encounter the amount some people offer in the wild. Just my 2 cents. ;)

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

Yeah, I can’t agree in good faith either. All mine are mousers. I have two 1600 gram plus 4 year olds males (all I have is males).I just give them a jumbo mouse every 5 to 7 days. If I stick to the 7 days around September I’ll occasionally give two. To many overfed snakes. They never encounter the amount some people offer in the wild. Just my 2 cents. ;)

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Out of curiosity how long are they fasting if at all?

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

Out of curiosity how long are they fasting if at all?

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No problem I keep decent records. My two that were born in 14’ started fasting the last two winters for just about six months each, with one grabbing a least one feeding during that time. Another guy born in 15” took four months this year. I just weighed them for the first time all year, 1580gms, 1449gms and 1085grams. About this time of year, they get fed roughly every 5 to 7 days, then around late September I occasionally offer doubles. Always just jumbo mice. Even when I had my Boa collection and I tried to never go larger then medium rats (again I had nothing but males). I just don’t believe they get that much food in the wild. But that’s just me. Hope I answered your question. :)

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

No problem I keep decent records. My two that were born in 14’ started fasting the last two winters for just about six months each, with one grabbing a least one feeding during that time. Another guy born in 15” took four months this year. I just weighed them for the first time all year, 1580gms, 1449gms and 1085grams. About this time of year, they get fed roughly every 5 to 7 days, then around late September I occasionally offer doubles. Always just jumbo mice. Even when I had my Boa collection and I tried to never go larger then medium rats (again I had nothing but males). I just don’t believe they get that much food in the wild. But that’s just me. Hope I answered your question. :)

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Good info to have. Backs my data. I have been decreasing my males food with no negative side affects other than they grow slower. My adult boys are now on small rats every other week until right before breeding, then I try to get them to eat every week until they fast.

I have one male and 1 female. They are both right at a year old. Both born same month last year. The girl eats 1 medium rat every 14 days and 1 small rat every 14 days on alternating schedule now. She is almost 800g. Why do I change it up for her? Is what she prefers and works for her. I was doing small rats every week and she was always hungry. She doesn't need a medium every week and when she does eat a medium she will not go 14 days between feedings. It works for her. Took some doing to figure this all out. My male is 575g and eats 1 small rat every week. The girl is slightly longer and slightly larger around. Neither of them are to fat or under weight. Keep in mind I am not an expert but took time while treating them as independent personalities to make them happy. Their growth has been slow and steady. Never refused food and eat pre-killed just fine.

It's a male if you want to keep him healthy and feeding with consistency (so you don't end up complaining that your snake won't eat) feed small rat weekly.

Those animals have a slow metabolism and need to be fed accordingly to metabolism, sex and size even the largest males do not require more than a 75 grams rat weekly which still falls in the small category some people will even feed males every 10 days.

Over feeding is a real issue so is the increase of fatty liver issue in BP.

A male is supposed to be lean it's not a female.

All my males get smalls. Females get according to size. Generally speaking though, if the situation called for it I would feed multiple smaller items that equaled the normal larger item. I have never done this with rats though except for my boa. With Balls it's been 3-4 mice vs a small rat when I still had mousers.

I have never weighed Loki to know for sure. I'm getting a scale on Monday to weigh. He measures about 34 inches in length. He actually laid in a straight lines for a few seconds lol. The breeder was feeding him a small rat every 10-14 days to keep him a bit on the smaller side. I've been feeding him every 7-10, since that's when he seems to look around for food. For the breeder he was a very active eater. Only fasting from mid October to early/mid December. Though the Breeder fed him live and I'm feeding thawed. Though he hasn't been picky and usually takes it within a couple seconds.

As for the size around, Loki at his biggest point is a bit bigger than a small rat, there is no bulge or anything when he eats. I've looked at medium rats and I think that would be slightly bigger than he is. So it's either a little small, or a little big.

I won't vote either, because I can't support either answer. One small rat every 7-10 days is sufficient for a 3 y/o male BP.

I have a quick question for those with males in the 1300-1500 gram size. For those who weigh the feeders, what weight of small rat do you aim to feed?
The place I used to get live from always seemed to give on the larger end (70-90g), but out of the bag of frozen ones I bought, none have exceeded 55g. (Approx 45-55g)

Since I managed to switch him from live to frozen, he has the same behavior expecting food all the time (3 hours after feeding, the next morning, 2 days, 5 days, etc). He has never had that much reaction to me or food when he took live.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal

I have a quick question for those with males in the 1300-1500 gram size. For those who weigh the feeders, what weight of small rat do you aim to feed?
The place I used to get live from always seemed to give on the larger end (70-90g), but out of the bag of frozen ones I bought, none have exceeded 55g. (Approx 45-55g)

Since I managed to switch him from live to frozen, he has the same behavior expecting food all the time (3 hours after feeding, the next morning, 2 days, 5 days, etc). He has never had that much reaction to me or food when he took live.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

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At that size I would feed a rat in the 70 grams range, as for cruising and expecting to get food it's like any other animal or even people, because they are willing to get it, because they want it, does not mean they need it.

My male's now a little under 5 years and 1500 grams. He gets a small rat every 6-10 days during "eating season." I don't worry so much about the feeder size, and the weight varies with those I get from Big Cheese, anywhere from about 52 to 88 grams. He fasts from September/October to April historically. Every once in awhile, he'll take an extra jumbo mouse if my Kingsnake refuses it (typically before sheds - an alternate Universe sort of thing....)

So I'm going to have to up him to a medium rat. The store I usually get my feeders from must have changed their sizes. I just got home after buying another bag of small rats, right? The rats are only a bit bigger than my thumb. WTH. The smalls I got last time were a pretty good size, a bit smaller than he was around, but good size. These are barely bigger than his head!

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Originally Posted by mischiefneko

So I'm going to have to up him to a medium rat. The store I usually get my feeders from must have changed their sizes. I just got home after buying another bag of small rats, right? The rats are only a bit bigger than my thumb. WTH. The smalls I got last time were a pretty good size, a bit smaller than he was around, but good size. These are barely bigger than his head!

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That sounds like a small 'mouse'. Is it possible they were labeled wrong? Or you grabbed the wrong package by mistake?