Post lay feeding question

How long should you wait to feed a ball python after it lays a clutch of eggs I just got my first clutchhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b4652c6caa.jpg


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Congrats on the first clutch. I've bred snakes OTHER than BPs with clutches of eggs resulting...usually I take my cue from the momma snake. They are
typically tired for a day or so after laying, but after that show a huge eagerness for food, at which point I feed them. I don't think the kind of snake matters...
any snake laying eggs will be tired first, and then very hungry.

I checked on her this morning she later last night and she was definitely tired. I figured 2-3 days is when I would try. I just wanted advice from someone experienced


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Yeah, take your cue from her, for sure. She's definitely earned "room service" whenever she's ready. ;)

Make sure to clean and disinfect her tub completely, wash off the snake (you can wipe her down with a chlorexidine solution) and offer food whenever you feel like it.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Make sure to clean and disinfect her tub completely, wash off the snake (you can wipe her down with a chlorexidine solution) and offer food whenever you feel like it.

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Can I use FX10 to disinfect her I have that around I don’t have clorhexadine


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Originally Posted by Arlton

Can I use FX10 to disinfect her I have that around I don’t have clorhexadine


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yes you can

Awesome thank you for the information


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Soap and water works also :gj:

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Originally Posted by highqualityballz

Soap and water works also :gj:

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Probably don't need the soap either, just water is all I can remember using to clean up a snake after egg-laying.

I personally have never (& would never) use F10 or chlorhexidine ON the snake itself, perhaps because I read & take the label precautions seriously, & because like us,
snakes can absorb things thru their skin; like ours, their bodies depend on "friendly bacteria" to function, and such products do not discriminate, so I remain cautious.

To me, F10 & chlorhexidine are great to clean cages & implements, but not for use on the snakes themselves. Can you do it & have some gotten away with
doing this? -those are different questions & one we each have to answer for ourselves, I guess.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Probably don't need the soap either, just water is all I can remember using to clean up a snake after egg-laying.

I personally have never (& would never) use F10 or chlorhexidine ON the snake itself, perhaps because I read & take the label precautions seriously, & because like us,
snakes can absorb things thru their skin; like ours, their bodies depend on "friendly bacteria" to function, and such products do not discriminate, so I remain cautious.

To me, F10 & chlorhexidine are great to clean cages & implements, but not for use on the snakes themselves. Can you do it & have some gotten away with
doing this? -those are different questions & one we each have to answer for ourselves, I guess.

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You do realize that Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic solution also used in veterinary medicine to clean wounds? And we are not even talking about wounds here.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Probably don't need the soap either, just water is all I can remember using to clean up a snake after egg-laying.

I personally have never (& would never) use F10 or chlorhexidine ON the snake itself, perhaps because I read & take the label precautions seriously, & because like us,
snakes can absorb things thru their skin; like ours, their bodies depend on "friendly bacteria" to function, and such products do not discriminate, so I remain cautious.

To me, F10 & chlorhexidine are great to clean cages & implements, but not for use on the snakes themselves. Can you do it & have some gotten away with
doing this? -those are different questions & one we each have to answer for ourselves, I guess.

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I feel the same, I don't use any chemicals with my snakes, even cage cleaning, I just use water or hot water for the tub and water dish. I've done this for many years even back when I had other reptiles before ball pythons and never ran into any problems. I think regular cleaning is what's most important. If there is a wound involved I think it is necessary to take more precautions to avoid infection but for every day cleaning I like water.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

You do realize that Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic solution also used in veterinary medicine to clean wounds? And we are not even talking about wounds here.

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I actually did not know that, good to know. For regular cleaning I like to use water but for something more serious like a wound, I'll keep this in mind.

I go a little overboard with this because I want my females eating fast after a lay. The tubs get bleached rinsed and then sprayed with vinegar. The snake gets wiped down with f10, rinsed then misted with vinegar.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

You do realize that Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic solution also used in veterinary medicine to clean wounds? And we are not even talking about wounds here.

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Yup...& it's also used in mouthwash (human use), but snakes are not humans, & wounds are a different thing, IMO...there is every reason to minimize bacteria in a wound, and you still aren't normally bathing a snake in it...not many snakes have wounds covering their entire bodies, not live ones anyway.

Many things are used by humans for good purposes that are later found to have huge downsides, either to us or to the environment. For humans, it often takes 30+ years for the negative research to leak out while companies do their best to make money off an "iffy" product- for example, "partially-hydrogenated fats"...promoted in margarine as healthier than real butter, now known as "trans fats" & banned or avoided in many foods, yet still marketed in snack & fast foods because hey, they can get away with it!http://www.euro.who.int/en/media-cen...ing-trans-fats (this is just one example, the list is long)

So ( if it takes 30+ years to care about human safety?) how long do you think it will take before this issue is researched for safety with SNAKES? :rofl:Not holding my breath.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

I go a little overboard with this because I want my females eating fast after a lay. The tubs get bleached rinsed and then sprayed with vinegar. The snake gets wiped down with f10, rinsed then misted with vinegar.

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I think you might be right, that does sound a bit overboard lol. Like I said before, I only use water and my females have all been back to eating within a couple days and accepting the first offering. Although I may have been lucky so far as I have only had a half dozen clutches so far.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

I go a little overboard with this because I want my females eating fast after a lay. The tubs get bleached rinsed and then sprayed with vinegar. The snake gets wiped down with f10, rinsed then misted with vinegar.

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What does all this cleaning have to do with your females "eating fast after a lay"? To me it sounds like, if anything, they'd be stressed & refuse?
Have you ever done it both ways to compare? I mean, how did you decide this matters...they might just be eating in spite of all this?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

What does all this cleaning have to do with your females "eating fast after a lay"? To me it sounds like, if anything, they'd be stressed & refuse?
Have you ever done it both ways to compare? I mean, how did you decide this matters...they might just be eating in spite of all this?

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I'm sure he'll share his explanation of why he chooses to do it this way but in general with females that have just laid, any hit of the sent of their eggs supposedly can cause them stress and an urge to find their clutch and continue to incubate them instinctually. So they stay in new mother mode instead of moving on to feeding. I have not experienced this though, washing with water has been enough for my girls to forget about the eggs and resume feeding.

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Originally Posted by rufretic

I'm sure he'll share his explanation of why he chooses to do it this way but in general with females that have just laid, any hit of the sent of their eggs supposedly can cause them stress and an urge to find their clutch and continue to incubate them instinctually. So they stay in new mother mode instead of moving on to feeding. I have not experienced this though, washing with water has been enough for my girls to forget about the eggs and resume feeding.

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I have had a few look for their eggs for days. I had one incubate her water bowl and went on to not eat until awhile after her clutch actually hatched. Since then I clean really well.

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Originally Posted by JodanOrNoDan

I have had a few look for their eggs for days. I had one incubate her water bowl and went on to not eat until awhile after her clutch actually hatched. Since then I clean really well.

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Oh, OK, so it's a ball python thing* then. I've hatched out a number of clutches of snake eggs, & none of the moms ever looked for their eggs, but since they don't do
maternal incubation in the wild, that explains it. (*or any other kinds of snakes that do incubate in the wild, like maybe cobras?) :gj:

I will do the straight water for the wash and I’ll try to feed her Tomorrow


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Originally Posted by Arlton

I will do the straight water for the wash and I’ll try to feed her Tomorrow


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Good luck, make sure to let us know how it goes.

Most definitely I appreciate all the advice


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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Oh, OK, so it's a ball python thing* then. I've hatched out a number of clutches of snake eggs, & none of the moms ever looked for their eggs, but since they don't do
maternal incubation in the wild, that explains it. (*or any other kinds of snakes that do incubate in the wild, like maybe cobras?) :gj:

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Definitely a BP thing I have never washed a colubrid off, BP however it's like everything else they do, they like to be different and make it difficult. :rolleyes:

Now will there be female resuming feeding no matter what? Yes not the majority though, just like their will be females that even when the scent is completely washed off will not resume feeding before another 60 days (again in the minority)

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Definitely a BP thing I have never washed a colubrid off, BP however it's like everything else they do, they like to be different and make it difficult. :rolleyes:

Now will there be female resuming feeding no matter what? Yes not the majority though, just like their will be females that even when the scent is completely washed off will not resume feeding before another 60 days (again in the minority)

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The chance of my breeding BPs is exactly zero, but this is very informative & something that I'll share in the future...always something new to learn.

I didn't initially realize why you were washing them off post-lay, since disinfectants were mentioned, but the issue of scent makes total sense, at least for BPs. ;)

Sorry I’m a couple days late on my update but after putting her in a tote with some damp paper towels for a couple minutes while I cleaned her tote up she ate the next day for me


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Originally Posted by Arlton

Sorry I’m a couple days late on my update but after putting her in a tote with some damp paper towels for a couple minutes while I cleaned her tote up she ate the next day for me


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Happy (Snake) Mother's Day! :D