Which feeding method do you prefer/use?

Since I've recently been accused of being 'wrong' about my feeding method of feeding smaller more frequent meals, by a supposed "friend", I'd like to hear which method you prefer or use with your snakes, and why?

I use smaller more frequent meals for my animals, as its less stressful on them, as well as the prey items are easier to digest because they are smaller. There is also more tissue per square inch on multiple prey items comparative to one larger prey item, which means they very possibly get more nutrients from their prey item.

Which method has been most successful with you, and which method do you prefer most? Why?

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Originally Posted by AndrewH

Since I've recently been accused of being 'wrong' about my feeding method of feeding smaller more frequent meals, by a supposed "friend", I'd like to hear which method you prefer or use with your snakes, and why?

I use smaller more frequent meals for my animals, as its less stressful on them, as well as the prey items are easier to digest because they are smaller. There is also more tissue per square inch on multiple prey items comparative to one larger prey item, which means they very possibly get more nutrients from their prey item.

Which method has been most successful with you, and which method do you prefer most? Why?

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I feed smaller prey once a week.

The biggest prey that I will ever feed my BP is a small rat.

What's your definition of more frequent? How often. I didn't vote, as I'm not clear on the length of time you call frequent.


I feed smaller meals once a week.

My definition of more frequent is every 5 to 7 days, where as less frequent is a larger meal every 10 days to two weeks.

If you feed a small meal every 7 days, you are describing what a majority of people here do....

Also from what Ive read, a lot of people feed only a small rat to their biggest BP's... this is what I do.

I don't think you will get many to argue that a large meal every 10-14 days is better than a small meal once a week...

I feed live, so its nice to know that my 3000+ gram females are far less likely to get injured by a rat they outweigh 60 to 1 even if they dont grab just right.

Yeah, its the same method I use for my giants. Many giant breeders I've talked to also use this method. I've seen outstanding results with it.

Fluffy prefers larger, more frequent meals! :)

fluffy :lmao:

My bigger ones will take one small rat.

My picky ones that are also bigger will take 2 or more large mice.

My smaller ones take one mouse.

I voted for the second choice (feed larger meals and less often).

I tend to stick to a routine that includes feeding large meals to my snakes. I like to feed "large" meals and less often rather than small meals and more often. This way, my snakes get more meat and less fur/feather. In addition, I save money, especially considering the giants that I have to feed. What is more fascinating to me than the process of how a snake obtains a meal, is how it swallows a meal which may not seem of realistic size.

I don't powerfeed my snakes in any way if that thought crosses your mind, because I space out these feedings realistically. I believe that powerfeeding is a routine where one feeds large meals and does so frequently. I think that in the wild, snakes do not eat as often as we feed them and I would rather give them weeks at a time before a next feeding. If, for instance, I chose to feed a 3000g BP a 600g rat every 21 days, then that would be no different than feeding that same snake a 200g rat every 7 days, other than the frequency. The snake intakes the same mass from the one meal as with three, only I believe that the latter isn't as natural. I doubt that BPs, or any snake for that matter, would snatch up a meal every week.

Some might say that even though a snake may be able to handle a "large" meal, they shouldn't be given the chance to, and that is where I disagree. I believe that snakes expend more energy to catch meals weekly than to catch and swallow a larger meal every month or so.

I personally have been able to witness numerous snakes swallow 10-70% of their body mass from one food item. I am not saying that it is easy on the snake to swallow a meal which is 60% of its mass, but I see that as being less stressful than more frequent "kills" and deglutation.

A big part of employing the feeding routine that I do is that I brought up my snakes on large meals. Consequently, they have been "trained" to eat big meals from youth. I would consider a snake "spoiled" if it were fed small meals for its entire life, and I am not saying that that snake is not healthy or content, but it would not be a preferrable specimen to me.

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Originally Posted by _BoidFinatic_

a 3000g BP a 600g rat every 21 days, then that would be no different than feeding that same snake a 200g rat every 7 days, other than the frequency.

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Do you ever experience fasting among your BP because it seems to me that even the small prey you are refering to is way bigger then what most people feed on a weekly basis?

I for example would not feed anything larger then a 60 grams rat once a week to any BP, even adults.

I generally feed my BP once per week...as of the past month or so, i've moved up to 2 adult mice per week, one after the other, and he/she has gobbled them down with no problems.

Is this to much to feed? How do I know exactly how much to feed? I've been searching and searching for an answer to this for a while.

I don't know the exact weight of my snake, but its close to 2 feet in length...hope that helps.

P.S. Sorry for taking the post off-topic, I only need an answer or 2 I promise.

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Originally Posted by GA_Ball_Pythons

Do you ever experience fasting among your BP because it seems to me that even the small prey you are refering to is way bigger then what most people feed on a weekly basis?

I for example would not feed anything larger then a 60 grams rat once a week to any BP, even adults.

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It was an example. I don't even own a BP at the moment in order to base that arguement, but I can't imagine why a BP that would eat 6.66% of its mass a week, would fast. In my experience, BPs fed 30% of their mass every week for a year or more, did not fast.

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Originally Posted by _BoidFinatic_

It was an example. I don't even own a BP at the moment in order to base that arguement, but I can't imagine why a BP that would eat 6.66% of its mass a week, would fast. In my experience, BPs fed 30% of their mass every week for a year or more, did not fast.

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Not saying you are lying, but I don't see a 1000 g snake eating a 300 g meal every week. That is a lot of rat

I'm not bashing your methods on feeding at all, but I do see that putting stress on the animal, feeding meals like that. I mean, it does restrict movement. It also takes a while to digest, as well as it is somewhat harder to digest.

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Originally Posted by AndrewH

I'm not bashing your methods on feeding at all, but I do see that putting stress on the animal, feeding meals like that. I mean, it does restrict movement. It also takes a while to digest, as well as it is somewhat harder to digest.

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I understand that you are not bashing me for my side of the arguement, but I have led myself to believe that snakes expend more energy "catching" and swallowing meals weekly than "catching" and swallowing a larger meal every month or so. I believe that snakes that are fed more often, no matter how "small" the prey, are more likely to fast than a snake which may be fed a "gigantic" meal every month or so. I also believe that the latter method would keep the feeding response higher, which may be a great benefit for a snake that is picky about f/t, in a case where the caretaker chooses f/t over live or p/k for whatever reason.

Understood. My side of this, is that with them using more energy to swallow there prey, gives them more excersize. This makes it less likely for the snake to become obese.


I can see the snake spending more energy swallowing a larger meal, such as a meal 30% their body weight, than spending more energy swallowing smaller meals; as it takes much more effort, and time to swallow these meals, as well as the energy spent digesting them. Whereas smaller meals take less energy to swallow, and digest. In my opinion, feeding smaller more frequent meals keeps them toned, and healthy. Fasting I can see snakes doing more on an individual basis rather than basing it on species. I've had Ball Pythons which fed throughout the year without fasting, as well as other species. At the same time I've had individuals fast for a period of time for seemingly unknown reasons.

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Originally Posted by AndrewH

Understood. My side of this, is that with them using more energy to swallow there prey, gives them more excersize. This makes it less likely for the snake to become obese.

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I think that the same arguement stands for a snake that only eats once a month though. This is because even the largest meals are digested within 7 days or so and so the snake gets "hungry" soon after. If that snake is being fed once a month, then that gives the snake weeks of exercise as it looks for food in the weeks that follow the 7 day digestion period. I would say that a snake uses a disproportiantely higher amount of energy "hunting" for a few weeks and not obtaining a meal, than a snake which "hunts" for a few days and receives and meal shortly thereafter.

This is just how I see it. I am not arguing in any way, if anyone feels that way at this point. Instead, I am backing up my reasoning for why I choose to employ the method that I do. I am glad that there is variation in the methods that fellow herpers employ and I enjoy hearing the reasoning for their preferences, as well as the outcomes.

Understood and agree'd upon:)


On the hunting though. I can see a Python using more energy subduing a prey item rather than searching it out, as there is alot of energy needed to put down the prey item.

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Originally Posted by AndrewH

Understood and agree'd upon:)

On the hunting though. I can see a Python using more energy subduing a prey item rather than searching it out, as there is alot of energy needed to put down the prey item.

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This is where it gets tricky I guess. I would imagine that a snake expends more energy "hunting" for a meal in about 3 weeks time, than subduing 3 small meals in that time, while hunting only minimally in between. What I don't like about the latter scenario, is that the powerful feeding response may be diminished after each weekly meal, while a snake that hasn't gotten a meal of any size in the past 3 or so weeks, would have the feeding response that many seek.

I can imagine that too. But with actively hunting though, we're talking about a captive situation. I can see it as the only way they'd burn much more energy hunting rather than feeding, is if they're purposely denied a meal in captivity, and are only fed on that "schedule".

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Originally Posted by AndrewH

I can imagine that too. But with actively hunting though, we're talking about a captive situation. I can see it as the only way they'd burn much more energy hunting rather than feeding, is if they're purposely denied a meal in captivity, and are only fed on that "schedule".

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Absolutely true. They are "denied" a meal for a few weeks or so, which is very natural and realistic in my opinion. This promotes the active hunting, which is what aids in the prevention of obesity.

I will make sure that when my snakes are at or close to adult size, that I will keep them in the largest possible enclosures, in order to allow them to hunt actively, without a lot of restriction. I will strive to offer a snake, such as a 15' burm, an enclosure with at least 30 square feet of space.

One small (40 gram) FT rat once a week.