Do You Feed In Or Out??

I was just wandering if most people feed their snike in their tanks or do they remove them to another container to feed??

9 of the 10 we have get fed in their tank. Our first, a normal male, is the only one that has a seperate feeding tub. Thing is he is the only one eating F/T also. :oops:

see i did feed in the tank then my little odakota diddnt hit his mouse just right and got a mouth fuul of substrait and he couldnt get it out i had to pic him up and pic all the peaces out of his mout cuz i heard that if he swallow his bedding it can hurt him so now i just put him in a big plastic tub with a hide box and paper lined bottom also he seems to get exited when i puul out that tub at feeding time

In his tub.

I feed mine in there cages. here's why:
1) after handling the snake to move him into a feeding tub he may be too busy checking out the tub to want to eat or just the fact that he was just handled may cause him to not eat.
2) it's not be a good idea to handle ANY snake that just ate. If hes still in feed mode he may go for you. Handling after feeding may also cause a regurg.
thats my 2 cents.

Out for mine why cause thats what he is used to. They fed im in a sep tub at the store so it makes my job easy

I feed in the tank I have seen that Ball Pythons eat better and more consistently when they are offered food in an environment they are comfortable in and feel secure. Many people feed out side the enclosure but once you get more than a few snakes it becomes very time consuming to try and feed outside the tank.

I feed 10/11 out of the enclosure. They all respond very well to being put in the feeding tub except my most recent addition. I think she was having feeding problems as she was only 65g when I got her and she was like 3 months old. I was more concerned with getting her to eat period so I didnt mess with putting her in a feeding tub. Shes also the only one feeding on live. I dont think its valid to say they "eat better and more consistently" in their tub as its based more around the individual snakes. I can say that the 2 times ive been bitted came when I was putting a snake into the feeding tub. I lowered him down with two hands... got 1 hand out of the way but he tagged the other one before I could get it out. Same situation both times. I think the feeding tub really helps them associate food with the tub. As Freakie said it can be time consuming with multiple snakes but when your feeding FT its usually a process anyways.

In the end use whatever works for you and your snake. If he feeds in the tub and you prefer to feed that way then so be it. All that matters is that the snake eats... not where he eats.

Josh, why do you always feel the need to discredit the common findings of other ball python owners when it's something you don't actively agree with on some level?

Example:

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I dont think its valid to say they "eat better and more consistently" in their tub as its based more around the individual snakes.

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How can you just dismiss it as invalid when there are many keepers on this site alone that have had great success with feeding in a tub over out?

Freakie_Frog said that he has SEEN ball pythons eat better and more consistently inside their tub. He did not mention numbers, or the circumstances surrounding these instances.

If you ask me, that statement came off too authoritatively given you know nothing on the background of his snakes. Even more, having far less experience than him to even suggest it's a false observation.

25 out of 26 snakes here (from 2 different species) get fed in their home enclosures. Only 1, my daughter's milksnake, gets fed in a feeding tub because her home is very "busy" having a lot of stuff in it.

A few reasons go into this decision. One I do believe a naturally more shy, secretive snake like a ball python is most likely at it's most confident in the familar environment of it's own home. A confident snake is better able to handle the live prey our snakes eat in my opinion. Also I will not, thank you very much, grab a snake as large as big Brannagh, whose well over 3,000 grams now, when she's hungry! LOL She's fast enough on her prey and big enough to nail me but good. I figure I don't need a bite so why chance one with a large and hungry female BP. Lastly, because I know so many people with far more experience than my family has (and far more snakes) that do feed in the enclosure. Their experience, shared with us, is that it works. I figure why re-invent a wheel that's been well tested by others more experienced than I am.:)

In the tub...

All of them.

We feed all of ours (22) in their tubs. One insists on removing all the hides before she will feed, but that's our only quirky eater.

All of them in their own enclosures.

All of mine are fed in their own environment and they all eat fine! All of my balls have paper substrate, but my boa has aspen and it is not an issue. I don't think I want to mess with a hungry snake in a pre-scented environment!!! :D

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

see i did feed in the tank then my little odakota diddnt hit his mouse just right and got a mouth fuul of substrait and he couldnt get it out i had to pic him up and pic all the peaces out of his mout cuz i heard that if he swallow his bedding it can hurt him so now i just put him in a big plastic tub with a hide box and paper lined bottom also he seems to get exited when i puul out that tub at feeding time

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I'm curious. What's your primary language? I can tell you're very new to written English.

In the tub. I started out feeding in feeding tubs, but it took forever to feed my snakes, and I saw no advantage. I use newspaper, so eaten substrate isn't an issue.

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

I'm curious. What's your primary language? I can tell you're very new to written English.

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Jeff, this is not elementary school. We don't go around with a red marker noting errors in spelling or grammar. I'll thank you to please stay on topic.

Well i feed my Bp in a seperate tub. It eats fine i have never had a problem with regurg or not taking the food. The only reason i started doing that was i had heard that if you feed them in their cage and you go to handle them whenever, they could possible think your prey. So i was told to feed in a seperate tub to more avoid the chances of being bit.:gj:

I take him out and pre-scent it in a 10 gallon tank, where he kills and eats, I then immediatly move him out (once it's in his stomach). So far i've had 100% feeding and no bites. :gj:

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

I'm curious. What's your primary language? I can tell you're very new to written English.

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my primary laguage is shut your mouth if you dont have anything to say about BP's or other relted topics:colbert:

In the enclosures for me too. Everybody eats fine and I don't have to risk a bite. My carpet for sure would tag me if I tried to get him out of a feeding tub and back into his cage. He's in feed mode for a good hour after he eats. Plus I don't like to handle them after they eat, even if it is only a transfer.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

my primary laguage is shut your mouth if you dont have anything to say about BP's or other relted topics:colbert:

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:peace:

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

I'm curious. What's your primary language? I can tell you're very new to written English.

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:sigh2:

I feed in the tank as well, i dont ever have problems. I also take some of the things out of her tank that way nothing gets in the way.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

my primary laguage is shut your mouth if you dont have anything to say about BP's or other relted topics:colbert:

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I believe a Mod (that being me) has already addressed the post in question, so how about we all take a nice, deep breath and keep this thread on topic. :)

I feed in there tubs, none ever gave me a problem and thank god they always eat.

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Jeff, this is not elementary school. We don't go around with a red marker noting errors in spelling or grammar. I'll thank you to please stay on topic.

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I was seriously curious. I'd guess Dutch.

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

I'm curious. What's your primary language? I can tell you're very new to written English.

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Wonder what you will think about me :rolleyes:

19 out of 24 eat in their enclosures.

Ball pythons are fed exclusively in their enclosure to allow them to ambush their prey from the security of their hides.

Yearling colubrids are fed in a separate enclosure, which make it easier; when they will be bigger they will be fed in their enclosures as well.

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Originally Posted by COLDBLOODED262

my primary laguage is shut your mouth if you dont have anything to say about BP's or other relted topics:colbert:

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No offense was intended. I don't go around hassling people about typos. You seemed obviously foreign, and I was striking up a conversation. My mistake.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

Wonder what you will think about me :rolleyes:

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O.M.G.

Don't even get me started!

:rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

No offense was intended. I don't go around hassling people about typos. You seemed obviously foreign, and I was striking up a conversation. My mistake.

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Just because a person cannot spell does not mean they are foreign.

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Originally Posted by MeMe

O.M.G.

Don't even get me started!

:rolleyes:

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What you discriminate against French now :8:

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Originally Posted by Deborah

What you discriminate against French now :8:

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heck nah man...some of the best things in life are French..

French toast.

French fries.

French bread.

French kissing.

:cool:

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Originally Posted by MeMe

heck nah man...some of the best things in life are French..

French toast.

French fries.

French bread.

French kissing.

:cool:

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But the best things are Italian, right, Memes??? ;)

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French toast.

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No such a thing as french toast in France :O

Many things here are labelled French even though they are not, pretty funny to me ;).

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Just because a person cannot spell does not mean they are foreign.

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I see that now!

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Just because a person cannot spell does not mean they are foreign.

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btw, I use the Firefox browser to correct my own very common typos and spelling mistakes. It underlines them for me and offers corrections. I have no spelling superiority complex.

LOL!!!

Spelling Superiority Complex???

Thats a new one.

I understand

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

But the best things are Italian, right, Memes??? ;)

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Exactly!

:D

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Originally Posted by Deborah

No such a thing as french toast in France :O

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http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2...IES/ohsnap.gif

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Originally Posted by JeffFlanagan

I was seriously curious. I'd guess Dutch.

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Hey, guess what I am..... HUMAN! :rofl::rofl::banana::rofl::rofl: :gj:

Both my BP and my Boa get fed in separate tubs... That is how i was told to Always feed a snake that is handled as a pet. I have never had any problems getting them to eat that way, my BP always strikes immediately. I could see how this could get aggravating feeding a larger number of snakes. Seems that the majority of the people feed in their regular tank. Was I misinformed??? I can normally tell once they are out of their feeding mind set and ready to go back to their cage to digest. None of my snakes have ever regurged either(thank god.. thank would scare the crap out of me.) I was told this was the #1 rule when feeding. I have never thought about going the other way but the accounts of the other members has opened my mind.

I am going over to my freinds house tonight because he couldn't get his baby BP to eat before left for vacation...maybe he's shy... I'll try to get him to eat it in his tank.

I feed all of my snakes in their enclosures.

always have...always will.

:)

just my two cents... I will always feed outside it's home environment into a feeding tub, for one reason above all others, the possibility of the snake striking at it's prey and grab a bunch of bedding, a friend of mine had his for quite a while, always fed it in its home environment and the snake had lodged whatever the bedding was in the roof of its mouth, got an infection and eventually died. I'm sure there may of been ways to treat the snake...maybe he couldn't afford but the point being the initial threat.

maybe he had said he had a type of gravel as the bedding,, i use the reptibark and could see that being a hazard as well, maybe other types of bedding wouldn't cause an issue eitherway, it would be a different story if the snake's home environment was bedded with newspaper, but i'd still worry then about it associating me opening its lid with food, rather than it associating the box i put them in to feed with food.

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Originally Posted by jimsonfury

just my two cents... I will always feed outside it's home environment into a feeding tub, for one reason above all others, the possibility of the snake striking at it's prey and grab a bunch of bedding, a friend of mine had his for quite a while, always fed it in its home environment and the snake had lodged whatever the bedding was in the roof of its mouth, got an infection and eventually died. I'm sure there may of been ways to treat the snake...maybe he couldn't afford but the point being the initial threat.

maybe he had said he had a type of gravel as the bedding,, i use the reptibark and could see that being a hazard as well, maybe other types of bedding wouldn't cause an issue eitherway, it would be a different story if the snake's home environment was bedded with newspaper, but i'd still worry then about it associating me opening its lid with food, rather than it associating the box i put them in to feed with food.

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woah...in regards to your friends snake...if he had gravel as a subtrate then I can completely understand that the snake got some of it lodged during feeding and probably became impacted. It happens with gravel. Reason 1...to have proper subtrate. It is sad his snake died because of that.

I am not a big fan of loose subtrate for my balls unless they are gravid. but that's just me. I prefer paper.

I don't know about anyone else but around here on feeding day when I open lids....they are looking for their food. Their heads pop up out of nowhere and they are on the hunt!

So for me....I would rather take my chances feeding in the enclosure rather than transporting them while they are in 'feed mode'.

;)

Just in my experience, I feed my snakes religiously every Friday at 5:00 when I get home from work. They don't seem to act any different on feeding day. When I bring the feeding bin into the room, sometimes my Boa will realize whats going on and come out of his hide so I can take him out. I watch their behaviour very closely cause my Boa is almost 6 foot and very powerfull... I would not want to be bit that is for sure. Once he gets put into his feeding tank with the newspaper he is on the hunt. I would never knock anyone elses oppinion on doing this or say that they are doing it wrong because different things work for different people.

It's just that we all know snakes do go into the mode where they are looking for food and their feeding reflex gets locked and loaded... and in captive snakes it is usually a part of the owners feeding ritual that triggers this. Since I handle these snakes daily and you are most likely to get bit reaching to pick up any snake... I like to try to ensure that in no way do my snakes relate anything warm in their tanks with them with food. It seems like if all the feeding ritual consisted of was opening their enclosure and putting the food in... over time the act of opening the enclosure will be enough to trigger feeding mind set. Imagine trying to pick up a six foot boa that thought it was time to eat everytime you open then cage. I encoutered a Red Tail years ago that was given to the shop where I cared for the reptiles...that would not let you reach in without striking. Mom wanted it away from her kids. It was about a year old and underfed... when it was fed it was fed in it's cage because the mom did not want to handle it. It took months of daily handling and feeding outside of her tank before I was able to get the snake to the point where I could reach in without her wanting to take a snap at me. Point is... This was given away as an aggressive snake that could not be handled... when in actuallity it was just hungry and doing what it was used to doing. Well i cared for that snake for about a year until it made what I would call a full recovery... then I found it a good home.

I'm sure that snake had other husbandry issues when I took it in... But that is just an example that may be relevant to the discussion. These are the reasons I personally feed out...

Sounds like there are pros and cons either way you feed.

All I know is if the way you are feeding is working for you ... Why change... If it's tried and true :)

Open tub drop in rodent, next:snake:

I think it depends on what your Bp is in i have mine in tubs so i feed them in the tub but when i use to have them in the tanks i took them out becuase i use to have them in substate but with my tubs i just use paper i was afferade of them swollowing some of the substrate hope that helps

I started out feeding in a separate container, but since I use newspaper as substrate, I figured it would be a lot easier to feed in the enclosure. This way I dont have to handle before and after the feeding, which can be stressful. I also dont have to worry when picking her up out of the box when she is looking for more food, and possibly ready to nail me.

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

Open tub drop in rodent, next:snake:

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Good one Raul! :D

Pretty much the same here....open tub, drop in rodent, WHAPPPPPPPPP, close tub, grab another rodent, open another tub, WHAPPPPPP....and so on and so on....:)

I feed everyone in their tanks except 2 of my normal females because they are sharing a tank until my rack is built. They seem to get along well, but I still want to seperate them as soon as I have the room.