Feeding during shed?

On Monday I noticed Makena's eyes were opaque and she was dull. She's ready to shed for me. I've fed her twice (on a 5 day schedule) and tomorrow is the next scheduled feeding day. Is it worth it to attempt to feed her or should I just wait until she's shed? I know people do both, but as I haven't had her for long I'm not sure how she would handle it. I'm thinking I'll skip this feeding and shoot for post-shed. Does this make sense? Should I try the mouse tomorrow to see if the shedding process affects her feeding? I really just can't decide...

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Originally Posted by branson

On Monday I noticed Makena's eyes were opaque and she was dull. She's ready to shed for me. I've fed her twice (on a 5 day schedule) and tomorrow is the next scheduled feeding day. Is it worth it to attempt to feed her or should I just wait until she's shed? I know people do both, but as I haven't had her for long I'm not sure how she would handle it. I'm thinking I'll skip this feeding and shoot for post-shed. Does this make sense? Should I try the mouse tomorrow to see if the shedding process affects her feeding? I really just can't decide...

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it all depends on the snake.. some will eat just fine.. some wont.. every1 has their prefrences.. i dont.. because it can be an energy consuming process and they will appreciate food after shed!

Some of ours eat during shed, some don't. We used to offer whether they were in shed or not but due to enough refusals, we just don't bother now. Once they complete their shed cycle, they eat on the next feeding night which is usually within days of their shed anyways.

i feed at the slighest sign of blue eyes

Depends on the individual some will eat during shed some won't, with time you will know your animal and whether or not he will eat during shed.

Most mine do but a few systematically refuse during shed.

I agree, it depends on the owner and their snakes likes/dislikes. My male and female both happen to show signs of a shedding come soon...The male ate 2 rats (usually eats 4 mice) and the female wanted nothing to do with any of the rodents. It all depends on what the snake is into. :gj:

Niether of our snakes have a problem with eating while they shed. We were wiery of giving Lilith a mouse on her first shed, but she ate just as quick as any other feeding day. same with my other new snake (used to be my brothers), she/he will eat no matter what. I guess it would just depend on the snake though...

I always offer food on feeding day. Sometimes those in the shed cycle will accept the prey and other times they wont. I don't have any one snake who steadfastly clings to either acceptance or refusal during shedding.

Silly snakes :P

I also offer food on feeding day. Mine usually eat while in shed, but if there is a refusal somebody else gets to have seconds (f/t).

I'm in the inbetween category. I have some that seem to feed more aggressively during shed, while others won't even leave their hides.

Do you feed live or f/t? If you feed live, you may need to have an enclosure to keep any refused meals. If f/t, then you should be fine to offer.

Mine feed just like normal when in shed

You should have "sometimes eat, sometimes don't" as a choice in the poll.

Mine goes either way depending on her mood. Though if she is not in shed she is always a good eater. She has refused food while in shed before, but she shed last night and ate with gusto the night before.

I've tried to feed once during shed and got a refusal.

Now that I have nowhere to keep refused prey I just wait until the shed is complete. Besides, it makes me happy to see her out of her hide and wrapped around a rat as soon as she hears that little scratch scratch scratch.

I ended up not offering food to her. When I got back today (weekend trip to Canada. Loved it!) she'd shed and pooped everywhere, so I'll offer food. Hopefully, cleaning out her tub didn't stress her too much. And I think I'll try feeding during shed next time, just to see what she's like.

Mine freaks out. He gets all scared of the mouse and runs to his hide.

When I see that some of mine is in shed I put a pink post-it on there tub and dont offer food until after they shed.

My snakes will usually eat when in shed, sometimes they don't, none of them have made a habit of it, and it has never been a problem with my boas, only my pythons.. even then sometimes they decide to go for it and other times they pretend I'm not there trying to get them interested in the food.

I have some that will eat while they are in shed and some that will not. But sometimes the ones that have eaten while in shed have also refused. It is hard to say. So now I mark every enclosure that has a snake in shed and do not thaw out any food for them until they are finished shedding. Missing one meal is not going to harm them.

Mine used to always eat during shed, now has started ignoring the mouse so I will feed him a day or two early if he looks like he's going into shed.

I've never had a refusal during shed for any of my snakes--but if there are refusals (otherwise) I'll just toss the mouse either to the corn or to my Sugar Gliders (usually they eat pinks because it's less messy, but a mouse isn't THAT bad either... kind of barbaric the way they eat something that looks like it could be one of them though... cannibals.)

=3

my bp is on adult mice and shes preshed right now, she wouldnt eat the mouse but she took to a f/t hopper, maybe a little snake before shed?

My snake has only shed 4 times since I got him but he has always been just fine with eating while in shed.

My normals will not touch a rodent when they are in shed so I wait until the cycle has been completed and then I offer food to them.

I always skip meal days when in shed. I feed frozen thawed and if they refuse it the poor rat died for nothing so i just feed on the next feeding day.

Either way your snake will be fine

JIM

50/50. One of my BPs will eat all through shed, as will my boa. The short tail, usually an excellent feeder, will start to refuse even before he turns opaque. My other BP won't feed after she turns opaque (or ever). Not sure about the sand boa.

Some of mine will eat during shed, others won't... I would say it's around 50/50 with my ball pythons, and more like 90/10 with the colubrids (they are pigs, LOL). I usually offer though, even for the ones who normally refuse.

some do some dont, a cut and dry yes or no is never the answer when it comes to snake behavior. every snake is an individual