question on feeding!

[BPelizabeth]

I have a 4 1/2 month old normal (girl) and a 2 month old bee (boy).

Here is my question....my normal will not take a full size adult mouse. I recently went to live and she seems to like that though she wont accept the full size mouse. She will strike it and coil then look at me as if to say..."hello..like I am going to stretch out my lovely neck". So at this point I am feeding her 2 hoppers once a week. Is this enough? Should I step up to every 5 days? She looks fine, has a great feeding response just wont take the larger mouse. And I am worried she is not getting enough "ump" out of 2 when I read somewhere that there is more protien in 1 bigger one.

Also my little bee is a ferocious eater.....I am currently feeding him two fuzzies every 7 days and think I will move him up to hoppers now, though if he had it his way....I think he would take a full size. His is a GREAT eater....but am I feeding him enough? He looks very healthy as well.

I don't have a scale to weigh them yet but that will be my next purchase as I need to make sure that their food is 15% of their body weight.

Thank you for all of your assistance guys.....again...I love this site and all of the help you offer!!

[iCandiBallPythons]

For the normal I would try a little tough love to make the switch. For the bee I'm assuming your feeding Fuzzy mice? IMO thats very small , I would feed 1 appropriate size item. I have 80-100 gram (few months old) babies eating smaller to medium adult mice. I dont do the 15% thing , I go by the girth (widest point) of the snake. Hope this helps

[bads15]

they can definitely stay healthy on what you are giving them for now.
i would make up a schedule sheet for each one of them and start recording when, what, and how many you feed them that day. i also like to include a column for when i notice they are in blue and also for when they shed. then once you get a scale you can add a column for weight. i weigh mine after every poo. this way my weights are as accurate as i can control. this is a good way to monitor growth. you will find out if you are not feeding enough if your snake does not put on weight.
also a comments column comes in handy for those out of the ordinary observations.

[aifgm]

my normal bp weight is 490 gr, i give her rat baby, she can eat that easily..
my pinestripe weight 248 gr, she eat rat baby too

my opinion you may change their diet

[Wh00h0069]

Two hoppers every five days would not hurt her. Once she gains a little more weight I'm sure she will start taking full-size mice for you. I switch my balls from a five day to a seven day schedule once they reach approximately three hundred grams.

[BPelizabeth]

Thank you everyone!!! Those were really good ideas!! The spreadsheet is something I have been meaning to do but haven't gotten to!! I am going to try bigger again....oye! If she doesn't eat it I am pretty sure my piglet-bee will. He seems up to anything that he can swallow.

[seeya205]

I feed my 3 month old(157 grams) normal a rat pup every 5 days!

[Moofins07]

Either my 4 1/2 month old normal female is unusually small for her age, or she needs to put on weight... I give her a hopper mouse every 7 days. Just got an empty weigh this morning: 120 grams. ><