Feeding in a seperate tank

[tcutting]

Well, one example is I handle way more often then I feed, I feed on a certain day and don't handle at all, and when I do handle I use hand sanitizer before I handle but not at all when I am feeding. So I guess they get used to that pattern.

sent would work as a way to train a certain response. so I can see where that would work. plus you dont handle on feeding day so that is another part to the pattern.

[Kinra]

I personally feed mine in their cages, all of them including my boa. When I just had one BP I did feed in a box. I also almost got tagged several times trying to get Lily out of the box and back into her cage. It seems like there have been some pretty good suggestions to avoid this though. When I did feed in a box I would put the snake in and then put the food in.

[Jaxx]

Also feeding in a seperate tub cuts down on having to remove items from the original enclosure, and no worry about the snake ingesting substrate or anything like that when fed in an empty tub.

As an example, could you imagine feeding in this enclosure? It would be a pain.

[HypoPita]

When I feed live, I use a separate enclosure, that is a lot taller and longer than the tubs they live in. It makes it easier to watch and make sure they do not get bitten, as well as give some extra room for shy feeders. I rarely feed live anymore, but did for quite some time.

My technique is to let the snake sit in the feeding bin for a few minutes and get a little comfortable, then feed. After they eat I let them sit, and when they've let the food settle a bit, they start to look around for a way out, and this is when I transport them back, making sure to support (but not squeeze!) where their food is. I have never had a problem with regurg. Just don't take them out *immediately* after they swallow their food and you should be fine.

That being said, I feed F/t normally, and right in their tubs, without ever having an unwarranted feeding response. I think it really depends on your snake. They are all different.

[MasonC2K]

I would strongly disagree. I can see where in most cases it isnt needed; however if you believe they get use to being handled, why couldnt they get use to a pattern and routine for eating? These are creatures of very basic patterns and routines, and that is something you can get them adjusted to in most cases if there is a need.

I can only see it happening if the only time you ever open the cage is to feed. But if that's the only time you ever open the cage, why even have a snake? As long as you handle your snake in a normal way and don't smell like a rat, odd of you getting bitten are low, especially with a BP.

[AliCat37]

I used to feed all my snakes out of cage, but my ball took FOREVER. So I just started feeding in the cage. I notice no difference in behavior. I also don't think that the small amount of handling required to move the snake back into his cage is going to affect him. Thus being said, that only includes lifting him up and putting him back into the cage. Don't grab the lump from the meal either.

[Skiploder]

Also feeding in a seperate tub cuts down on having to remove items from the original enclosure, and no worry about the snake ingesting substrate or anything like that when fed in an empty tub.

As an example, could you imagine feeding in this enclosure? It would be a pain.

You don't have to worry about your snake ingesting substrate anyway - so that's a moot point.

As for them learning to associate the opening of their enclosure with feeding - maybe if that's the only time you interacted with them....and I stress maybe.

But in 30 years of keeping snakes I've never had an issue with snakes associating opening the tub/door with food. There are species I keep in pairs and must feed separately - now those snakes have bit me when I go to move them after their meals, but never upon opening the door.

I'm just in awe of all you people who have these amazingly intelligent snakes that do things mine don't - like have issues ingesting substrate, become blood thirsty biting machines when the door is opened, display cognitive learning behaviors, etc.

I have a serious question for all you separate tubbers:

How is it that your snakes are smart enough to associate the opening of the door with food - especially when you also open the door to clean, change water, cuddle and stroke them, etc. but magically don't correlate the feeding tub with food? Especially since that's all the feeding tub is used for - feeding.

How you feed your snakes is up to you, but you all seem to be going to an unnecessary hassle in an effort to head off a non-existant problem.

At some point you may move beyond ball pythons and might find out the hard way that hungry snakes should not be moved before and after their meals.

[Jaxx]

You don't have to worry about your snake ingesting substrate anyway - so that's a moot point.

As for them learning to associate the opening of their enclosure with feeding - maybe if that's the only time you interacted with them....and I stress maybe.

But in 30 years of keeping snakes I've never had an issue with snakes associating opening the tub/door with food. There are species I keep in pairs and must feed separately - now those snakes have bit me when I go to move them after their meals, but never upon opening the door.

I'm just in awe of all you people who have these amazingly intelligent snakes that do things mine don't - like have issues ingesting substrate, become blood thirsty biting machines when the door is opened, display cognitive learning behaviors, etc.

I have a serious question for all you separate tubbers:

How is it that your snakes are smart enough to associate the opening of the door with food - especially when you also open the door to clean, change water, cuddle and stroke them, etc. but magically don't correlate the feeding tub with food? Especially since that's all the feeding tub is used for - feeding.

How you feed your snakes is up to you, but you all seem to be going to an unnecessary hassle in an effort to head off a non-existant problem.

At some point you may move beyond ball pythons and might find out the hard way that hungry snakes should not be moved before and after their meals.

I never said that my snake injested substrate, I just said it would cut down on the chance of it by feeding in a seperate tub.
Also, I take my BP out of his enclosure every day to spend time with him and have never been bitten or striked at. I don't know how much more proof you need other then the pic I posted of him coming out of his enclosure and going into the feeding tub on his own to proove what I said.(Not that I really care if you believe it or not). Like any other animal it will learn a routine if you stick to it. I started off by openning the door, putting the small vented rat carrier in the enclosure with him, then moved it out of the enclosure, then placed it in the feeding tub. At this point he knew where the food was and from there associated the door openning and the tub being placed in front of it with supper time. If none of your snakes have ever learned any routines, then I don't know what to say to that. I am sure that because you have kept snakes for 30 years you know much more about them then me. All I can say is, this is what mine does and if you think it's not natural or impossible or whatever else you are implying, you are more then welcome to your opinion or in your case possibly personal fact, I am not saying anything about any other snake,I am speaking solely of mine and the way he acts.

[Quickone4u]

You don't have to worry about your snake ingesting substrate anyway - so that's a moot point.

As for them learning to associate the opening of their enclosure with feeding - maybe if that's the only time you interacted with them....and I stress maybe.

But in 30 years of keeping snakes I've never had an issue with snakes associating opening the tub/door with food. There are species I keep in pairs and must feed separately - now those snakes have bit me when I go to move them after their meals, but never upon opening the door.

I'm just in awe of all you people who have these amazingly intelligent snakes that do things mine don't - like have issues ingesting substrate, become blood thirsty biting machines when the door is opened, display cognitive learning behaviors, etc.

I have a serious question for all you separate tubbers:

How is it that your snakes are smart enough to associate the opening of the door with food - especially when you also open the door to clean, change water, cuddle and stroke them, etc. but magically don't correlate the feeding tub with food? Especially since that's all the feeding tub is used for - feeding.

How you feed your snakes is up to you, but you all seem to be going to an unnecessary hassle in an effort to head off a non-existant problem.

At some point you may move beyond ball pythons and might find out the hard way that hungry snakes should not be moved before and after their meals.

+1,000,000
I myself started out feeding in a separate tub several years ago and the only time I experienced any negative attitude from my snake was during this time because he knew tub time was feeding time so he was in that mode. As mentioned above, if you are interacting with your snake more then just feeding time then it's not going to associate you with food. Only once you plop the prey in and they pick up the scent,heat, movement.
No troubles whatsoever once I switched to feeding in the enclosure and I remove a thing our two each time myself just for more room. Really how hard is it to pick up a thing our two out of the enclosure? I could understand this being an issue if you have snake numbers in the double digits but most people have rack systems and minimal objects in the enclosure by then anyway. Also,i have always used aspen bedding and just recently switched to cypress mulch and have never had a single problem with substrate ingestion! Just my .02

[Skiploder]

I never said that my snake injested substrate, I just said it would cut down on the chance of it by feeding in a seperate tub.
Also, I take my BP out of his enclosure every day to spend time with him and have never been bitten or striked at. I don't know how much more proof you need other then the pic I posted of him coming out of his enclosure and going into the feeding tub on his own to proove what I said.(Not that I really care if you believe it or not). Like any other animal it will learn a routine if you stick to it. I started off by openning the door, putting the small vented rat carrier in the enclosure with him, then moved it out of the enclosure, then placed it in the feeding tub. At this point he knew where the food was and from there associated the door openning and the tub being placed in front of it with supper time. If none of your snakes have ever learned any routines, then I don't know what to say to that. I am sure that because you have kept snakes for 30 years you know much more about them then me. All I can say is, this is what mine does and if you think it's not natural or impossible or whatever else you are implying, you are more then welcome to your opinion or in your case possibly personal fact, I am not saying anything about any other snake,I am speaking solely of mine and the way he acts.

It's almost like you kinda read what I said, but didn't.

Re-read my post again, then read your response and then maybe you can tell me why one jives so badly with the other.