If Skittles can eat 3 pinkies...should he move on to bigger food?

[shelliebear]

I feed my one year old corn snake Skittles 3 pinkies a week, as he's too big for one, but now 3 barely stretch him out at all, as in, you can't really tell he's eaten after he's eaten.
If he can eat 3, should he move on to older pinkies? I found a mouse breeder who will sell me ~6 day old pinkies for $1.33 apiece or 15 of them for $20.
First off, is this a good deal, as my insight tells me no (that's around petco prices....which are bad) and second off, will the pinkies be too big, do you think?
I just don't want to over feed but the guy selling the mice did say if he can eat 3 pinkies he should be on bigger food.
Thanks.

[Daybreaker]

Sounds like he can easily be on at least fuzzies: my corn who is 131 grams takes multiple fuzzies for me right now since I have a whole bag of them and want to use them up. She takes them easily and is growing like a weed (I use the 10-15% rule to feed).
And $1 for one pinkie? Sounds really overpriced for me. But then again I bought in bulk at 100 for $16: which is only .16 a piece from Rodent Pro.

[shelliebear]

Well I bought some small fuzzies and they look like he could eat them. Will try in a few hours and update.

[shelliebear]

He weighs 49 grams by the way.

[Jay_Bunny]

I have a snake who's just a little bit bigger than yours (56g) and he's tackling fuzzies like no tomorrow. If he's eating that many pinkies, fuzzies should be no problem. Corns are not like pythons. Corns can stretch a little and be okay. While pythons should be fed something smaller or the same size as their largest girth, corns can easily eat something larger. I'd use the 10-15% rule as has been suggested. If your little one is 49g, I'd feed him something around 5-6g.

[Quantum Constrictors]

My corn was only 30 Grams and taking Fuzzys like a champ. If you have a scale check out this chart. If you do not have a scale go get one please!

-When they're on single pinks (2-3g), I feed every 4-5 days. (Snake = 4-15g)
-Double pinks (3g x 2) every 4-5 days. (Snake = 16-23g)
-Small fuzzies (5-7g) every 5-6 days. (Snake = 24-30g)
-Regular fuzzies (7-9g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 30-50g)
-Hoppers (9-12g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 51-90g)
-Weaned (14-20g) every 7 days (Snake = 91-170g)
-Adult (24-30g) every 7-x days (Snake = 170+)
-Jumbo Adults (40-50g) every 7-x days (Snake = 400g+)

[shelliebear]

Wow! By that scale my older corn Cheesecake, who is around 150 grams, should be eating weanlings! I've been feeding her 3 fuzzies and just started worrying she is overweight so today I fed just one instead! Oh my gosh, I hope they're not starving! I'll go get the right size of food right away.
I do have a scale but I never though anything could eat that much of their body weight! :o!!!! Wow! Thanks guys.
Do you think the corns have been ok with what I've been feeding them, like, you don't think they're sick from hunger do you?

[Quantum Constrictors]

rule of thumb. If it eats more then 2 you should prob move it up a food size.

[Mike41793]

Yea i would definetly move up. One big meal is cheaper than 3 smaller ones lol. And $1.33 for pinkies?!?!?! Does he stuff them with diamonds? As was said above, theyre .16 cents from rodent pro... Thats over an 800% markup, aka highway robbery...

[RobNJ]

Do you think the corns have been ok with what I've been feeding them, like, you don't think they're sick from hunger do you?

I'm sure they're fine, but if you want them to grow, bump up the prey size. I've never seen year old corns still feeding on pinks. As mentioned before, they can proportionately take a larger meal than balls no problem, as they have super fast metabolisms and generally digest and pass waste in 3-4 days. Don't get carried away though, as they are prone to regurgitation if meals are too large...you've got some good advice above.