feeding in a feeding tub causes organ damage and kills snakes?

[SPIDERBALL]

Three out of my four I feed in a seperate container because they eat f/t. And they do just fine. The one I feed in his enclosure because he eats live and is really snappy. I can still hold him and stuff. But they all are fine doing the way I do. And have never regurged or anything. So if that makes me an idiot. Then I'm an idiot with happy snakes.

[KMG]

Three out of my four I feed in a seperate container because they eat f/t. And they do just fine. The one I feed in his enclosure because he eats live and is really snappy. I can still hold him and stuff. But they all are fine doing the way I do. And have never regurged or anything. So if that makes me an idiot. Then I'm an idiot with happy snakes.

Before I can judge if you're an idiot or not I need to know why you feed three f/t in another enclosure?


Probably not an idiot but may be a failure in time management. Lol!


I feed wet f/t rats in natural substrate without issue. No plates, paper towels, or special treatment.

[DLena]

You serve your FT wet? I thought they wouldn't eat them unless they were dry. I have to try that!

[KMG]

You serve your FT wet? I thought they wouldn't eat them unless they were dry. I have to try that!

Yep, soaking wet. Straight from the warm water to their mouth. Not a one seems to notice.

[DLena]

Boy that would save a lot of time, and plastic baggies

[andrewross8705]

You serve your FT wet? I thought they wouldn't eat them unless they were dry. I have to try that!

I have hognoses who would eat it frozen if they could and others who will only eat when it's still warm and has to be wet. Other snakes could care less, as long as it's thawed.

[wolfy-hound]

To be fair, the person arguing with the OP may very well be saying that feeding in a separate bin can cause extra stress, which can cause regurging, which can cause organ damage and thus death.

This is true.

They were probably told a lessened version of this by someone and then they have set it in their head as the worst possible version and so that's the Truth to them.

The facts are that you can feed in a separate bin or in the enclosure without any real risk to the snakes. Many people use either method without qualm and every keeper should do what works best for their snakes.

But trying to insist that the forum confirm that "feeding in a bin doesn't cause death" is almost as twisted as the person saying what they said.

A vet will say "If you feed your dog chocolate, it could poison it" and one person will declare "Chocolate is poison to dogs in large enough doses" and feed their dogs a small amount without any harm. One person will declare "ANy amount of chocolate will kill a dog instantly". Neither one is really true to the facts.

Instead of trying to be Right, try to impart some extra facts where you can.

[KMG]

Boy that would save a lot of time, and plastic baggies

Yes, it does. I used to put them in bags and try to keep them dry but it never seemed to go well. So then I started trying to dry them off after removing them from the water. In the end I found that a waste of both time and effort.

Now I put all my rats in a small tub and then the bathtub to add hot water. After they are thawed and warmed I carry the entire tub in my snake room and serve them. It works well for me. Much quicker and easier and the snakes certainly don't mind.

[BR8080]

I know many Corn Snake owners who feed their snakes in a feeding bin properly, for the entire life of the snake, without a single problem. Once I passed the 6th Corn acquisition, it became too cumbersome. And when I added in several different species, I expanded my knowledge base, and I've never bothered again.
The pros for corns, who are very active when in hand:
-they associate the bin with feeding and get down to business when placed in it.
-no chance of substrate ingestion.
-no mouse mess (blood, squished out feces) in your viv.
-no chance of a "wrapped and dragged" that was never actually eaten smelling up the entire room and "germifying" the viv.
-they never associate opening the door with feeding.
Feeding in a separate bin would not work for many species, like GTP's and most BPs, for example.
And just like the bin and eating becomes a conditioned response, I have found that other responses can be conditioned. Sauza, for example, uses a twisted paper towel to boop the snoot, so Caesar knows it's NOT feeding time. I now do that, too, and it works for every species I have.

When I purchased my ball python the reptile guy said to feed in a tub so I did - Then I hear from people not to do it, but I continued to do so because I didn't see any adverse effects. I now do it with my 3 boas as well. It works, I have a system set up and when they get in the tub - it's game time. At no other time are they in "feed mode" and that includes the seconds before putting them in their feeding tubs when I grab a quick weight on them. I'll probably continue this procedure until they are just too big to move to feed I guess, they have a lot of growing to do before I figure that out.

Yeah, it would even be funnier if you saw it in person. Picture an old, bald, short redneck dressed like Jimmy Buffet with a beer in one hand and feeding tongs in another. I am the poster child for a don't try this at home video.

LMAO - I can see the thread title now - "Hold my beer."

You serve your FT wet? I thought they wouldn't eat them unless they were dry. I have to try that!

Yes, it does. I used to put them in bags and try to keep them dry but it never seemed to go well. So then I started trying to dry them off after removing them from the water. In the end I found that a waste of both time and effort.

Now I put all my rats in a small tub and then the bathtub to add hot water. After they are thawed and warmed I carry the entire tub in my snake room and serve them. It works well for me. Much quicker and easier and the snakes certainly don't mind.

I was told it helps it go down easier by the reptile guy I got my first snake from. I thaw them in 1 big baggie overnight in the fridge, then on feeding day put them in warm water for 20 mins or so, change the water so it's pretty warm and put each feeder in it's own plastic cup in the feeding tub to "pre-scent" for about 10 mins and just a quick paper towel wipe before weighing and feeding - knock on wood never a refusal yet. That includes my ball python I just switched to weaned rats from xl mice with no issues (was worried because I've heard the horror stories of lifetime mousers).




To the OP - I'm a member, not sure how much longer, of a ball python group on facebook that will remove posts, and/or kick you out of the group if you condone, or describe feeding in a separate tub. They'll also flip their :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r: if you post about bathing your ball python. Another reason I like this group - constructive criticism goes a long way vs. the previously described actions. There are a lot of keyboard warriors out there that are experts, but in the end you do what works for you and your animals, with the animals best interest in mind of course. You'll find there are members here with YEARS of experience that offer advice - NOT dictate the way you should do something, unless of course we're talking a certain death of your animal due to an action you're taking (ie. housing multiple snakes together, using a heat rock, or UTH without a thermostat, etc.). Bottom line - read everything you can and formulate a plan from that.

[Sauzo]

I didn't read all the responses so ignore what has been repeated.

Feeding in separate bins is an old wives tale which has been debunked for years. It was believe feeding the cage made snakes cage aggressive.

Feeding a small snake in a separate bin can be done but isn't ideal imo. All it does is stress them out and create a higher chance for a regurg.

Snakes have been eating all kinds of debris mixed with their dinners for millions of years. Your one snake is not going to an exception to it unless it eats something like a paper towel or hand towel or something REALLY big it cant puke up or pass out the other end.

All if my snakes have eaten substrate and have been fine. My baby suriname got a full mouth of Eco Earth. So much that she couldn't even close her mouth and sat there for hours with her mouth open with basically a giant mudball in her mouth. I had to pick her up point her head down to the floor, prop her mouth open with the Q-Tip stick and spray her mouth out with a spray bottle. I had to do it 2 times which is why I quit using Eco Earth for my babies and all together. I use aspen for babies and Reptichips for my adults.

Now trying to feed a large constrictor like a burm, retic, boa in a separate bin can result in injury to you or the snake or death in you. I have fed all my snakes in their cages for years like I mentioned and none of them are cage aggressive. Even my retic who I've only had about 10 months is fine with me reaching into his cage once he knows food isn't coming. Same with the boas.

And if you feed wet or dry or semi wet F/T, throw down a sheet of thick cardboard, sheet of printer paper or newspaper down before feeding. I feed all my snakes semi wet F/T in that I thaw them in bags and then rinse them off under hot water, then just fluff them up a little with a paper towel. Then I just slide open the cage doors, hang the food inside the door ways and they grab them. In the case of my big snakes, they rip the food off the tongs so I have to grab the snake while its coiled on its food and then slide a sheet of printer paper under them and drop them down on it. My little snakes aren't big enough to rip the food so I just hold it with forceps with them hanging onto the food lol and put down a sheet of printer paper and set them down on it. After everyone is done and moved off the papers, I pull them out and done.