How should I feed an undersized ball?

[silverbill]

I got a new snake from a breeder a little while ago. It weighed 230g when I got it. I had initially asked the breeder how old the snake was and he hesitated a bit but told me around 9 months (a little small for that age but eh could be worse). That got me a little suspicious though, however, the snake had decent body portions, maybe just a bit thin. Today, I checked on his facebook page out of curiosity and found photos of the same snake as a hatchling as early as summer 2015! I could tell for sure that it was the same snake due to the patterning. So this snake is actually 4-5 months shy of being 3 years old yet it only weighs 230g! I have no idea how this breeder was feeding this snake, but he claimed a rat pup every week. Though that seems unlikely with the level of growth it's achieved.

So far I've fed two rat pups to the snake in two separate feedings 5 days apart. The snake is a ravenous eater and always seems to be looking for more. Should I continue feeding this way or should I feed more/less? 7 days apart? What can I do to best help this guy grow?

[c0r3yr0s3]

I would start by feeding 2 pups per feeding and then move up in size after a few double pup feedings

[larryd23]

Too many people/companies who sell animals for profit, regardless of the species, will feed their animals a subsistence diet. In the worst cases, subsistence is defined as nothing more than is required to keep the animal alive.

At work, I am well known as a pet lover and often asked for advice on acquiring a pedigreed dog or cat. I generally advise rescue or established hobbyist/breeder, little in between. When my boss wanted an puppy that would be good for her allergic sons, I found a breeder in New Hampshire (we are on Long Island) who had beautiful litter of Cairn Terrier puppies in the $400 range. Initially they balked at the distance. Later they balked at the cost. My advice has been repeated many times over the years. You only pick up your pet once. Don't worry about the distance or delivery charges. And as for the purchase price... if pedigree is what you want, your going to have to pay for good genetics and good rearing. Beyond that... one trip to the vet and you'll quickly forget how much you paid for your pet.

As hobbyists and animal lovers, we strive to feed our animals whatever is necessary to promote good health. Sadly, not everyone feels the same way.

Follow the advice of the folks on this forum who know a lot more about reptiles than I ever will and hopefully your new baby will be healthy, strong and putting on some weight in no time.

[bcr229]

I would feed a large-ish pup (27-29 grams) or a small-ish weanling (30-32 grams) every five days until the snake was up to 300 grams, then move it to a weanling every five days until it hit 500 grams, then a small rat weekly.

If this snake is truly almost three years old and only 230 grams then it's no wonder it will eat whatever you put in front of it!

[silverbill]

I'm feeding 35g rats now every 5 days. He last weighed in at 260g. It's been 3 feedings now and still not a single urate or poop so he must be very efficiently using up what he's been given. I'm really hoping he will still grow with no problems.