food size for retic

[dylan815]

So i have a mainland retic that is doing very well, he eats like a champ and is growing like crazy. Currently he eats 6-8 large adult mice 20Grams each. I have been feeding him these because i accidentally ordered way to many when i bought them for him. I didn't realize that within two months he would go from barely being able to get down two to 6 or 8 barely leaving a mark. I think he's ready for some rats haha, so my question is should i get small or medium rats?

[cchardwick]

I would probably get a mix of small and mediums. Retics grow like crazy, especially if it's a Mainland. If they start outgrowing a smaller size you can feed multiple like you are doing just to use them up.

[bcr229]

I would go straight to large rats if your retic can comfortably take 8 20-gram mice now. If you order f/t online just weigh them out and feed the smallest ones first.

[dylan815]

thanks everyone! whats every ones favorite place to order mice/rats? also, where do yall like to order ginnea pigs and rabbits online?

[Phillydubs]

I have only used perfect prey for my first order and it was a great process and nice stuff.

Your guy eats 6-8 at once ?? Wow with no issue just back to back?

i ask because I have a baby mandarin rat snake and I’m trying to change up the feeding I think it needs more food or bigger food. On Friday I went with a large pinky nearly fuzzy but I think it was too big. He ate it but seemed to act different this weekend he was moving a lot more and seemed like he couldn’t get comfortable. I’m thinking maybe it was too big and digestion was an issue or he’s working up a large turd.

Either way i was suggested to go to multiple smaller smaller prey items since he’s a thin snake.

I’d love if you could share your experience and routine as to how you feed multiples because this would be new for me

[bcr229]

thanks everyone! whats every ones favorite place to order mice/rats? also, where do yall like to order ginnea pigs and rabbits online?

Monster Feeders (Matt Martin) in MN would likely be your best bet since he's not too far from you.

[EL-Ziggy]

I go to Perfect Prey for all my rats. mice and chicks. I'm still looking for a good rabbit provider even though 2 large or jumbo rats are less expensive to feed than one rabbit. I just like to offer a varied diet to my critters. If your retic is eating 6-8 mice per feeding I'd get a mixture of medium and large rats. The medium rats at Perfect Prey are 90-150g each and the large rats are 180-279g each.

https://perfectprey.com/

[AbsoluteApril]

I've bought from these places and been satisfied: Big Cheese, Perfect Prey, Laynes Labs

i ask because I have a baby mandarin rat snake and I’m trying to change up the feeding I think it needs more food or bigger food. On Friday I went with a large pinky nearly fuzzy but I think it was too big. He ate it but seemed to act different this weekend he was moving a lot more and seemed like he couldn’t get comfortable. I’m thinking maybe it was too big and digestion was an issue or he’s working up a large turd.

Either way i was suggested to go to multiple smaller smaller prey items since he’s a thin snake.

Ratsnakes and colubrids do great with small multiple items. I feed my king 2-3 mouse hoppers sometimes. You can present all at once, give them the first one and then either just lay the others in there or go ahead and bump the body with them, most rat snakes will constrict multiple items at once (or use their body to press and hold the others against cage furniture). This is for frozen thawed of course, if live, you'd want to give one at a time.

[dylan815]

I have only used perfect prey for my first order and it was a great process and nice stuff.

Your guy eats 6-8 at once ?? Wow with no issue just back to back?

i ask because I have a baby mandarin rat snake and I’m trying to change up the feeding I think it needs more food or bigger food. On Friday I went with a large pinky nearly fuzzy but I think it was too big. He ate it but seemed to act different this weekend he was moving a lot more and seemed like he couldn’t get comfortable. I’m thinking maybe it was too big and digestion was an issue or he’s working up a large turd.

Either way i was suggested to go to multiple smaller smaller prey items since he’s a thin snake.

I’d love if you could share your experience and routine as to how you feed multiples because this would be new for me

he's a pretty big eater, he kinda just swallows one and then is immediatly striking at me or anything that moves. he just takes them one at a time down like a champ!

[artgecko]

I *think* south florida feeders has rabbits. I use perfect prey and big cheese for rats / mice. Have ordered once from south florida (when they had ASFs) and was happy with the packaging.