Retic feeding question for rabbits

[Jxjaxj]

I have a 8-9 ft female retic. I would say she’s more on slender side. I tried to get her 2-3 lb rabbits today but after weighing them, they were all around 1lb. She’s already been taking 1.5-2lb rabbits for last few months. Is it safe to give her 2 rabbits at a time? I have fed multiples for rats but feel kind of weird doing it with rabbits, since she’s not that big. I feed her every 3-4 weeks. Thanks!

[Bogertophis]

Not a retic keeper, but just going on what you've described: personally, I'd just underfeed slightly (one at a time)- underfeeding doesn't hurt a thing, & you can always feed the next meal a bit sooner- that's better than a re-gurge any day. And in the real world, snakes don't always catch the optimal size.

[Jxjaxj]

Thanks!

[bcr229]

Yes you can give her two, or one every two weeks if that's more convenient.

I find it easier to feed 2-3 smaller feeders instead of one big feeder a lot of the time to my retics (I have 10), as the big ones can take forever to thaw and warm up.

[Jxjaxj]

Thanks and good point! Dunno if you ever go to that well known vet, Stahls Exotics for your snakes, but Dr. Stahl recommended me the same thing once. He said better to feed multiples of something smaller, since it’s risky feeding something big that’s not thawed right.

[Bogertophis]

... Dr. Stahl recommended me the same thing once. He said better to feed multiples of something smaller, since it’s risky feeding something big that’s not thawed right.

That's an excellent point. Those thick fur coats really insulate prey animals- adult mice have much thinner coats, & they thaw SO much faster than adult rats. Insulation works both ways- rats & other larger prey (with fur) like rabbits take a lot longer for the inner core to thaw.

[Jxjaxj]

Oh ok, yeah for my 1-2 lb rabbits, I put them in fridge at night, then sometime in late morning, take it out of fridge, by 10 pm at night, thawed out but still feels kind of cold so put in very warm water for 20 min, long process.

[bcr229]

Yeah bunny fur is a great insulator. Make sure when testing for "doneness" that you take your thumb and put it up under the rabbit's breastbone so you're checking the thickest part of the chest. I've had some 8-10 lb rabbits take hours to warm all the way through even after being thawed in the refrigerator for a week. Dealing with multiple smaller rabbits or even guinea pigs is a lot easier.

[Jxjaxj]

Thanks a lot!

[bcr229]

Thanks and good point! Dunno if you ever go to that well known vet, Stahls Exotics for your snakes, but Dr. Stahl recommended me the same thing once. He said better to feed multiples of something smaller, since it’s risky feeding something big that’s not thawed right.

Why yes, I'm quite familiar with Dr. Stahl.

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