How Frequently Do You Feed Your BPs?

[mikeamy2007]

I'm going to have to agree with Robin. I feed live, but not for MY entertainment. In fact, once I'm sure everything's OK, I shut the lights off and let my snakes eat in privacy.

i tend to agree with you on this point. my female wont eat unless i leave the room lol. She will literally constrict , and then stare at me until i leave, even if im across the room !!!!!!!!!

[froggsong]

I get where you're coming from Meghan

There's nothing wrong with enjoying watching the awesomeness of our animals doing what nature designed them for.

My problem is with people who have expressed a desire to switch to live because it's meant to be a weekly show to be cool with their buddies and laugh at the mouse being killed. THAT'S not a good reason to switch, and that's where my framing was coming from!

Gotcha! I totally get what you were saying now. Switching just so you can watch the snake kill the mouse would be wrong, IMO too.

[flyingtigress]

Boots eats on Wednesdays and Sundays. She is thin and I just switched her to medium mice last Sunday, and now looks great, filled out. So I was definitely underfeeding with the fuzzies. It's hard to judge with the girth.

As for enjoying watching her eat, I enjoy it every time. She eats f/t mice. I don't know why, ever since I was a little girl I was entranced by snakes. My parents always took me to the Audubon Zoo (in New Orleans where I'm from) and they had an awesome Reptile House. This was my favorite part of the zoo - partially because it was a respite from the summer heat and humidity (typically 95 deg/80-90%), but also because I loved snakes. They had to almost drag me away - I could have spent hours just staring at the snakes in their enclosures. I never got to see them feed, though, and always wanted to. Only on nature shows on TV.

So from the first time I saw a snake feed live, which was in the pet store before I brought Boots home, it just fascinates me. It is so alien to us as humans - so different from the way we approach, chew, swallow and digest. It almost looks like it hurts, but I know it most likely doesn't since they are built to handle it. And it is an awesome feeling of completion after she swallows and the tongue starts flicking again, and I'm happy because I made my snakie happy!

So my enjoyment comes not from the rodent, but from her. If she only ate live, I would feed live, since she is thin and they can be so picky. She is also only a couple months old. Hopefully she won't turn shy while eating and I can enjoy watching her eat for a looooong time!

[Daemonicus]

Once a week for the BPs b/c they are all still young...probably go to 10 days when they get bigger....2-3 weeks for the 6.5 ft Argentine and whenever I can get my mature Kenyan to eat I am happy....He like to fast a lot..I think he may be anorexic

[halfwaynowhere]

I feed mine once a week. I prefer feeding every five days, but I work in pet stores on the weekends, so its easier for me to just pick up my food every sunday.
I feed live to my BP, but last week switched my corn snake to f/t because it saves me a trip to the reptile store each week for live. I prefer feeding live, and as long as my BP is eating it fine, I'm going to stick to it for awhile. I might switch to pre-killed once she's on rats, though. Still undecided on that one.

[mooingtricycle]

Not sure if i responded to this thread, i know i voted, but im too lazy to really check.

I feed every other week. Im of a personal opinion that snakes are fed way too often as is. And ive seen photos of Necropsied * word?* snakes that, in my mind absolutely prove this thought. Even on a conservative diet, ive seen a cobra * who has a faster metabolism than a ball python* have excess amounts of fat. I have friends who Had lost a snake due to fatty liver disease, and have read others who have lost them due to the disease as well.

I also feed live. it easier. Less work, and all of the snakes take it. I see no reason to change. I dont do it because "the snakes like it" nor do i do it for my own enjoyment. its just what works, and thats how i feel i should feed.
I also feed F/T when i have it, and Prekilled if someone wont eat live, where then i will place it in the tub overnight, and see if they eat. if not, i toss the dead rat and make them wait till the next feeding time.

[Nuzum1978]

I am switching to weekly feedings. She is ALL OVER her tank tonight and I can only imagine she is hunting. I got her out and it was like the night I got her (3 wks. ago) - she was very mobile, checking every small little hidey hole, you can tell she is looking for something to eat. It is very easy to read. So she gets one tomorrow after tank duty and then a quiet weekend in her hide.

I feed live. I enjoy watching, but I hate the killing, if that makes sense. I hate marking one of the little guys at the pet shop for death, but I love my snake more than my remorse. I've read on here (you all are a great resource) that they are shy about it and are picky eaters sometimes. Not my Dasia - the whole family has watched each of the times we've fed her.

I have concerns for both the heath of the rats from the pet store and the last one kicked a little and I was worried about scratches. I live in a small town and have, at present, no alternative. Dasia is quick, efficient, and aggressive so I think she can handle things.

[herpguy311]

Can you point me to a study that says that live is healthier and more exciting for the snake than f/t? The fact that there are thousands of animals feed f/t that are thriving in collections around the world is proof enough that f/t is no less healthy than feeding live.

I am impressed with my snakes and the fact that they are perfectly designed to dispatch their prey - but if entertainment value is the reason to choose to feed live, the keeper might want to re-think their reason for having a snake.

I agree 100%!

[betoiguanas]

I'm going to have to agree with Robin. I feed live, but not for MY entertainment. In fact, once I'm sure everything's OK, I shut the lights off and let my snakes eat in privacy.

Yeah, I do the same. I didn't choose live prey for my ball, when I bought him, he was used to feed that way. I feel sorry for the poor mice, but that would be the same in the wild. But I don't see that as entertainment, it's just the way they feed.

[xxTYLERxx]

Can you point me to a study that says that live is healthier and more exciting for the snake than f/t? The fact that there are thousands of animals feed f/t that are thriving in collections around the world is proof enough that f/t is no less healthy than feeding live.

Additionally, quite the opposite is true regarding live prey being healthier than f/t. Freezing prey kills off most, if not all, parasites and other organisms that may be harmful to your snake. Therefore, feeding f/t is more likely healthier than feeding live.