Handling Your Babies?

[Ohm]

I was just wondering how often everybody is handling their babies?

Now assuming they are all feeding well, and excluding during sheds and 48 hours after eating, I try to handle them everyday...even if only for a few minutes. (By everyday, I guess I mean every night because that is when I am up, and when they are up )

Now I know if you have 100's of them you probably aren't handling them quite as much, but for me, only having 4 right now...I want to keep the "pet" aspect in focus in the midst of wanting to eventually breed. I mean...heck, they are pets after all

Discuss! lol...

[loonunit]

Oh, not that often. I probably handle a few snakes every week.

I do remember having to force myself to wait a couple days between handling Mr. Nibbles. One of the nice thing about having "many" animals is that they can all share the burden of me wanting to handle them, without any one animal getting stressed about it. I tend to play withthe friendly animals that like handling the most, of course. But I also try to handle the neurotic shy ones and the grumpy biters a couple times a month, to make sure they're at least accustomed to it. And it does seem to help.

[hondaracer297]

I try to handle my snakes atleast a few times a week for a few minutes.

[abrunsen]

I only have one BP right now but I handle her everyday for 30 minutes to an hour (excluding shed cycles, and after eating). I just can't resist holding her.

[Kinra]

I don't hold my BPs very often. I try not to stress out my breeding females, and there is almost always a snake in shed. I try to hold the smaller ones more often to "tame" them and get them used to handling. My female boa gets handled the most because she is in my bedroom.

Weekends are when I handle my babies the most because I have time. I will put on a move and cycle through a few of them while watching it, but that's about it.

[theJuju]

I handle her daily, except after eating and shedding, I'm learning. And my friends are always eager to hold her, too! She rarely seems grumpy about it. I'm trying to get her adjusted, I want her to be one of those BPs that chills around my neck while I sit outside on the porch during the summer.

[snakesRkewl]

I handle my snakes as often as possible including large female breeders that absolutely LOVE being out and about.
My males will fight me to stay out and be held, as will many of the females, and the babies will benefit from being held often after they are well established eaters.
Having a lot of snakes means they don't get a lot of handling time but I try to make sure they get out several times a week for at least a few minutes at a time.
I don't wait 24 or 48 hours to handle young snakes that are typically offered food two or three times a week.
If I had to wait 48 hours after a meal to hold snakes they'd never get held

[Satana]

I only have 1 bp and I usually have Bathory out every other day (excluding after feedings n shedding) for a few hours. I put a movie on or lay on my bed and sit on my laptop and she curls up next to me and goes to sleep (or just sits there, Im not real sure how to tell if they are sleeping) for about an hour then she wakes up and will explore the bed or slither around the computer for 15-20 minutes then resumes her spot next to me and goes back to bed. When I am ready for bed I put her away. I am not sure if its normal that she "cuddles" so often but I don't mind one bit

[Jaxx]

I handle mine atleast an hour every night and the nights I am off work for 2 hours or more usually. We watch movies and play COD MW3 together.
It shouldn't have to be said but I will cuz there is always one smartass.... But i don't handle him during shed or for 48Hrs after he eats.

[Valentine Pirate]

I don't have any sort of schedule with handling. My two older pythons get held a couple times a week sometimes, and sometimes I don't get around to it for a month between work and other obligations. Doesn't seem to make a difference for them, never bitten anybody and though my mojave is more comfortable with people they're definitely both able to be out a few hours with no ill effects. I've only had my little fire female for a month and she gets held daily, being in the bedroom it's very easy access. She's less and less nervous with each "session," so I imagine she'll be tamed down soon. Pretty mellow (if a bit reserved) to begin with anyway