Quick context: I got my two BPs when I was 10 and I just turned 30, and they've lived in this enclosure virtually their entire lives (and 2/3 of mine!). We obviously weren't aware of the logic behind keeping BPs separate, and they've been healthy and mostly well-behaved for the vast majority of this time so I'm not interested in separating them.

In the last several years I've run into some problems that I'd love some advice on. My BPs have become increasingly difficult to work with during feeding, and I'm not sure why. I feed one live medium rat each every ~2 weeks. When they were younger I'd just drop one in the cage, one would hunt, then I'd wait until he starts swallowing and drop the other one in, no problem. I can't imagine that working now.

The feeding response has become so intense that one might even strike at the other while he's killing or swallowing his rat, so I started feeding them separately out-of-cage in cardboard boxes. The other main reason for that change was they would constantly get wads of shredded coconut in their mouths while feeding (we used unsuitable bark that didn't cause this particular problem when they were younger). They also started striking at my hand sometimes both before and after feeding, even though they've been handled plenty throughout their lives. They struck at my dog as he walked by the enclosure the other day-- this is way outside of their behavior I've seen in all these years.

I'm aware, as you must be, of the risks and downsides (for some) of feeding out-of-cage. I've made it work so far with no regurgitations and minimal bites, but damned if it isn't nerve racking! I lay a pillow case over one for a minute or two before putting them back in the cage so they "shut down", but they're still so jacked up after putting them back in that I have to be super careful putting the other snake in or the first one might strike at him.

Overall they just seem way more intense during feeding sessions, and I'm not sure what to do. I can't feed in cage with this coconut shell unless I try the large plate or tub-lid method people have suggested, but that doesn't solve the problem of their raging feeding-response.

Looking forward to your ideas.