Feeding frequency after egg laying?

[XSReptiles]

My first clutch of eggs were laid on the 5th. The female took her first small rat tonight. She dropped 600 grams after laying. She looks pathetically thin right now so I'm glad she took to eating to soon. I'm wondering how often I could get away with feeding her. I guessing once a week isn't enough for her for the next couple months or atleast several weeks.

Xavier

[T&C Exotics]

I double up feeding for the first 2 weeks they will take and then after that its normal feeding. But it is more complicated than that... Instead of feeding say one medium rat I will feed 2 smalls, one on sunday and one on wed... They usually gain weight decently fast.

[John Marker]

I will usually offer food the day that she laid the eggs or the day after. The sooner that she starts eating the better. After that I offer meals at least once per week. The meals start out as small rats, but after 2 or 3 feedings I bump the size up to mediums, or larger depending on the specific female. Also, after the first couple of feedings, I will offer multiple rats at each feeding. The one that I fed last week ate two small rats and a medium rat, three days later she ate another medium rat. She is starting to regain her per lay physique. This one that I am talking about laid her eggs on the morning of 3/8/10. Her first meal was later that night, a small rat. I do not force her to eat, if she takes the meal that is great, if not, someone else gets a treat.

I hope this is helpful.

John

[muddoc]

While I can't say that feeding more than once a week is not possible, I will say that a snake that hasn't eaten in quite some time, is more prone to being shocked by a large meal, or too many meals. The parasite load in the gut is more than likely low, as it has had nothing to feed on in quite some time. I have fed 1 slightly smaller meal a week for about a month, and then shift them back to regularly sized meals after that. They will regain their weight very quickly on one meal a week. There is no need to rush the weight gain, as I believe that you are doing more harm than good by doing so. If offered and fed one properly sized meal per wekk, your female will be back to her previous breeding weight, plus some for the following season.

Just my .02,