few questions

[iLoveBPs]

hey i was just wondering if this is an alright schedule, i feed my bp Mars every 5 days. ive heard and read alot 6-7 days but i try and feed it a little bit smaller mouse then adult. oh and Mars is about 5weeks old.

another question i have is it better to feed mice or rats, i hear that rats have better nutrition.
thanks in advance for any answers

[NotaMallard]

You'll want to feed one prey item that is as wide around as the snake's widest point every week. And I'm pretty sure all rodents have around the same nutritional value; however, it's a good idea to switch to rats. Rats come in sizes big enough to last through a snake's entire life. Mice are smaller, so you'd need to feed multiple mice every week once the snake grows. It's just cheaper and easier to use rats.

[iLoveBPs]

thanks for clearing some of that up, but is their anything wrong with feeding every five days. hes only 105grams last time i checked. is that a normal rate for being 5-6 weeks?

[stevepoppers]

Nothing wrong. I've seen it recommended a lot for young ball pythons. <500g, I think.

I've also heard that rats have more protein or something, which would make sense, since it's one big rodent instead of a bunch of small ones with extra hair and skin, etc for each.

[iLoveBPs]

also is 105g a healthy weight for my snake, hes around 18 inches long and 5-6 weeks old

[stratus_020202]

Hi. I think it seems like a healthy weight. A picture would help I feel all mine that are under 500 g's every 5 days. If they are hungry might as well feed them right? Besides there will come a time when they don't want to eat. It's nice to have them nice and plump when that time comes.

I feed rats because it's easier. It would take forever to feed my 2000 g girl 10 mice. Lol. I find it the younger they are when you switch to mice, the easier it is. But, that's just me.

Do what works for you. And, good luck!

[iLoveBPs]

thank you for the help and my avatar is a picture of Mars idk if that will help though :/
ill take another and post it he just ate last night though so he has a big belly :p

[iLoveBPs]

heres the picture of Mars next to a penny

[MGOBLUE]

5 days is actually reccommended in snakes that are smaller for they need more nutrition to keep em goin then the larger, older snakes do. My 1.1 hypos eat about every 4-6 days depending on how fast they digest their food they are roughly 300-400 grams. I agree with the previous post feed them as much as they will eat while you can because if they go off feed it is a pain. I have 11 bps and in the past year I can honestly say they have only all eaten the same day once in that year. If they all ate every week I'd be one happy man lol.

I'd start with rats as soon as you can because some snakes can be very paticular about what they eat. The one snake I bought was only used to eating some light colored brown mouse or something and it was a pain swapping him over to white rats. Even certain colors I have heard can affect what a snake eats if they are used to darker color rodents as opposed to white..but that is just what i have experienced and heard I am no expert. I have also been told rats have more nutrients in them and I have to say I do agree with this.

Hope this helped,

[dr del]

Hi,

I can't see your pic in this thread - is this it?




dr del