Quote Originally Posted by Charlie And Lucy View Post
Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure BP's don't have cage aggression and don't do the hand/food association thing. It's better to feed them in their enclosures, not outside because of their stress issues.

I'm surprised no one mentioned that yet. Or maybe they did and I missed it.
Really it depends on the snake and what type of food you're using. Live in the housing could be worse if it gives the rat places to hide. Seperate could be better with a problem eater because repeatedly putting the rat in the same tub will eventually cause the tub to smell like rat, promoting a better feeding response.

I can't speak to whether there's hand/food association, but I know at least with me, my snake goes into "hunt" mode the second I put her in the tub. It makes it a lot easier to feed that way. But she's not really had any kind of stress problems either, so it's tough to say.

Also, I'm using repti-bark currently, and I know the one time I did feed her in the tank she almost swallowed a piece of it that gut stuck to the mouse.

Ultimately, I don't think there's really a "right" answer. It comes down to individual snakes and owner preferences.