I had given each of my snakes one week without handling when I first obtained them, but of course there was the occasional soiling of the tub that in turn required me to handle them within that first week. It's not a "set in stone" rule of owning BPs, I'm sure many people have disregarded this suggestion and have had success with feeding and keeping a stress-free BP. It's really just a general consensus that you will have a better chance at a successful feed and a calmer snake if you give them time to settle in.