I have a young 172g BP and I just switched him over to F/T 40g rats, which were the smallest I could find after I learned they are more nuitricious and will make them grow faster. I just want him to be big, not for breeding reasons.

I know according to the 15% rule, the 40g rats are about 14g too large, but the girth of the rats are about equal to the thickest part of the body, and he ate them 2 weeks in a row.

I made him not eat for a week, after he ate a large live mouse, prior to the switch, and I offered the 2nd rat 7 days later. He ate them both times after about 45 minutes. The first time he ate it a little faster than the second time, but probably because he was really hungry.

Should I stick to the 7 day schedule since they are 14g over, or can I try every 5 days if he eats them?

So can a 172g BP eat a 40g rat every 5 days, or stick to 7 days since that's a fairly large rat for the young snake?