Feeding during follicle growth

[adamfritzsche]

I was just wondering how often should I be feeding early on in the building folicle stage. I usually feed the adults every 6 or 7 days, but I have a female pastel who I am almost sure is building. I will feed her and she will be content for about 2 to 3 days, and then she will start roaming the cage like she is searching for food, when I go to open the tub she is right there waiting to pounce. I have been holding off and feeding her every 6 days, and when I do I toss a rat in there and she will litterally get it mid air, which is pretty cool, but should I be feeding her sooner right now?

I know they are opportunistic and usually eat when given food, but is this stage any acception, should I cut down to 5 days, or should i be letting her dictate when to feed, which would appear to be every 3 to 4 days?

Also while I am at it, do most still feed the typical size meal? I have read that some will start feeding smaller meals, when does that happen?

[MasonC2K]

Unless she is underweight, offer appropriate sized food weekly until she ovulates.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

If they eat feed them, I feed mine on schedule until they stop eating and the prey size remain the same (small to medium rat which are about 80 to 120 grams)

[Rickys_Reptiles]

I never stop offering food

[Don]

I never stop offering food

Same here. You always have those exceptions to the rules that eat when they are not supposed to eat. If I can get an extra meal or two into a breeding female, then all the better. If they refuse, no harm.

[heathers*bps]

I also don't stop feeding.

[adamfritzsche]

Thanks for the input. So I will basically just keep feeding on the same schedule until she stops eating, easy enough.