When to switch?

[jaxxxon12]

I recently got a ball python- she's about 3 to 4 months old, give or take a month or so. She's about 20 inches long and an or so around at her thickest part. My question is when do I switch her from frozen pinkies to the next biggest food? I believe it's fuzzies? I've read so many different answers on this online, so I figured I'd ask people who I know have experience with ball pythons. Thanks in advanced!!

[The Serpent Merchant]

Welcome to the site!

No Ball python should eat mouse pinkies, they are way too small. Ball Pythons can eat hopper mice from the day they hatch. You want to feed your BP a rodent that is as wide as the widest part of the snake. every 5-7 days.

Checkout these threads:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...t-Thermometers

[RoseyReps]

Seeing how she is still a youngin', I would use the 10-15% of her body weight rule. Or if you don't have a scale, a feeder as wide as the widest part of her body. My little girl was hatched in July, weighs 200ish grams, and is easily eating a rat pup (25ish grams each) every 5 days. If you are talking about frozen pinkie mice than the time to switch her was when she hatched Fresh out of the egg babies can take hopper mice or rat pinkie/fuzzies.

My suggestion would be to grab a kitchen scale (food scale) from walmart or target (make sure it does grams as well) for about $20. Scales are so freaking useful! I'm addicted to weighing my snakes and seeing their growth progress I have a graph going and everything...makes me feel all warm inside knowing they are growing like weeds

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Aaron beat me once again!

[The Serpent Merchant]

My suggestion would be to grab a kitchen scale (food scale) from walmart or target (make sure it does grams as well) for about $20. Scales are so freaking useful! I'm addicted to weighing my snakes and seeing their growth progress I have a graph going and everything...makes me feel all warm inside knowing they are growing like weeds

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Aaron beat me once again!

Same here, I use the scale I got all the time... very useful

[hypnotixdmp]

When I 1st got my scales I weighed all my babies lol some a little over 100 grams some over 300 grams and then some over 400 and 500 I cannot freaking wait to breed my 1st set and get my 1st clutch of eggs ever!!!!


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[kitedemon]

I will go a step farther and suggest that a scale is actually fairly important, it is the easiest way to track weight and will help spot health issues in advance of serious problems. tracking weight is a good indicator of health.

[jaxxxon12]

Oh thank you guys. I don't know why everyone else I've talked to says I should be feeding her pinkies. I'll definitely invest in a scale and get her eating something filling then!