Do You Feed In Your BP's Enclosure/Tub/Tank?

[bx718]

i also feed mine in a different container so i don't have to worry about her swallowing substrate... i heard about the cage aggression myth too which never made sense to me, if the bp is going to associate opening the lid of an enclosure for feeding time then i guess your never going to hold your pet huh.... anyways that's my reason and i feel its a good one since shes on aspen substrate.

[snakesRkewl]

I think if a person has one or two snakes or a real small collection then it's not a big deal either way, but when you have 50+ snakes to feed the last thing you want to be doing is moving them in and out of their tubs to feed them

[prettyballsy]

I feed all of my snakes in the enclosure. The feeding response is better with less stress. And no cage aggression, which is a myth anyway.

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I don't think I ever heard of it described as "cage aggression" but rather as a feed response associated with the opening of the tub. I guess I just thought if they never associated opening the tub with direct food....well it sounds like it makes sense lol. Anyway, I'm more comfortable feeding in the big tub rather than on the substrate too but I'll be going from three snakes to five snakes and a rack system in the next few months and it all might change....

[martin82531]

I feed inside the enclosures


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[prettyballsy]

I feed my ball python in his enclosure. Moving just increases stress/messes with temps and I've been told you're more likely to get bit feeding them in a separate tub, because they begin to associate being moved with eating.

I've been told I'm more likely to be bitten if my snakes associate opening the tub with food, you've been told you'll be more likely to be bitten because they'll associate being moved with food.....I think I'm going to assume snakes associate everything with food and sooner or later I'm going to get tagged!
I am concerned by all the posters who said moving them before feeding stresses them. That is not what I'm trying to accomplish at all so maybe feeding in the enclosure is a better idea....

[piedplus]

Too much trouble to move them. Have had my hand mistaken for a nice juicy rat though. Doesn't hurt much.

[Nathair]

My two balls get fed in their enclosure. My baby ball Bacchus just because its easier and more convenient, my adult Sweetie since shes already got such a feeding response as an adult. I don't think it would help. As long as I reach in and rub her side, she knows it's not feeding time. The Hognose on the other hand refuses to eat in his enclosure. I actually put him in a paper lunch bag with a pinkie as instructed by where I bought him from and he gobbles it right down.

[satomi325]

I've been told I'm more likely to be bitten if my snakes associate opening the tub with food, you've been told you'll be more likely to be bitten because they'll associate being moved with food.....I think I'm going to assume snakes associate everything with food and sooner or later I'm going to get tagged!
I am concerned by all the posters who said moving them before feeding stresses them. That is not what I'm trying to accomplish at all so maybe feeding in the enclosure is a better idea....

i also feed mine in a different container so i don't have to worry about her swallowing substrate... i heard about the cage aggression myth too which never made sense to me, if the bp is going to associate opening the lid of an enclosure for feeding time then i guess your never going to hold your pet huh.... anyways that's my reason and i feel its a good one since shes on aspen substrate.

Actually you have a higher chance of getting bitten when moving your snake to a feeding tub. They're still in feeding mode when they're done feeding and you need to pick them up to move them.
While it's rare, moving a full snake can result in a regurge. It's just less stressful to leave them in the tub. Plus, we don't have to bother them once they've downed the feeder. :\
At least, I wouldn't want to bother them once they're finished....
BPs are known to be a picky eater species. While your snakes may take food just fine out of their enclosure, I can tell you that many others won't.
Only a handful of my most aggressive feeders could probably pull off a separate feeding tub. The rest just feel more comfortable taking food in their own enclosures. When I first started, I did the separate feeding bin thing. I've noticed that my snakes have a stronger, more consistent feeding response in their own enclosure vs separate feeding tub. Also as Jerry said, when you only have 1-3 snakes it will work fine. But try doing that with a larger collection. Feeding would take hours.

A little bit of substrate isn't going to hurt your snake. After all, nobody cleans off dirt/debris covered prey in the wild.
And they do digest bone, which is more dense than wood.

Either way, whatever works for you.

[Gerardo]

I feed in a seperate container for a couple reasons. Rats poop and pee and i dont want to clean it. Also i dont want blood in the tub. But as far as being scared of being bit i say not a chance. I use to feed in the enclousure but didnt wana keep cleaning it because of the rat poop. And ive also never been bitten putting the snake back in its home after a meal in a seperate container. In fact ive never been bitten with feeding in its tub or in a seperate tub. So just do what u feel more comfortable with.

[MisterKyte]

I feed my snakes in separate tubs just for the sake of not having them swallow any substrate but that will probably change eventually.