Prey size for new Boa

[Willie76]

SO my breeder is know for purposely slow growing (not over feeding) their RT boas. In their experience this has produced much healthier snakes in the long run. Currently, my new 2012 RTB is 145 grams and they were feeding mouse hoppers (I like to feed rats and have a large supply). Can I use the 10%-15% rule like I do on my younger BPs?

If so, would you suggest a bigger rat fuzzy or a smaller rat pup? My rat fuzzies are running roughly 10g-20g (average about 15g so that would be around 10%) and my rat pups are running roughly 21g-30g (averaging 25 grams so that would be on the high end of the 15%)...

Thanks ahead of time.

[NormanSnake]

I'd go for the rat fuzzies but that's just what I would do. I don't have a ton of experience with boas but I think a rat fuzzy once a week would be perfect. My six foot female eats one small every 7 days which seems small but I think it's fine. It keeps her at bay and she doesn't seem to be hungry.

[DooLittle]

You don't want to use the 10-15% rule with boas. That's for balls. You want to feed a prey item that will not leave a noticeable lump, or a barely noticeable lump. You also only want to feed every 7-10 days.

[Willie76]

Thanks! I kind of remember the 10%-15% only being for balls but just needed the clarification. So an appropriately sized meal (rat fuzzy at this point) that is about the size of the thickest part of the boa is what I am hearing...

[NormanSnake]

Sounds like you've got a plan! Good luck! Congrats on the new addition!

[nick654377]

i use the 10-15% rule. my dums is 417 grams and she ate a small rat last night at 40g. it did not leave a noticable lump and she is on a 7 day feed. she will be moved up to a 10 day once i get my bcc squared away and he gets on a 10 day but untill then she stays on friday night feedings. i stay around 10% tho. once and a while i will toss a slightly larger one in there if i know she is going to go into blue that week.

[Evenstar]

You don't want to use the 10-15% rule with boas. That's for balls. You want to feed a prey item that will not leave a noticeable lump, or a barely noticeable lump. You also only want to feed every 7-10 days.

This is exactly right. If you're going to use a percentage, stay at 10% or less for boas. But I just eyeball it. Smaller is better for boas and I prefer to feed an item that does not leave any noticable lump in my boas' bellies at all. Feed only every 7-10 days - even for tiny babies. And I would stick to the mouse hoppers or maybe possibly weanlings. Boas tend to grow better (and still slowly) on mice. Rats can have too much fat content. I don't switch my boas from mice to rats until they are big enough to eat a rat weanling (they are on large/jumbo mice by this time, so the rat should be a comparable size). The smaller mice have more bone content which is better used by the snake for growth and nutrition. The fat in rat pinks/pups can cause complications in boas by stimulating growth and causing digestive upset.

[Willie76]

@Evanstar

It's funny you mention the mouse/rat discussion with boas. Before I bought him, (like any new species) I always do a ton of research so I can provide the best home and ran across a huge debate on some other forums/articles of mice vs rats on boas. Obviously, fatty food sources are not good for boas as boas do not break down fat well. This is the one fact all have agreed on from what I found. But I saw many "breeders" who start babies/hold-backs on rats and continue with rats all through their boa's life with no ill effect (assuming one is not feeding toxic-fat Zucker rats). Then there are those who strictly feed mice then go to rabbits as adults. Then there are those who start mice then switch to rats around the weanling stage. Then there's the whole discussion on making sure that if you feed rats to ensure they are all white vs colored rats to ensure you're not accidentally feeding a Zucker when Black Hooded rats are OK...Sometimes I wish there was just a clear cut answer!!!

I sincerely value everyone's input.

[Evenstar]

I agree with you - I wish there was a clear cut answer. I just go with what I've found has worked for me personally and it seems to go along with information I've recieved from some very well-respected and long-term breeders (Vin Russo and Gus Rentfro primarily regarding this particular topic). I start with mice and feed mice until the boa is large enough to take weanling rats. Once they are on rats, they stay on rats for their entire lives. If I have an exceptionally large individual, I'll feed 2-3 jumbos or offer a guinea pig or rabbit for one meal a month (and they get a couple jumbo rats for the other meal in the month). This way, they are never over fed, but still getting proper nutrition. They are lean, active, strong, and extremely healthy. I've never had a feeding issue doing it this way.

But that doesn't make it wrong to feed rat pinks/pups from the start. In the end, it is a personal choice. It's just not what I would do and not what I recommend. Mainly because its just too easy to overfeed a baby boa when they are on rats right away. And mice seem to be easier to digest overall. So why fix something that isn't broken? Just my thoughts.....

[WifeOfSlasher]

We went with what was available. Sometimes mice and sometimes rats. A rat of the same size as a mouse is heavier meaning more nutrition in a smaller package. We also had a super hard time getting a regular supply of mice locally for some reason. The zucker rat thing... I did a ton of reading on this. It's not about feeding pups/weaklings/small/medium/large rats. It about the jumbos. The old fat rats were causing the problems. You can avoid this by staying away from those jumbos. Also, there are so many colored rats out there that aren't Zucker's.