Time to size-up/slow-down feedings?

[dkspftw]

Just weighed the larger of my 2 girls and she's ~670g now. I've been feeding her 1 weaned + 1 fuzzy rat together every 5 days, and I feel like it's probably about time for her to upgrade to small adult rats.

I'd read in another thread (the thread that first got me feeding my juvies every 5 days instead of weekly) that several people switch to 1 week feedings when they get to the point where their BPs are eating small adult rats.

Think it makes sense to switch it up that way at this point? My other snake is 560g so she isn't so far behind, and I suppose it'd be more convenient if I could keep feeding every 5 days till the other snake also puts on 100g or so. But I don't want to overfeed the first.

Opinions?

Thanks!

[satomi325]

You can go ahead and start feeding both a small rat every 7 days if you want.
I always bump up feeding schedules from 4-5 days to 7 days once a snake hits 500 grams. Both of your snakes sound more than ready.

[dkspftw]

You can go ahead and start feeding both a small rat every 7 days if you want.
I always bump up feeding schedules from 4-5 days to 7 days once a snake hits 500 grams. Both of your snakes sound more than ready.

Thanks! And aside from difficulty of doing so, is there any real difference between me feeding it one large prey item (of appropriate size, of course) versus several smaller?

I ask because I'm going to have a LOT of leftover frozen smaller guys.

[yellowbelly76]

Glad I found this thread, cause I was considering starting a new one. What is the proper way to feed a BP two prey items? My BP is ready for the next size rat, but I still have several fuzzy rats in the freezer. In an attempt to get rid of them, and at the same time, ensure he is getting enough food, I decided to thaw two of them, and offer them in one meal. As typical, he struck and constricted the first one that I offered. Once he released the first, I offered the second, which too he struck and constricted. However, he ended up only eating, what I believe, was the second fuzzy. Once swallowed, he returned to his hide, and left the other fuzzy laying there near the entrance to his hide. He kept his head out, kind of hovering over the rat, as if protecting it. I didn't want to reach in to grab it, and risk getting tagged (not afraid of being hurt from a tag, but don't want to react poorly, and hurt my BP). In any case, I forgot to check it the following morning before work, but when I go home, I looked in on it, and he was in the process of swallowing the second fuzzy.

Did I offer 2 prey items correctly, or is there a better way to do it? Is it common for the BP to leave a prey item, especially a second one, sit for a day before eating it? My hope is to get able to get rid of several of these fuzzy rats before I purchase weened (which I believe are the next step) at the next reptile show in 2 week. Granted, I have will still have several fuzzy rats once the show happens, but I vacuum sealed them, so I could hold them for the next BP (hoping to purchase a second BP soon, to maybe one day breed with my yellowbelly male). Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!

Aaron

[200xth]

Thanks! And aside from difficulty of doing so, is there any real difference between me feeding it one large prey item (of appropriate size, of course) versus several smaller?

I don't think it makes a difference if it gets one 100g rat or two 50g rats or three 33g rats.

[200xth]

Glad I found this thread, cause I was considering starting a new one. What is the proper way to feed a BP two prey items? My BP is ready for the next size rat, but I still have several fuzzy rats in the freezer. In an attempt to get rid of them, and at the same time, ensure he is getting enough food, I decided to thaw two of them, and offer them in one meal. As typical, he struck and constricted the first one that I offered. Once he released the first, I offered the second, which too he struck and constricted. However, he ended up only eating, what I believe, was the second fuzzy. Once swallowed, he returned to his hide, and left the other fuzzy laying there near the entrance to his hide. He kept his head out, kind of hovering over the rat, as if protecting it. I didn't want to reach in to grab it, and risk getting tagged (not afraid of being hurt from a tag, but don't want to react poorly, and hurt my BP). In any case, I forgot to check it the following morning before work, but when I go home, I looked in on it, and he was in the process of swallowing the second fuzzy.

Did I offer 2 prey items correctly, or is there a better way to do it? Is it common for the BP to leave a prey item, especially a second one, sit for a day before eating it? My hope is to get able to get rid of several of these fuzzy rats before I purchase weened (which I believe are the next step) at the next reptile show in 2 week. Granted, I have will still have several fuzzy rats once the show happens, but I vacuum sealed them, so I could hold them for the next BP (hoping to purchase a second BP soon, to maybe one day breed with my yellowbelly male). Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you!

Aaron

A couple of my BP's are getting two rat pups each to help get rid of my rat pup supply.

I just feed the first rat pup to the snake. Let him/her eat it. Wait about 15 mins after the snake is done eating the first one, and put the second one in. Usually they eat it immediately, but sometimes not. By the next morning, it is always gone, though.

[coldbloodaddict]

I don't think it makes a difference if it gets one 100g rat or two 50g rats or three 33g rats.

Technically it does...Your snake wraps and kills a 100 gram rat one time then eats it...If you feed it 3-33 gram rats it has to expand all that energy 2 more times just to get the same weight intake.

[anatess]

Technically it does...Your snake wraps and kills a 100 gram rat one time then eats it...If you feed it 3-33 gram rats it has to expand all that energy 2 more times just to get the same weight intake.

And a lot of times, they don't want to bother expending that energy when they have something in their belly already.

[jesst]

I feed all of my snakes once a week. They range from 126g to 890g with only the largest eating f/t. Should i be feeding every 5 days or just stick to the once a week?

[Crazymonkee]

If they are growing and gaining weight you'd be Ok keeping the schedule you're on. Growth is the best indicator

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