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10-15% is usually a guide for a growing snake. I don't see many people (I've read a lot of these threads) feeding ball pythons anything more than 120 grams or so. 120 grams is the highest end of the weight range of their staple 'natural prey' - the ASF rat. They CAN take larger, but that usually results in feeding strikes. I'd rather feed 8x 100 gram rats at one a week than feed a 160g rat and have them go off feed for 2 months. I had to experience this first hand for it to sink in. I plan to stick to 80-120g rats once a week because of this.
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to MrLang For This Useful Post:
Libby (11-12-2013),OctagonGecko729 (03-21-2013),whispersinmyhead (11-15-2013)
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10% - 15% only applies to hatchlings and juvis. Not for adults.
My adults eat small rats weekly. Some big girls may get a medium or two smalls depending.
Anything larger than a medium rat isn't necessary.
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The Following User Says Thank You to satomi325 For This Useful Post:
NYHC4LIFE8899 (11-11-2013)
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Registered User
Re: What size prey do you feed your adult BP's?
Does the same 10-15% rule apply to growing boas? Just to double check, the recommended size prey to feed my 1300 gram female is one small rat every 5-10 days?
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Registered User
I'm not sure about the weights but my adult (about 6 years old) female eats small to medium rats every other week. Usually just one but sometimes she'll take a second the next day, it depends.
0.1 Ball python
0.1 Kenyan sand boa
1.0 Colombian rainbow boa
1.0 Black milk snake
2.0 Crested gecko
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Banned
I've always thought the best rule was go by the fattest part of his body measuring food size.
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I feed 15% up to 500 grams then after that males get a 50ish gram rat every week and females get a 100ish gram rat, so long as they are good about taking. If they're more comfortable with smaller, I'll offer smaller prey items in multiples. But if they're good eaters and they're taking f/t, that's the plan. I feed weekly because I work afternoons and evenings five days a week, so it's easier to just offer every week.
Black Pewter het Hypo Vestris; Black Pastel Enchi Zamira; Black Pastel Cheryn; Hypo Enchi Sofia; Lesser Pastel Eren; Super Mojave ???; Piebald Mako; Fire Vin; Pastel Estelle; Spider Hanji, Ezri; Normal Angelina, John, Aradia; Mojave Joe; Anerythreustic Kenyan Sand Boa ???; German Shepherd Dog Atticus; Rats Snowman, Colette, Calliope, Eliza, ???, ???
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Re: What size prey do you feed your adult BP's?
 Originally Posted by chosen2030
Does the same 10-15% rule apply to growing boas? Just to double check, the recommended size prey to feed my 1300 gram female is one small rat every 5-10 days?
Boas <> Ball Pythons, the boa metabolism is slower. My boas get a feeder that is no bigger around than they are. Once they're eating small rats they get fed every 7-10 days depending on their body condition, if I plan on pairing them, how much "hunting" behavior I observe, etc. If they're big enough for mediums the interval goes to 7-14 days.
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BPnet Veteran
What size prey do you feed your adult BP's?
I have been following the 10-15% rule mainly because I was always coming home with rats that are too big. Now that my girls are around 1200g I am finding my best feeder hesitant some weeks and even refusing occasionally when that rat is 150-170g. I think they want to make sure it is prey they can over power and the head has to fit too.
Based on the last few weeks I think. Am going to stop with 120g rat so I don't have refusals.
I have been afraid of under feeding mainly because I had one go off feed for 6 months and then we bad mites and that meant another couple month before everyone was feeding again.
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Jim
2.2 Ball Pythons
Female Pastel (Gella), Female Butter (Khaleesi), Male Spider (Igor), Male Pastel Butter (Tig)
Reptiles
1.0 Bearded Dragon (RIP Freddie)
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I only have two adults. My pastel gets smalls. My big normal girl gets smalls most of the time but every once in awhile I give her a smallish medium.
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BPnet Veteran
I feed 10-15% while they're hatchlings. Once my males reach the point of being able to take a small rat that's the largest I offer. My girls get medium rats when they're big enough. I don't plan on feeding larger prey.
Humans: 0.1 Amanda, 1.0 Husband, 2.3 Children
Ball Pythons: 2.2 "Classics" - Elmo (RIP), Mr. Noodle, Zoe, and Molly, 1.0 Pastel - Oscar, 1.0 Pinstripe het Hypo - Romeo, 1.0 Enchi - Eccleston 1.0 Mojave - Mr. Pillows, 1.0 Mojave Enchi - Commander Pumpkin Guns, 1.0 Black Pastel - Count Chocula 0.1 Butter het Hypo - Kerry Gold, 0.1 Spinner - Lucinda, 0.1 Spider - Luna, 0.1 Orange Ghost - Juliet 0.1 Blue Eyed Leucistic - Snow, and 0.1 Cinnamon Enchi YB 50% het Hypo 1.0 Bumblebelly - Ted Legend
Other Snakes: 7.8 Boas, 1.1 Reticulated Pythons - Little Sister and Giovanni, 2.1 Blood Pythons - Gonzo, Snugglewumps and Narcissa, 0.1 Dumerils Boa - Blossom
Lizards: 0.0.1 BTS - Smaug, 0.1 Bearded Dragon - Kilgharrah, 0.1 Leopard Gecko - Mavis
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