Quote Originally Posted by DooLittle View Post
The 10-15% prey rule is for balls (and youngsters at that), not boas. At his age he should not be eating weekly. Many breeders start babies out on a 10 day feed schedule. He should be eating an appropriate size item every 2 ish weeks. My almost 2 year old boas are eating a medium-ish rat every 2 weeks. They are nice and lean, and I can see their muscles. He shouldn't be on rabbits yet. A male BCI, should be able to get by with rats his whole life. I would back him off. He is very large for his age, and imo, too big, and eating too much.
I did not know that. I was suggested this diet by several people who use the same method for their boa constrictors, ball pythons, and reticulated pythons. The very first photo I posted on here was a product of a 7-10 day schedule as a baby and he looked anorexically skinny to me. Maybe it was just the way the photo was taken, then, or I'm just not used to seeing baby weight.

I have also already stated he is no longer on a weekly schedule. With his last rat I started a biweekly schedule (as in before that rat I waited 2 weeks), and then his next meal (which was his first rabbit) was 4-5 weeks later, I waited 2 weeks to give him his next rabbit, and I think I will be waiting an extra week or two before giving him the remaining rabbit.

I get so many mixed opinions on feeding. 7-10 day as babies, every 5 days as babies. Once a year old they should be fed once every 2 weeks, they should be fed weekly until 2 years old. A 6ft boa can be started on rabbits, never feed rabbits. Don't feed jumbos because they are fattier than rabbits, don't feed rabbits because they're as fatty as Guinea pigs. Rats are more nutritious, rabbits are more nutritious. My take on it was to try the rabbits anyway, less often than fed on rats, and see how he does. I tried it at 2 weeks like his recent schedule, that seems to be too often. So I'll try 3 weeks. If that's still too often, I'll try 4 weeks. The only way I'm going to be able to sort through all of this conflicting info is doing it myself because I was obviously getting nowhere with the info being provided.

I was under the impression that 5ft at 2 years was normal, which he was just a few inches over 5ft at 2 years. I think I may have addressed this, but for a month or so I had been feeding him way too large of rats without realizing it. He should have been eating large-ish mediums or small-ish large rats, but he was eating jumbo-sized rats. Maybe that's why he's already jumped up to 6ft in 6 months from 5ft. I have constantly been asking questions concerning eating habits since I got him 2.5 years ago, and nobody has pointed out that I was in the wrong. I guess this will be a learning curve for my next boa.

It's hard to find a decent place to let him stretch out in this apartment because it's so small, but I cleared off a space in the kitchen. This is him today with a full belly ****2 days, nearly 3 days, after eating.***





On my leg.


This is a boa in the wild, which is quite a bit more heavy-set than Cloud. DISCLAIMER: I am not saying all are like this, but if Cloud is fat this one certainly is.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g6...Panama_101.jpg

I am sorry if I sound cross, it's just frustrating trying to sift through all of this information with everyone saying each other is wrong without ever getting to root of everything. I have always been told that Cloud was a nice, lean, muscular boa so I did not know that I was doing anything wrong - it's hard for me to change anything if I don't know! I hope you understand.