BCI weight Question.

[Evenstar]

....I feed my BCIs weekly. They are younger than yours but not by much. Try feeding 7-10 days and how large are the meals you are feeding them.

NO. No no no. That is OVERFEEDING any boa over 2 years of age. Sorry, you are giving wrong information. I'm not trying to be mean, I really am not, but please do more research before offering advice to others.

To the OP, you are fine with feeding every 2 weeks. Boas have a MUCH slower metabolism than ball pythons and do not need to be fed as frequently. They do very well at that schedule. You could even move your 5 year old to a 3 week schedule. A 7-10 day schedule is appropriate for neonates - not adults.

Feeding larger meals too often can result in blockage, regurge, or an unhealthily fat boa. Adults (and anything over 2 years can be considered "adult") cannot process fatty deposits and frequent meals like babies can. Adults grow at a MUCH slower rate than babies do. There is NOTHING wrong with your boas growth rate at this stage. They will simply grow more slowly naturally.

ElliotNess, I highly recommend you slow down your own feeding schedule. You are asking for trouble if you're feeding a 2 year old boa every 7 days (or even every 10). Again, I'm not trying to be mean, I'm just trying to help you.

AndEGA, your boas will grow as fast as nature intends them to grow on a healthy and appropriate feeding schedule. Growing too fast will result in a very unhealthy animal and also an animal that won't reproduce well, if at all, and most likely will die young. Boas can live up to 30 years in captivity, but ones that are power fed often die by the time they are only 10yrs old. If your boas have a nice lean, squarish shape, are active and passing waste regularly, then you are doing things right.

I would be very careful of your prey size too. Larger prey is not good. If in doubt, always go smaller, although this would depend on the actual size of your rats - one person's "large" is another person's "medium" so size is relative. But the rat shouldn't be any larger around then the boa. You do not have to see a lump.

Keep in mind that every snake is different. Your boas will grow differently and at different rates than mine will. And they will grow at different rates from each other too. They all hit growth spurts at different times. Just be patient and enjoy your snakes! With proper feeding, you'll be able to enjoy them for many years!!