800g and not even a year old yet? How often should I feed?

[Cthulhu2015]

I just purchased a male firebee born 4/19/15. He weighed in at 790 grams today. I have a book listing every feeding and his weight since he was born. In the past 3 months he has only been fed 5 times. How often should I feed him?

My female pastel born in 5/15 is only 300 grams and has been fed every 5-14 days with the great majority being 7-8 days. Should I up her feeding to every 5 days? She only has 3 weaned rats left and then she will be moving up to smalls. She's really girthy for her length.

Thanks,
Andrew

[Eric Alan]

I feed all of my animals less than about 500 grams an appropriately sized meal every 4 days. Once they are big enough for small rats, they get switched to one meal/week. Males stay on that general schedule for the rest of their lives. Females get switched to medium rats when appropriate, but still typically stay on the weekly schedule.

I'd be offering your Firebee a small rat once/week and your Pastel a pup or weaned rat every 4 days.

[Cthulhu2015]

I feed all of my animals less than about 500 grams an appropriately sized meal every 4 days. Once they are big enough for small rats, they get switched to one meal/week. Males stay on that general schedule for the rest of their lives. Females get switched to medium rats when appropriate, but still typically stay on the weekly schedule.

I'd be offering your Firebee a small rat once/week and your Pastel a pup or weaned rat every 4 days.

I already bought 10 medium rats (frozen) for the firebee since that's what he was already eatting. Should I just save that for the pastel? Also, the pastel is actually almost big enough girth wise to eat small rats and has been on weaned for a few weeks now. Should I stay on weaned because of her low weight?

[Sauzo]

I fed my girl a fuzzy rat every 3 days until 500g. Then a weaned/small rat once a week until 1000g. Now she gets a large small or small medium rat every 2 weeks. She went from a 90g worm to a 1000g destroyer in just over a year. Remember, pythons are much more stretchy than boas and can take bigger meals. My BP gal ate stuff that made me worried in the past where when she was done, it looked like she ate a football but she just rolled into her warm hide and I didn't see her for a couple days haha. I heard if you feed them too often or too big of meals though that it can put them into fast mode. Now I have no idea as my girl hasn't eaten since Oct or Nov so maybe there is some truth to it haha.

[Eric Alan]

I already bought 10 medium rats (frozen) for the firebee since that's what he was already eatting. Should I just save that for the pastel? Also, the pastel is actually almost big enough girth wise to eat small rats and has been on weaned for a few weeks now. Should I stay on weaned because of her low weight?

It'll likely take awhile for the girl to be ready for mediums, so here's what I'd do: As long as the rats you have are appropriately sized to the snake's girth, then you'd be fine feeding off the mediums to the Firebee once/week until they are gone (then switching back to smalls permanently for him) and feeding the Pastel smalls once/week (until she can move up to mediums).

You don't want to end up with the football that was mentioned above - just a slightly noticeable bump that lasts for a few (2-4) days at most.