Power feeding VS "Frequent feeding"

[CrazycatOP]

So I know that power feeding isn't good for ball pythons. But has anyone heard of "frequent feeding"? AKA Feeding like 3 times a week but smaller food items than if power feeding. Is this harmful? Will it grow a ball python as fast as power feeding without the internal issues and life shortening? I can't find any info except a YouTube video by the K brothers

[KMG]

Why would you want to do such a thing?

[CrazycatOP]

The whole point is I want to know if it's safe. My snakes eat smaller food and are growing REALLY slow. If there's no harm, then I'd do it. I'd never power feed because it's harmful. But I'm asking if frequent feeding is different, and would prefer answers instead of passive aggressive comments/questions. This is a place for answers, not questions hiding accusations.

[Tigerhawk]

Don't do it. It's not a race, just raise them slow and steady. In the end you will be better off.

[KMG]

I grow mine slow. No reason to rush it wasting food and having fat snakes.

[PythonBabes]

Why are they eating too small food items?? If that's what you mean by 'my snakes eat smaller food'. How would you even fit 3 feedings in one week, even an adult ball python being fed pinkies wouldn't be able to do that....I don't think at least...

Feed appropriately sized food less frequently and your snakes will be full grown in 2-3 years, when they are supposed to be.

Rushing an animal to grow is never good and is always detrimental to the animal. If you are trying to grow for breeding just know that fat snakes end up putting out more slugs...

[CloudtheBoa]

Feeding 3 times a week IS power feeding....and comes with all of the downfalls of power feeding. Such as premature death, obesity, and potential reproductive problems.

Assuming prey size and feeding frequency is correct, growth rate is really not a huge concern. If you're feeding too small of meals, increase the meal size. If you're feeding them less often than necessary, feed them a little more often, but I don't advise feeding more often than every 7 days. It's better (in the long run) that you allow a snake to grow at its own rate even if it's a bit slower than normal, than overfeed it to compensate.

[CrazycatOP]

Ok thank you. All I wanted to know is if it was the same as power feeding. I figured it would be, but I wasn't sure if they were able to digest it differently for some odd reason. Thank you for your asnswers. And I don't feed "small" but I don't feed "large" either.

[PythonBabes]

The whole point is I want to know if it's safe. My snakes eat smaller food and are growing REALLY slow.If there's no harm, then I'd do it. I'd never power feed because it's harmful. But I'm asking if frequent feeding is different, and would prefer answers instead of passive aggressive comments/questions. This is a place for answers, not questions hiding accusations.

You said yourself that they are feeding small...

Just please feed your snakes appropriate food items and they will grow at a steady rate, no need to power feed if they are eating the correct size food...

[John1982]

So I know that power feeding isn't good for ball pythons. But has anyone heard of "frequent feeding"? AKA Feeding like 3 times a week but smaller food items than if power feeding. Is this harmful? Will it grow a ball python as fast as power feeding without the internal issues and life shortening? I can't find any info except a YouTube video by the K brothers

Keep it simple. I doubt you'd notice much difference in growth if you fed one snake (3)10g rodents each week and another snake (1)30g rodent. You're just talking about splitting up a normal sized meal into smaller portions, right? Different people have different opinions on what constitutes power feeding - from train feeding to simply overfeeding. I only count growing snakes since it's generally just a rush to get them to breeding size. If a growing snake is consistently more girthy(proportionately) than a healthy adult male, you're power feeding.