Feeding In Separate Tub

[iddah]

I'd guess if you did a poll in this forum then about 90% would be feeding IN the viv/rub not in a separate place tbh

I've fed my 20 snakes on their vivs for years ( substrate is orchid bark ) with no issues . However , before offering the thawed rodent I put a couple of little pieces of card down and feed OVER the card . Simple .

Looks like mixed opinions, lol. A lot of people for and against, both online and in real life. I guess it does ultimately boil down to what works for me and my bp. Like I said, I'm not worried about anything else other than impaction, but I can always put paper towel or print paper on top of the substrate. I was also told since snakes are capable of digesting small bones there shouldn't be adverse effects even if he does swallow one or two pieces of substrate. I'm not ruling out the tub w/o trying it first, though.

Thanks to everyone for commenting so far.

[MasonC2K]

It's a matter of personal preference. but if you have multiple snakes, a separate tub to feed would be a nightmare come feed day. And far as substrate goes, your prey would have to be soaking wet and have a lot of it adhere to it in order for the snake to swallow a significant amount. If it were an issue, just serve the prey on a paper plate and slide it under the snake once the prey have been taken.

[Craiga 01453]

Looks like mixed opinions, lol. A lot of people for and against, both online and in real life. I guess it does ultimately boil down to what works for me and my bp. Like I said, I'm not worried about anything else other than impaction, but I can always put paper towel or print paper on top of the substrate. I was also told since snakes are capable of digesting small bones there shouldn't be adverse effects even if he does swallow one or two pieces of substrate. I'm not ruling out the tub w/o trying it first, though.

Thanks to everyone for commenting so far.

You're definitely going to get mixed opinions on this topic. Like Zincubus mentioned, probably about 90% feed in the enclosure, myself included.

Snakes have very impressive digestive systems which break down bone and fur. A little substrate will not hurt them. They would have to ingest and swallow a pretty large chunk for it to cause any health problems. And, as mentioned, laying a paper plate, paper towel, whatever, will help alleviate this concern, but isn't 100%. Sometimes they will drag the prey item off the plate or whatever and inevitably get a little substrate.

[iddah]

You're definitely going to get mixed opinions on this topic. Like Zincubus mentioned, probably about 90% feed in the enclosure, myself included.

Snakes have very impressive digestive systems which break down bone and fur. A little substrate will not hurt them. They would have to ingest and swallow a pretty large chunk for it to cause any health problems. And, as mentioned, laying a paper plate, paper towel, whatever, will help alleviate this concern, but isn't 100%. Sometimes they will drag the prey item off the plate or whatever and inevitably get a little substrate.

Jungle Earth is a bit chunkier, smaller chips are Coconut Terrain, hopefully not too big to cause issues if he happens to swallow one or two of those along with his rat?

I'm still buying the plastic tub, if not for the feeds, then for substrate storage, I did have the intention to just feed him into his tank until I started hearing and reading about separate feeding tubs and watching videos and seeing how that worked for a lot of bp's. I'm not gonna thaw my rats directly in water, I'm putting it in a self seal plastic bag and then into a tupperware container and fill that with warm water so it won't be as soaked as it would be if defrosted into water, and I'll dry the rat off really well. I think it's probable he'll drag the prey item off into one of his hides or smth so in the end I guess there isn't much I can do.

[Zincubus]

Jungle Earth is a bit chunkier, smaller chips are Coconut Terrain, hopefully not too big to cause issues if he happens to swallow a one or two of those along with his rat?

I'm still buying the plastic tub, if not for the feeds, then for substrate storage, I did have the the intention to just feed him into his tank until I started reading about separate feeding tubs and watching videos and seeing how that worked for a lot of bp's. I'm not gonna thaw my rats directly in water, I'm putting it in a self seal plastic bag and then into a tupperware container and fill that with warm water so it won't be as soaked as it would be if defrosted into water, and I'll dry the rat off really well. I think it's probable he'll drag the prey item off into one of his hides or smth so in the end I guess there isn't much I can do.

Good point about substrate with smaller bits !!

I use the orchid bark and choose the FINE option as they're very small pieces and should go through the system easily enough ..

While we're on that subject ... I'm sure I read somewhere that snakes can digest fur/ feathers and bone they can NOT digest WOOD ?!?

Anyone know the facts regarding snakes and digest wood ??


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[Craiga 01453]

Jungle Earth is a bit chunkier, smaller chips are Coconut Terrain, hopefully not too big to cause issues if he happens to swallow one or two of those along with his rat?

I'm still buying the plastic tub, if not for the feeds, then for substrate storage, I did have the intention to just feed him into his tank until I started hearing and reading about separate feeding tubs and watching videos and seeing how that worked for a lot of bp's. I'm not gonna thaw my rats directly in water, I'm putting it in a self seal plastic bag and then into a tupperware container and fill that with warm water so it won't be as soaked as it would be if defrosted into water, and I'll dry the rat off really well. I think it's probable he'll drag the prey item off into one of his hides or smth so in the end I guess there isn't much I can do.

I use the same mixture and haven't had any issues.

As for how to defrost and heat the prey item, try what works for you first. You may need to make adjustments for your animal though.

For example: My BP will only eat a wet rat, which was defrosted in warm water and served immediately. If I offer dry, he refuses. If I defrost in the fridge over night, he refuses. If I let defrost at room temp for a few hours, he refuses. Now that he's on small rats, I defrost for an hour or two in the fridge (sssshhhhh, don't tell Tyson) and switch to warm water after that.

Just an example of how finicky they can be at times. Sometimes what has proven successful for thousands of animals just won't work for another. So we, as responsible owners, need to make adjustments. I will always try to hear from several, experienced keepers before trying anything new with any of my animals. You'll learn pretty quickly who the experienced, knowledgeable people are.

Anyway, good luck

[iddah]

Good point about substrate with smaller bits !!

I use the orchid bark and choose the FINE option as they're very small pieces and should go through the system easily enough ..

While we're on that subject ... I'm sure I read somewhere that snakes can digest fur/ feathers and bone they can NOT digest WOOD ?!?

Anyone know the facts regarding snakes and digest wood ??


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Quick Google search tells me they digest pretty much everything /except/ rodent's claws and fur, and feathers of birds.

"During digestion, the snake's intestines go into overdrive mode and expand when necessary. When the snake isn't eating, the intestines are usually dormant."

"Owing to their narrow structure, no chewing mechanism nor limbs, a snake has to swallow its prey as a whole. In fact, their success and diversity is partly due to their ability to swallow prey relatively larger than their own body size. So inevitably, they need to process the parts like teeth, bones, exoskeleton and things of such nature."

"Snake saliva not only eases swallowing by lubrication, but also contains powerful enzymes to break down tissues and even egg shells. But snakes generally cannot digest keratin (claws, hair) or chitin (arthropod exoskeleton)."

Didn't find anything about whether they're able to digest or process wood tho.

Going back to the f/t, I'm gonna thaw the prey for him the way his breeder has done it, he's supposedly a good eater and hasn't missed any of the 5 meals he's been given so far (he's been fed last this past Sunday).

[Craiga 01453]

Quick Google search tells me they digest pretty much everything /except/ rodent's claws and fur, and feathers of birds.

"During digestion, the snake's intestines go into overdrive mode and expand when necessary. When the snake isn't eating, the intestines are usually dormant."

"Owing to their narrow structure, no chewing mechanism nor limbs, a snake has to swallow its prey as a whole. In fact, their success and diversity is partly due to their ability to swallow prey relatively larger than their own body size. So inevitably, they need to process the parts like teeth, bones, exoskeleton and things of such nature."

"Snake saliva not only eases swallowing by lubrication, but also contains powerful enzymes to break down tissues and even egg shells. But snakes generally cannot digest keratin (claws, hair) or chitin (arthropod exoskeleton)."

Didn't find anything about whether they're able to digest or process wood tho.

Going back to the f/t, I'm gonna thaw the prey for him the way his breeder has done it, he's supposedly a good eater and hasn't missed any of the 5 meals he's been given so far (he's been fed last this past Sunday).

Thanks for the info!!!

And yeah, I would do what the breeder was doing. If it works, stick to it.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Usually the people for it are people with limited experience, the people against it are the one with more experience.

Facts

With a species like BP moving to a secondary enclosure is brought to lead them to food refusal.

Moving a snake in feed mode which happen hours before and after feeding will get you tagged sooner or later.

If you have a strong routine they know when feeding day is even when fed in there enclosure.

They can digest fur, bone, teeth, nails so a little substrate is nothing.

They will not mistake you for food if you feed in the enclosure, holdest myth I out there.

Bottom line keep it simple there is absolutely no reasoning behind feeding in another enclosure for BP


I feed hundreds of them in their enclosure which has either aspen or coco coir.

[Kira]

Handling a snake right after they eat really isn't a good idea. They need about 48 hours to fully digest a meal. Moving the snake after eating can cause regurgitation and possibly a bite.

When I first got my snake, several people (ones who have never even owned a snake before) tried to insist that I feed her in a separate tub otherwise she will get aggressive and strike every time I put my hand in the tank. That's completely false. I feed in the enclosure every time. She knows that Tuesday is feeding day. I've had her since February and she has never even tried to bite me and hasn't skipped a single meal!