What is 'powerfeeding' exactly?

[vinnimac]

Just what the title says, what is it? I can figure it constitutes giving a snake more than it should be eating, but is there anything more definite? I have a new snake, 6 month old het albino that likes to eat, but I don't want to do him a dis-service by giving him too much. Please help define. Thanks

[gncz73]

you know i have read alot on this subject and for the most part from what i read it's feeding leke every other day or three times a week and not letting your snake digest the meal before the next. but muti feeding in the same sitting is ok. my mojave will eat every day if i let him he has yet to refuse a meal. but i tend to feed every five days as this give them a chance to digest the food and he has grown so fast it's unreal. i really don't know if this help but this is just my thinking on the subject.

[kenatk]

Power feeding is intentionally over-feeding your snake by any of several different measures. A lot of individuals will feed their snake a prey item that is larger than recommended in comparison to the size of their snake, or they'll feed the animal a prey item, and then, as it's swallowing it, they'll jam another pre-killed prey item into the snake's mouth so he has no choice but to ingest that one as well. Or, they'll feed the animal a few times a week, as gncz73 mentioned.

This is terrible for the following reasons:

a. the snake's immune system suffers because it is a tremendous shock to the snake's internals to have to constantly digest larger than acceptable prey items, and it is also a shock to their system to have to begin digesting a new prey item right after digesting the previous one. All the efforts of the snake's system get dedicated to digestion, and this weakens the snake's system over-all, thus, weakening the immune system as well

b. the animal can, in certain cases develop "fatty liver" which is a health problem shown to develop in snakes that are continually fed large rabbits and adult guinea pigs

c. it dehydrates the snake, because the snake needs fluids to help digest its prey, if it eats too much, or the meals it eats are too large it robs the snake of necessary fluids that help sustain the over-all health of the animal

Power feeding is bad news ... Repeatedly shocking a snakes system like that reduces their life-span by numerous years. Always stick to a conservative feeding schedule.

My snakes eat on a conservative feeding schedule and believe me, they're much happier and healthier

[vinnimac]

So, one, or soon two, mice every 6-7 days is 'bout right for a 6 month old? Sorry, I don't have a recent weight or length on him.

[elevatethis]

I don't think you are powerfeeding, considering that of all the snakes I've raised, they were eating small rats at 6 months of age- and I don't even come close to "power-feeding."

[JLC]

So, one, or soon two, mice every 6-7 days is 'bout right for a 6 month old? Sorry, I don't have a recent weight or length on him.

When talking about bp's, I think feeding multiple prey items at your usual feeding interval is fine. From all I've read, bp's are usually very good about just eating what they need and ignoring anything else. The only way I would be concerned about over-feeding a bp is if someone were forcing prey into its mouth like kenatk described. Then they don't have any choice in the matter.

[monkeywrench133]

[QUOTE=vinnimac]So, one, or soon two, mice every 6-7 days is 'bout right for a 6 month old? [QUOTE]

do you mean one or two Adults? or Hoppers?

I was, until recently, feeding my BP two hoppers every 7 days, but have just upsized to one adult every 7 days. She's about 6 or 7 months old also.

[Adam_Wysocki]

This is terrible for the following reasons:

a. the snake's immune system suffers because it is a tremendous shock to the snake's internals to have to constantly digest larger than acceptable prey items, and it is also a shock to their system to have to begin digesting a new prey item right after digesting the previous one. All the efforts of the snake's system get dedicated to digestion, and this weakens the snake's system over-all, thus, weakening the immune system as well

b. the animal can, in certain cases develop "fatty liver" which is a health problem shown to develop in snakes that are continually fed large rabbits and adult guinea pigs

c. it dehydrates the snake, because the snake needs fluids to help digest its prey, if it eats too much, or the meals it eats are too large it robs the snake of necessary fluids that help sustain the over-all health of the animal

... Repeatedly shocking a snakes system like that reduces their life-span by numerous years. ...

Kenatk,

Do you have any empirical evidence to support your claims?

Not trying to break your shoes, but as most people on the board are already painfully aware, I'm a real stickler for separating internet lore from fact. I've been around reptiles for a long time and have heard some of these things before, but have never seen an actual scientific study done proving anyone of them to be true. They seem to be more based on breeders "gut feelings" than anything actually concrete.

The best I've been able to find is a study conducted at USC that showed a correlation between power feeding and a shortened lifespan in fruit flys, but I honestly don't understand how anyone can make the leap from fruit flys to reptiles?

I appreciate you taking the time to review my response and look forward to any studies or other evidence that you might have to share.

-adam

[Smulkin]

advocate (you know me)


How about the studies linking cumulative caloric intake with lifespan?

I am sure there has been no study done with BPs specifically but there have been a number done with rodents and the general population of Okinawa.


It's amazing the things learned in the science fields in the last 25 years alone.



That aside - wouldnt feeding on an acelerated schedule (say every 3 days) be potentially damaging to the digestive systems? Even as opportunistic feeders who in the wild might have to binge when they can get it wouldnt sustaining that intake over long periods be detrimental?

(this has potential for a good discussion, guys!)

(EDIT: fer splling)

[Adam_Wysocki]

How about the studies linking cumulative caloric intake with lifespan?

I am sure there has been no study done with BPs specifically but there have been a number done with rodents and the general population of Okinawa.

Can you really comfortably compare the metabolims and physiology of mammals to reptiles?

That aside - wouldnt feeding on an acelerated schedule (say every 3 days) be potentially damaging to the digestive systems?

I don't know ... that's my point ... I've never seen anything beyond speculation to lead me to form a conclusion one way or the other.

(this has potential for a good discussion, guys!)

I agree.

-adam