Feeding my ball python.. 3 mice???? What size?

[ryeguy5875]

I just got a ball python (newbie)...they said he last ate on last Tuesday and that I could feed him today. The lady said he eats 3 mice a week. Do I feed him them all one at a time at one feeding? Or over the next 24 hrs?
The mice size (mouse above hopper, I think she said small mouse) that was recommended to me looked very small for him. I fed him 1 already, no problems and he is hunting still around the tank. And he kind of looks pissed off at me that I gave him a treat, not a meal. lol
I seen a post on here with the different size mice to rats (the pictures) and cannot locate it. If you know where that is on the forum, please let me know.
I also seen on here that people prefer to switch to rat pups as soon as they can. Should I? And when?
I weighed him yesterday and it says he's 650 grams and he's 2 feet long.
The mouse that I already fed him was about the size of his neck right behind his head.
Thanks,
Lisa

[aaramire]

you should be feeding him prey that is the same size width-wise as your snake's girth( the widest part of his belly). i would try to get him on rats asap because its much cheaper than three mice a week and a rat is the right size for him.

[Patrick Long]

I also would suggest larger prey. Multiple rodents will not digest at the same rate, and could cuase undigested meals to pass through. NOT saying it WILL happen, saying that it COULD. If he is at 650, he should be pounding small rats maybe even small/med

[2kdime]

If he's 650 grams he needs to eat 2 to 3 ADULT MICE.

Or a small rat. Either one I'd be looking for a total prey weight of around 50 to 70 grams. Like said above. Find the widest part of your snakes belly. And get a rat whose hips are the same width. If the mouse you fed him was as big as his neck right behind his head. That's like you starving and going in to the kitchen and eating 1 potato chip. Haha

My male is 500 grams and capable of taking a small rat down. He's on weaned rats though weighing 40 grams or so.

Ill move him up to small rats here in a week or two.

Hope this helps.

[ryeguy5875]

Thanks everyone...I'll go get a rat today.
When I weighed him yesterday (I'm using the same scale I use to weigh my chihuahua pups) it was like 700 grams, but I deducted the snake bag and the bowl weight and It came up to 653 grams.

I figured that the mouse was way too small, so thank you. I don't want to starve him or get him pissed off at me. lol

[2kdime]

And you know switching over to rats can sometimes be tricky. Snakes that grow up to adults that feed on mice alone do just as good. When you go get a rat, ask for some used mouse bedding. And throw it in the container with the rat you get. Make him think its a mouse.

But if he's a mouser, as an adult 3 adult mice a week is just fine. I've heard of people feeding up to 4 a week also.

But rats are just easier. And as big as your boy is, a small rat once a week is all he will need.

Good luck to you!!!

[SatanicIntention]

I also would suggest larger prey. Multiple rodents will not digest at the same rate, and could cuase undigested meals to pass through. NOT saying it WILL happen, saying that it COULD. If he is at 650, he should be pounding small rats maybe even small/med

Really now, Pat.. in the 4 years I've been feeding multiple live mice to my snakes, I've never had a snake pass an undigested mouse. They eat multiple live rodents in the wild, and thrive just fine there. And no, there's no "could" about it. Now, too big of prey and insufficient temperatures can cause the prey to rot from the inside out, which, if not regurgitated, will cause death in the snake.

At 650, 2 medium adult mice a week, is fine, especially for a male. If you want to feed him more than that, go ahead, but prepare for a fast. Even my adult males, 1000g plus, don't get more than 2 mice a week, sometimes less. If mice are easy for you to obtain, and the snake readily eats them, keep doing what you're doing. No need to fix what ain't broke.

[Patrick Long]

Really now, Pat.. in the 4 years I've been feeding multiple live mice to my snakes, I've never had a snake pass an undigested mouse. They eat multiple live rodents in the wild, and thrive just fine there. And no, there's no "could" about it. Now, too big of prey and insufficient temperatures can cause the prey to rot from the inside out, which, if not regurgitated, will cause death in the snake.

At 650, 2 medium adult mice a week, is fine, especially for a male. If you want to feed him more than that, go ahead, but prepare for a fast. Even my adult males, 1000g plus, don't get more than 2 mice a week, sometimes less. If mice are easy for you to obtain, and the snake readily eats them, keep doing what you're doing. No need to fix what ain't broke.

Oh I agree completely but I cannot find the article now, of courses, but I was just putting it out there. Wouldn't you think the majority of captive (not talkin wild, they have ticks and mites in the wild but is that good?) ball pythons are fed appropriate meals, rather than multiples?? IDK not tryin to break your balls or nuthin at all.

[SatanicIntention]

No balls to break, so no worries Do have about 45 of the slithery kind though.

I know a few big breeders who have snakes that eat either one small appropriately sized meal, or a few multiples in one sitting, and all in all, it's all about the weight of the food. 65g of one thing is the same as 65g of 2-3 things combined. The bigger prey item might take longer to digest since it has less surface area for the acid to work its magic. It also has more mass. 2-3 smaller prey items would have more surface area, therefore allowing the stomach acids to digest them more efficiently. I don't know, that's just how I see it.

To me, if the snake is eating regularly, growing at a good rate, shedding regularly, defecating/urinating normally, has good body tone, successfully breeds/lays eggs/produces young, then that's really all that matters to me. It tells me that they are thriving and doing what they need to do

Just from personal experience, I rescued a female in 06 who was 780g at 3+ years old. She was being fed only one mouse a month and the owner really didn't have much of a clue. From May 06 to December 06, that snake gained over 1500g on 2-4 mice a week(depending on what I had available). She's now around 2300g and just HUGE. Her muscle tone is incredible and she really doesn't have much fat to speak of. She produced Frankykeno's lovely Pastel female last season, and is being bred to the same male again this season. She gained her weight back quickly and already has good sized follicles.

[hawaiianice99]

I am getting a little confused with all these different feeding methods. and forgive me if i sound like a newbie, i am. my ball is about 8 months and 22+ inches, havent weighed yet. and it has been doing just fine on an adult mouse once a week. i guess what im getting at is that do you think i should be feeding more?