How many times a week do you feed?

[eel88]

I usually feed my ball pythons a meal the size of their largest girth once a week and my bps are all really happy and healthy. I decided to go that way because i don't have them just to breed (they are all too small still, but eventually) but to handle as well. On this schedule it gives them time to digest and for me to handle. Well i was on the phone with a well know breeder (20 years + experience) the other day and he had a 6 month old male at 600 grams! He said he feeds mice at the appropiate size almost every day! And it really opened my mind to how much i should be feeding them if i wan't healthy female ready to breed in a few years. What are you feeding, mice or rats, and how many times a week, how are youre guys growing?

[starmom]

For me, frequency of feeding depends on the age of the snake. Little buggers get fed every 5 days and older one's get fed every 7 days!! Hope this helps!

[Petboy15]

What breeder? This is interesting.

For the record, my adults get fed once a week and babies and some juvies once every 4-5 days.

[JASBALLS]

once a week.. 20 years huh? LMAO!

[spix14]

I believe that's known as power feeding. And from what I've heard, it's very bad for the snake, and can shorten their lifespans quite a bit. It might pack size onto your snake quickly but you will also have a snake that lives 4-5 years instead of 20 +. Snakes aren't made the same way we are, their digestive systems were not meant to handle meals every day. Their systems don't have time to absorb everything they need from the prey if you are pounding food down their gullet before they have a chance to properly digest it. Slow steady growth is a way better road to making a good breeder than rapid, unnatural growth. Think of it as the difference between building muscle naturally and taking steroids.

[bsd13]

I feed mine 1 large meal on Sundays and 1 small meal on Thursday or Friday except when they are shedding. The small meal is about 1/2 to 1/4 the size of the large meal. I don't want them getting fat (only I'm allowed to do that), but I also like to see a little meat on their bones.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

So who is that breeder with so much experience that he feed his animal almost every day?

I feed a small prey once a week my 18 months old girls are over 1500 grams.

You need to understand that digestion take it's toll on a BP and feeding almost everyday is called power feeding, it's not healthy and not recommended.

There is no rush, this is not a race, feed them adequately, love them and let them grow at their own rate.

[andwhy6]

i dont think a snake wouldnt even eat every day... unless then meals were extremely small...plus you would be wasting a good amount of money

[Gloryhound]

We feed the little ones Males under 600 grams Females under 800 grams twice a week. Our larger ones get fed every 6 to 7 days. Today is a feeding day for the little ones and unfortunately the pet store had no weaned rat pups or adult mice, so everyone of the smaller guys and girls are getting hoppers. Some of them will be getting 4 hoppers total. It is expensive this way.

The good news is our first mouse gave birth yesterday and seems to be nursing the pups just fine. It also looks like we have another mouse ready to pop soon.

[naba2002]

great topic i was just about to ask is feeding every 5 days too much? n the i saw everyday...WOW. ive never heard of that before and cant imagine thats good for the snake. i feed mitch once every 5days btw