Feeding help

[EthanMG]

This is my first ball python. I’ve had him for 2 months and he is now about 3 months old and has never missed a meal for me or the breeder. He weighs 216g currently. I’m feeding him 25g rodents once every week. Each meal he gains an average of 10 grams.

What I’m wondering is what I should to going forward for feeding. I’m trying to wait until November 6th (for an expo near me) to buy my next rodents, and avoid the shipping costs. Going by the 10-15% of body weight feeding rule, he currently needs a 28g rodent, and by November (assuming he grows at the same rate) he’ll need a 36g rodent.

To avoid feeding too little I had thought of feeding 2 rodents, but that’d be 50g which is way too much so that isn’t an option. but, in the upcoming weeks he’ll be needing rodents in the thirty gram range, which I do not have. I also thought to just feed more often like once every 5 days, but then he’d grow faster and need an even bigger rodent so that also isn’t an option.

What are your thoughts? Do I need to just make and order before the expo, is a rodent that is 15-20g too small okay to feed or does he need more, or do you have any other thoughts. Thanks. Sorry for the long confusing post.


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[Snagrio]

A month or so of slightly undersized meals won't do any harm. Similar thing happened with mine where I bought a large order of fuzzy rats and by the time he finished that supply he was two sizes over that amount and was none worse for wear, if maybe a bit cranky.

In short, stay the course. He'll be fine in that timeframe till you can upgrade his meal size.

[EthanMG]

A month or so of slightly undersized meals won't do any harm. Similar thing happened with mine where I bought a large order of fuzzy rats and by the time he finished that supply he was two sizes over that amount and was none worse for wear, if maybe a bit cranky.

In short, stay the course. He'll be fine in that timeframe till you can upgrade his meal size.

Ok thanks. I’ve already noticed him coming out during the day (at the 6 day mark) looking for food. and he used to not do this until day 8 when I was feeding every 8-9 days when he was overweight because breeder feed every 4 days and he always ate.


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[Snagrio]

That's, once again, normal. You've had him long enough that he's settled in and is now recognizing feeding patterns. I know with mine he's nearly always stationed with his head right at the entrance of his hide.

Think of it this way. It's like fish in an aquarium doing the "feeding dance" at the front of the glass whenever you walk by. This is the snake version of that behavior. Always acting hungry.

[EL-Ziggy]

I take a much less scientific approach to feeding my snakes. There’s no weights, formulas, equations, or rigid schedules. I set some general guidelines and just have fun with it. If your snake is 216 grams he can eat a variety of prey items like adult mice, weaned rats, and day old chicks. I’d probably be feeding him roughly every 7-10 days. I like to feed my snakes pretty liberally for their first two years. Some people feed only one prey type but I give all of my snakes at least two different types of food. I also mix up their feeding frequency. My snakes eat every 2-6 weeks on average depending on the season and the size of their last meal. If they get a small meal they eat a little sooner, if they get a larger meal they wait a bit longer for the next one. I’ll even give them small snacks between meals sometimes. As long as you’re not stuffing your snake with prey items that are too large or feeding too often then he should grow up healthy and strong.

[EthanMG]

I take a much less scientific approach to feeding my snakes. There’s no weights, formulas, equations, or rigid schedules. I set some general guidelines and just have fun with it. If your snake is 216 grams he can eat a variety of prey items like adult mice, weaned rats, and day old chicks. I’d probably be feeding him roughly every 7-10 days. I like to feed my snakes pretty liberally for their first two years. Some people feed only one prey type but I give all of my snakes at least two different types of food. I also mix up their feeding frequency. My snakes eat every 2-6 weeks on average depending on the season and the size of their last meal. If they get a small meal they eat a little sooner, if they get a larger meal they wait a bit longer for the next one. I’ll even give them small snacks between meals sometimes. As long as you’re not stuffing your snake with prey items that are too large or feeding too often then he should grow up healthy and strong.

Yeah, I never thought about it like that. That seems like it’s way more realistic to how it is in nature. Thanks for your help, great response


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