When is it feeding time ............

TailsW/Scales · 11-04-07, 04:34 PM

I was thinking of something the other day when I had someone email me asking if I wanted to "adopt" his boa. He gave me the usual spiel and was telling me all about the snake and even sent two photos. But one thing he said caught my eye. He said "I feed it a large rat every two weeks."
To me, for an adult boa that seems to long between feedings. In the photos, and for the locality of boa the snake seemed under sized.

So here I am to maybe start a small debate. I would like for everyone to tell me how often you feed your kids (aka snakes), and when you feel is an appropriate between meals. All opinions would be appreciated.

I feed my snakes every 5 -7 days. For me any longer then 10 days (adult snakes only) is too long between feedings.

Post up folks.

redtails · 11-04-07, 04:49 PM

I try to feed every week, maybe 2 weeks if they're in shed one time. If a snake doesn't eat one day, I'll try again the next day or 2 days later. I've known people that go by the discovery channel idea that adults in the wild only eat one large meal maybe 2 times a year...

ffollett · 11-04-07, 05:15 PM

We feed our smaller snakes weekly, hatchlings or rescues may get fed every 3-5 days depending on their condition when they arrive. Larger snakes take longer to digest their meals so they get fed once every two weeks. Again I think it is all in meal size. If someone is feeding a smaller meal to a larger snake yes every week is ok. It also depends on the species of snake. Bloods need to be fed less often the retics.
Not that we have any that are full grown but from what I understand full grown burms and retics when fed and apropriate sized meal can go 3-4 weeks without eating.

TailsW/Scales · 11-04-07, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ffollett

Again I think it is all in meal size. If someone is feeding a smaller meal to a larger snake yes every week is ok.
Not that we have any that are full grown but from what I understand full grown burms and retics when fed and apropriate sized meal can go 3-4 weeks without eating.

I agree is that the size of meal and the size of the snake matters for the frequency of feedings or lack there of. Oddly enough I fed my bloods about every ten days and they did well on that schedule. Yes an adult Retic or Burm can go for 3 - 4 weeks without eating if they've eaten something huge like a pig or goat. But if you have a snake that's 16' and a bunny eater and you wait to feed it again for 3 plus weeks you're probably going to have a very hissed off snake on your hands. Again that's all in my experiences with them. Only when I fed pigs did they go beyond the two weaks. Or of course during or before breeding season.

ffollett · 11-04-07, 06:23 PM

One of the other things I didn't mention was type of prey. Like Guinea pigs are higher in fat so we will span them out a little longer then normal when we have to feed those. There are times when rodent pro is out of rats so we will get in a shipment of g-pigs instead of rats. The only time we will feed more often with g-pigs is right before or right after breeding season when the little extra fat isn't all that bad.

Our largest is my albino burm at about 10ft. She either gets a rabbit or 4X g-pigs every two weeks. There have been times when the rabbit was a little large for her and knowing burms they will eat it anyway without a problem. Then we have given her an extra week to digest her meal before feeding her again but this is the exception and not the rule.

Dianne · 11-04-07, 06:39 PM

I have been feeding my 4 month old Rainbow every 4 days and will soon shorten it to 3 days. As long as she takes the food quickly (and has regular bowel movements) I am assuming she is hungry and from what I have read it isn't possible to over-feed at this age.

The Common Boa I kept many years ago would tell me when he was hungry but going into "hunting mode" - sort of hyper-alert, scenting, stalking anything that might be food. If he wasn't hungry yet, he was super laid-back. Easy keep.

PDXErik · 11-04-07, 06:45 PM

I feed once per week for the big guys, right now, they're coming off of a disease-induced fast, so I'm feeding whenever they will eat.

My little guys, the 3' ball and the 3' rtb, I feed at least once per week, or whenever they look like they're hunting. They also get the refused f/t mice that the ATB doesn't eat.

Joe · 11-05-07, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PDXErik

I feed once per week for the big guys, right now, they're coming off of a disease-induced fast, so I'm feeding whenever they will eat.

My little guys, the 3' ball and the 3' rtb, I feed at least once per week, or whenever they look like they're hunting. They also get the refused f/t mice that the ATB doesn't eat.

your animals came off a diseased induced fast but you still cross contaminate there enclosures by offering them left overs from other snakes? should have at least a 3 to 6 month Quarantine period if not longer depending on the disease in question, good luck anyways

PDXErik · 11-05-07, 09:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe

your animals came off a diseased induced fast but you still cross contaminate there enclosures by offering them left overs from other snakes? should have at least a 3 to 6 month Quarantine period if not longer depending on the disease in question, good luck anyways

It goes from a healthy snake to other healthy snakes. I waggle the thawed mouse in front of the one for a half hour and it doesn't even try to strike, it goes to one that will.

I've since been successfully feeding the ATB with live fuzzies. It seems to need the stalking process.

True, it is a bad practice to "share" food, but if it hasn't even seen snake spit yet, I figure it's fine.

Boots Hawks · 11-10-07, 11:27 AM

Every Friday or Saturday I feed mine, I try to devide them up 3 on Friday and 3 on saturday. After feeding I give them at least one day without handling, they like it that way. I try to handle my snakes daily unless they have eaten. I also know they pass waste usually 1 to 2 days before I feed them. I agree when it is feeding day they are way more active, especially if you go check them at night they are all over that cage. Then know there is food somewhere round here, there always have been before. Sometimes when they are shedding they don't take food, so I wait until they have finished and then I feed them a small meal and then again on the regular feeding day to get um back on schedule.

Boots H.

error_911 · 02-26-08, 11:23 PM

I tend to follow what my red-tail's vet told me when he was still young - "you'll know when he's hungry", and I must say that I do.

Depending on the temperature and amount of light he gets, he sometimes goes 4 weeks without eating and then goes 'hunting' for food, at which point I feed him. During the summer it tends to be more often, though rarely less than 10-14 days between feedings.

I know some people say to feed more often, but he seems to show me when he's hungry pretty well so it works. The second he gets hissy with me when I try picking him up is usually a good indication.

Also, this way I can always go pick up fresh pre-kill for him so that I don't end up having to keep rats in my freezer (going on 4 years with him now and I still don't like it), and I feel better feeding him fresher food.