The Life Of Mercy

[EL Ziggy]

Will move to different thread.

[EL Ziggy]

Sorry Klaire, I wasn't trying to hijack your thread.

[Klaire]

It's funny you say "I figure he knows a lot more than i do " Because i was thinking the same thing about your advice and i figured well you obviously have been into the whole "reptile" thing alot longer than me and own your own carpets so i trust your advice on stepping her up even though they grow them quite large here. I will get some fuzzy's in a few days do you recommend keeping her on a 5 day schedule still or since her food will be larger should i stretch her feedings to every 6 days instead?
That's crazy that he still slithers around his enclosure after that kind of feed they definitely are garbage disposals lol. I can imagine that "begging" look as i kind of see mercy do it when its coming close to feeding day and she sits on her log looking at me like "please mum, food now?" haha

[Klaire]

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

Sorry Klaire, I wasn't trying to hijack your thread.

Don't be silly! i really enjoy getting advice/stories from other people you didn't have to move your response

[toddnbecka]

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

@ TnB- Is your carpet on mice exclusively? If so, I'd consider switching to rats. Like you said, they grow fast and who wants to feed an adult jungle 6-7 mice per feeding?

Mice most often because they breed and grow faster than I feed them off, but I offered a f/t fuzzy rat a couple times and they were taken too. I actually suspect rat pinks were what Bogey was started on, had a hard time getting him to take a mouse (never occured to me at the time.) Once the ice was broken with the first hopper mouse he took them w/out any hesitation. Rivers is another story, may have a bit more work getting her to take rats when she outgrows mice.

[toddnbecka]

Originally Posted by Klaire

Cool glad to hear she is up to normal standard i wasn't sure whether you would see either thread so i posted her weight on the other one too so just disregard that . I may up her it just depends the pinkies she's on leaves a pretty good bulge IMO and is still visible the next day , I did happen to take some shots of her just after she ate of the size of bulge, they aren't that good quality but i will post them so you can get an idea

Bogey will take a "jumbo" mouse or 2 smaller/weaned mice and be looking for another. I usually do feed 2 medium size mice (same size as fuzzy rats) simply to help keep their numbers down, those are barely noticeable when swallowed. I've also noticed that most of his waste is urates, relatively little brown poop like the boas and colubrids typically pass. I presume that's because more of the prey is digested and absorbed rather than passing on through.

Rivers is still a baby, though now a bit larger than Bogey was when I brought him home. She will happily take 2 large fuzzy mice or 1 hopper, and would eat every 4-5 days if I'd feed her that often. So would Bogey for that matter, but they're growing quite fast enough already, lol.

Generally speaking, a hopper mouse is about the same size as a rat pinky.

[Klaire]

Iv'e decided to move her up to rat fuzzies

[Herpo]

I think she could go higher. Some breeders start their pythons on rat fuzzies. But maybe go with fuzzies and see how well she goes.

[Herpo]

Never mind, I think I'm confusing them with pinky rats.

[Klaire]

Someone decided to have a look at the forum with me

[sam]

Originally Posted by EL Ziggy

@ Sam- 70g is a little small for a yearling but your guy will grow fast. Did you get him as a hatchling? Sometimes breeders will keep them on the smaller side. What's your feeding regiment like now? My coastal was hatched in June 2014. He was 85g when I got him on 9/2/15. He was up to 505g when I weighed him on 1/30/16. My jungle was hatched in late July 2015. I got him on 9/22/15 and he was 31g when he arrived. He was 212g when I weighed him on 1/30/16. I'm feeding them both 15-20% of their body weight every 6-7 days. I'll slow them down a bit in 4-6 months when they turn 1 & 2.

I bought him as a yearling, he probably weighed around 50g or less. The breeders were no doubt keeping him under a maintenance feeding regime. I currently have him on weaner mice, once I run out of them I'll be switching him to rat fuzzies or adult mice.

I had a whole thread around Bowie's weight concerns, don't you remember? haha

[EL Ziggy]

It's cool to see our carpet clan growing. It's great that we can all learn from each other as we go . I love my colubrids but I'm smitten by my carpets .

[EL Ziggy]

@ Klaire- I like to mix up my feeding schedules, prey items, and meal sizes. Have fun with it . If she gets a smaller meal, feed her sooner. If she has a larger meal make her wait an extra day or two.

[Klaire]

Ziggy - Okay thanks, I will do that

[EL Ziggy]

I'm going to open up the ASF's I got with my last feeder order and offer it to the carpets this weekend. I'm curious to see how they respond to a new prey item . So far they've both eaten everything I've given them.