Am I not feeding enough?

[Claire]

I have been told by a few people recently that their snakes of similar size and age (stimsons... 4-6months old) are being fed 3 pinky mice a week... i was only feeding 1 pinky mouse but have recently gone up to 1 pinky rat a week which takes him around 10-12minutes to swallow

i was under the impression its better to feed one large meal than many small meals
should i be offering him more food throughout the week???

cheers

 

[Ramsayi]

Slough rates give the best indication of growth.So how often on average between sheds?

As a rough guide Anterasia in the first 12 months or so shedding every 4/6 weeks would indicate a growth rate that I would be happy with.

 

[adfel]

I have always been told that they should feed once a week as babies, and that if you feed them more meals (or powerfeed as some call it) your snake will have a shorter lifespan...

 

[Claire]

well hes only shed twice since ive had him... 4 weeks in between... he was wolfing down the pinky mice which is why he is on the rats now and they seem to be a more appropriate size

hes grown heaps since ive owned him so sounds like just one feed a week is enough

thanks

 

[adfel]

sounds like it.. They are supposed to shed every 4-6 weeks so he sounds normal to me.... he can eat up 20% of his body weight so if you have a way that you can find out how much he weighs then you can work his food out based on that. Or alternatively just go up a size in food each time you come the end of your packet of rats....
But he sounds normal to me

 

[Slateman]

I would look at 2 thing to get feeding cycle right.
Feed always after snake empty his bowel. and second thing as Ramsayi said shedding intervals.
6 weeks intervals would suggest that your snake is fed rightly.

Also size of the meal is important. if your snake is able to take pinky rat, that would be better than number of pinky mice.

 

[Claire]

great thanks for that info

might see if i cant weigh him in a few days... but I definately think one pinky rat is the way to go for him... the mice didnt even leave a bump after hed eaten it

cheers!!

 

[Costa]

how big are the pinky rats your talkin about...

 

[Claire]

the first one i gave him (yesterday) was the smallest in the bag... like a mutantly large mouse... thought id start with the small ones and work my way up to the fat ones

 

[Costa]

really that big?
in cm?

 

[Claire]

oh i dunno... roughly 5cm maybe??

 

[Costa]

really. i feed my yearling beardies pinky velvets and theyre like 4cm-5. i thought a python would be taking something bigger than that at 4-6 months.
oh well. my mistake

 

[daniel1234]

I just look for a bulge in my young snakes. I have a coastal who was five when I got him and he rarely accepts large feeds. I have heard that if fed small food then they dont take larger items, however my female coastal takes rabbits, and both coastals were a pair from the time they were hatchies. They are short snakes (about 6ft) as they were not well cared for by their first owner (I am their third). I also read somewhere that snakes need to feed within their first six months of life or they're growth will be stunted.