Feeding hatchling coastal

[driftoz]

hi im just wondering roughly how old should my hatchling python be before i start feeding it fuzzy mice, feeding him pinkies atm its 5 months old.

 

[-Matt-]

What sort of python is it? It all depends on size but the majority of pythons should be on at least fuzzies at 5 months old.


Woops just realised its a coastal from your signature.... in this case it should be on fuzzies at the smallest possibly hoppers depending on its size.

 

[driftoz]

ok thanks ive just seen on here about people saying get them off pinkies asap because they dont have as much calcium or something. ive got another 4 weeks supply of pinkies might upgrade to next smallest feed then.

 

[-Matt-]

Carpets are actually big enough to never have to eat pinkies...they can take a fuzzy after their first shed. If youve got the pinkies there is no harm in giving him a few at a time each feed.

 

[driftoz]

ah cool ill try that next feeding time then i can get him onto fuzzys quicker. xD cant wait for him to grow bigger. How long should i wait before trying to feed a 2nd pinky ?

 

[Scleropages]

Feed him 3 -6 pinkys one after the other , I feed my hatchy coastals on fuzzy mice from the first feed , at 5 months they are on fuzzy rats no probs

 

[driftoz]

ive never seen the size of fuzzy mice or rats so not sure on there size but fuzzy rats sound huge to me lol im almost thinking fuzzy mice might be a bit too big. ill have to have a look next time im at the pet shop.

 

[Scleropages]

100% guarantee fuzzy mice wont be to big , goggle "big snake eating" they dislocate their jaw for a reason.

 

[driftoz]

yeah seen plenty of vids and pics of snakes eating, boss showed me a email with series of pics of a BHP in wild eating like a 1m long lizard some people put up a sign and wooden steaks around it so trafic could see the snake was eating on the side of the dirt road so it wouldnt get run over. I just wasnt sure about a hatchling eating if it was able to eat bigger stuff like the adults.

 

[-Matt-]

You'd be very surprised at what they can eat...even hatchies can eat surprisingly large meals. You want to feed it something that'll leave a noticeable buldge in his stomach.

 

[Blondie84]

Also should be on rats as soon as possible to male the transition as easy as possible. My MD has been on pinkie rats (about the size of a fuzzy mouse) since she was about 8 weeks old. She is now 4 months olds and I'm just about to up her to fuzzy rats as she is starting to food seek after 6 days.

 

[J-A-X]

my 5 month old Darwins about to start on small adult mice, so a 5 month old coastal should have no trouble... check the thickest part of the snake and buy food that is a fraction larger, its the easiest way to do it ...

 

[TigerCoastal]

i agree with blondie, i fed my coastal hatchie pinkie mice till he was 7 weeks old (got him at 5 weeks) and then stepped him up to pinky rats. He has been on them now for a month and needs to go a little bigger as he manages to get em down backwards!

 

[Blondie84]

And yes, judging by the thickest part of the snakes body is the easiest way to choose food size. I also judge on how long it takes to get it down... anything less than about 10mins is too quick and therefore too small, IMHO.

 

[driftoz]

And yes, judging by the thickest part of the snakes body is the easiest way to choose food size. I also judge on how long it takes to get it down... anything less than about 10mins is too quick and therefore too small, IMHO.

i think mine got it down in about 5 mins or less, might have to look into getting some fuzzy rats when i goto the pet shop. ill have a look tomorrow on way home from work. ty for the info

 

[Blondie84]

You could also go by weight. The food should be 20-30% of the snakes weight. I dont/cant use this as my girl is way too difficult to weigh.

 

[Slats]

Also should be on rats as soon as possible to male the transition as easy as possible. My MD has been on pinkie rats (about the size of a fuzzy mouse) since she was about 8 weeks old. She is now 4 months olds and I'm just about to up her to fuzzy rats as she is starting to food seek after 6 days.

IMO carpets should be started on pinky rats... no mice

 

[driftoz]

thanks for the info i have bought some velvet mice they look almost double the width of the snake, all the rats i seen at the pet shop looked way too big for the snake. snake is about as wide as my pinky finger and the smallest rat i could find in the pet shop was 2-3x bigger than my thumb.

 

[J-A-X]

:lol: they always look larger when they are frozen, and semi curled, once thawed straighten it out to give you the width of the mouse,

 

[Blondie84]

I really think you need to get it onto rats as soon as possible... being 5 months old already it could be a bit of a challenge.... i hope not tho