Louis is a bit silly !

[Rob]

So it is first feed for Louis, our gorgeous new BHP hatchie that we got from the Illawarra Show.

The breeder has only fed him quails, but I'd really prefer him on rats, because I'd really rather have my snakes on one type of food more for convinience than anything else (if one snake refuses a prey item, I can offer it to the next, etc.). The breeder suggested I feed him a few quails and then try to wean him onto rats, so I got a few fuzzies the other day, along with a couple of quails.

I offered him a rat on Saturday, but he wasn't interested at all. Well I didn't persist, just waved it about (with forceps)for a bit but he backed away and went and hid, so I offered it to Alex (Diamond yearling) who was more than happy to take it.

So I decided to try him again tonight. I defrosted a quail and fuzzie in the same container. I knew that Louis was in party mode, as son had mentioned that he heard Louis make a crashing great thud when he fell to the ground from the ledge of his vent - a habit which it seems he'll never grow out of. I placed the quail and rat on the lid (of the container I had thawed them out in) and placed it in his enclosure. Within a matter of minutes I had a look to see him attempting to eat the quail. He must have made at least 5 attempts to get it down (even sideways, at one point) before he actually managed to devour it fully. He then slithered around his rock where I assumed he'd coil up and hide, but no, he comes back around and decides to have a feast on the rat as well.


Of course, being Louis, he just has to be different and take the rat tail first ! I guess that is what you get for being named after one of the gentlemen from the boy band "One Direction". Yes, I am being serious - Blame daughter for that !

 

[CrystalMoon]

LOL he is such a cutey

 

[Rob]

That he is. He has only just managed to get his mouth shut (started around 9:00pm). I guess he's not in a hurry or anything - He's got all night.

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

omg what a cutie can you pm me the breeder's name you got him off by any chance?

 

[dragonlover1]

So it is first feed for Louis, our gorgeous new BHP hatchie that we got from the Illawarra Show.

The breeder has only fed him quails, but I'd really prefer him on rats, because I'd really rather have my snakes on one type of food more for convinience than anything else (if one snake refuses a prey item, I can offer it to the next, etc.). The breeder suggested I feed him a few quails and then try to wean him onto rats, so I got a few fuzzies the other day, along with a couple of quails.

I offered him a rat on Saturday, but he wasn't interested at all. Well I didn't persist, just waved it about (with forceps)for a bit but he backed away and went and hid, so I offered it to Alex (Diamond yearling) who was more than happy to take it.

So I decided to try him again tonight. I defrosted a quail and fuzzie in the same container. I knew that Louis was in party mode, as son had mentioned that he heard Louis make a crashing great thud when he fell to the ground from the ledge of his vent - a habit which it seems he'll never grow out of. I placed the quail and rat on the lid (of the container I had thawed them out in) and placed it in his enclosure. Within a matter of minutes I had a look to see him attempting to eat the quail. He must have made at least 5 attempts to get it down (even sideways, at one point) before he actually managed to devour it fully. He then slithered around his rock where I assumed he'd coil up and hide, but no, he comes back around and decides to have a feast on the rat as well.


Of course, being Louis, he just has to be different and take the rat tail first ! I guess that is what you get for being named after one of the gentlemen from the boy band "One Direction". Yes, I am being serious - Blame daughter for that !

not knowing a lot about snakes,is he really that hungry or just greedy?

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Greedy most likely like most bhp's lol

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Maybe he likes to eat the vanilla before the chocolate? :lol:

I know bhp's arent as efficient at digesting fat, that might be why the breeder was feeding him quail? Nice looking snake Well done

 

[Rob]

not knowing a lot about snakes,is he really that hungry or just greedy?

Apparently he was taking 2 quails weekly. It's been just over a week since we've got him, so I think he's doing alright. Of course, the quail plus the fuzzie is is probably 35% more than his normal feed, but I just had a look and he doesn't appear to be complaining.

Next feed, I will try him on the fuzzie only, and if that succeeds it will be his weekly feed for awhile, I reckon.

Actually, it is kind of funny. In the space of maybe 90 minutes, our Louis has gone from all night party animal, to couch potato !

What's even funnier is that his head has appeared slightly from his hide, on the off chance that something else might come wandering by.

 

[dragonlover1]

makes sense to only have 1 type of feed for all your snakes,gets too hard to have different food for everybody.Unless it's variety all round.

 

[Rob]

omg what a cutie can you pm me the breeder's name you got him off by any chance?

Done ! What I didn't mention was that I believe Slatey is selling one (that looks very similar) on here at the moment.

makes sense to only have 1 type of feed for all your snakes,gets too hard to have different food for everybody.Unless it's variety all round.

True. The other thing is that quails aren't as easily available to me as rats are.

I know bhp's arent as efficient at digesting fat, that might be why the breeder was feeding him quail? Nice looking snake Well done

Thanks. I've never kept BHPs before, so it is a new experience for me. I've been looking in "Keeping & Breeding Australian Pythons" (your fave book, actually ! ), and it only mentions that their specimens were fed on lab rats, so I'm happy to stick with that, at least until someone more knowledgable gives me a good reason not to.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

makes sense to only have 1 type of feed for all your snakes,gets too hard to have different food for everybody.Unless it's variety all round.

I dont neccessarily agree with that. Womas and bhp's (aspidities) metabilise fat far less efficiently than other pythons (morelia,ants)..... fed too much fat, they (asps) can suffer from fatty liver disease. I reckon if you have 5 pythons and one has a different diatery need from the other 4, you have to get the food the odd one out requires, not just risk its health by making it eat what the others do? Just my opinion

 

[Rob]

I dont neccessarily agree with that. Womas and bhp's (aspidities) metabilise fat far less efficiently than other pythons (morelia,ants)..... fed too much fat, they (asps) can suffer from fatty liver disease. I reckon if you have 5 pythons and one has a different diatery need from the other 4, you have to get the food the odd one out requires, not just risk its health by making it eat what the others do? Just my opinion

Fair point. I have never fed anything other than rodents before, so this is something I'd have to look into more closely. You think I should be keeping him on quails ?

 

[dragonlover1]

I dont neccessarily agree with that. Womas and bhp's (aspidities) metabilise fat far less efficiently than other pythons (morelia,ants)..... fed too much fat, they (asps) can suffer from fatty liver disease. I reckon if you have 5 pythons and one has a different diatery need from the other 4, you have to get the food the odd one out requires, not just risk its health by making it eat what the others do? Just my opinion

I know almost zip about snakes so I wouldn't argue with you there,I only have beardies and I have a woodie farm,but I also buy crickets and occasionally mealworms for variety as well as vegies

Fair point. I have never fed anything other than rodents before, so this is something I'd have to look into more closely. You think I should be keeping him on quails ?

mix and match maybe

 

[Becceles]

How about alternate between quail and rats? that way your stock will last longer and he won't be ingesting as much fats?

Haha, you beat me to it

 

[Rob]

Definitely something to think about. I think my main issue with quails is if I offer one and he refuses then I have to throw it out, whereas if it were a rat I could offer it to my other snakes, which I've already done.

I had a look at Doc Rock's article on keeping Woma's, where he mentions the "Fatty Liver Disease". It seems though that he just warns against overfeeding young snakes , and that he only feeds medium lean rats now.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

How about alternate between quail and rats? that way your stock will last longer and he won't be ingesting as much fats?

Haha, you beat me to it

Thats good thinking Becceles :lol: I personally would give the breeder a call and ask why he feeds quail and what has he (the breeder) found to be the best for his blackheads, and why?

Then let us know what he said and his reasoning :lol:

 

[dragonlover1]

couldn't you feed the quail to your other snake?

 

[Rob]

couldn't you feed the quail to your other snake?

Give 'em all a smorgasbord, ya reckon ? I could try, I guess. Comparing the Quail to the Fuzzie he had tonight, would be like comparing a couple of french fries to a whole Big Mac meal. Though I'm guessing that is kind of the point CaptainRatbag is trying to make.

 

[dragonlover1]

Give 'em all a smorgasbord, ya reckon ? I could try, I guess. Comparing the Quail to the Fuzzie he had tonight, would be like comparing a couple of french fries to a whole Big Mac meal. Though I'm guessing that is kind of the point CaptainRatbag is trying to make.

variety is the spice of life

 

[Becceles]

couldn't you feed the quail to your other snake?

I'm a bit slow tonight but that's what I was typing when I noticed the thread had a second page haha. It might be smaller then what they normally eat but variety isn't a bad thing.