| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 16:31:54
I have noticed that alot of people feed there snakes 2 rats/mice/... 1 after the other.
do you go by the snakes bmi (as it were) and increase/decrease there diet accordingly?
any guides to how to get my snake full but not fat lol
george seems happy with 1 rat pup per week at the min, is this enough? |
| 19 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Margwar |
Posted - 02/07/2011 : 10:07:58
They can stretch a stupid amount.
I don't go by weight I've got to admit, more size of prey and other aspects.
Our Male only comes out at night when he is hungry, usually between 12-14 days after his last feed, so he gets fed every 2 weeks, my Female has started doing the same, but every 5-7 days, so she gets fed every week. My King snake on the other hand would eat every day if I let her, so she's limited to every 7 days.
I also keep an eye on their empty weights, if they are gaining too quickly, staying the same, or not gaining a lot, I adjust the feed appropriately. As already said you get to know your snakes.
When we feed ours two in a row, we offer the first one, then weight for them to finish eating and offer the second (If they are strike feeders) if not, we just leave it in the vivarium. 3/4 of our snakes have 'feeding stones' either a peice of slate or stone that doesn't have substrate on, almost like a plate, so they have the prey left on there if they won't eat. Margwar, the male will now wait with his head on the sandstone slab he gets fed on. |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 01/07/2011 : 14:39:00
quote:
You get to know your snake - I sometimes think they communicate by telepathy lol.
Now you mention it, he did look like he was wanting another. i also think your on to something with the telepathy thing |
| karl |
Posted - 30/06/2011 : 22:53:41
This gives an example just how much they can stretch:
|
| markmifsud |
Posted - 30/06/2011 : 12:12:10
Mine normally have two rats as I cant find the correct size. I dangle the first at the end of some very long rat tweezers, once I see thats most of the way down to the stomach, I offer the second rat. 98% of the time its taken straight away |
| n/a |
Posted - 29/06/2011 : 23:59:22
As long as the next size up rat is no bigger than his girth he'll manage it - that tiny neck can expand miraculously!
But yeah, often you have to feed 2 smaller rats, or a few in the freezer need using up - and then it's as Kelf says. You get to know your snake - I sometimes think they communicate by telepathy lol. |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 29/06/2011 : 22:58:14
When I did 2 rats at once the snake normally lets me know when it's ready for the second, if it's not a huge meal he'll normally be back searching for food and interested once the first is down. |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 29/06/2011 : 22:52:43
Hi guys im posting here rather than making a new thread.
At the minute george weighs 77g (Empty), and todays meal was 7.7g, exactly 10%(coincidence).
But my question is - When it comes time to feed him 2 rats how does that work? i mean do you dangle it once he has settled after the first?
(im thinking of getting him on 2 rats before going on to bigger prey) |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 21:25:55
lol, I would tell them it came out of the banana box, and make my retreat |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 21:25:40
LOL!
Pande-BOA-nium!! |
| markmifsud |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 21:23:59
imagine kelf took pandora into your local tesco's then lol |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 20:31:09
lmao! Imagine the hysteria among yer average customers!! |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 20:22:42
rofl, i walked into that one.
my sadistic side wanted me to take him into a supermarket and use the veg scales but common sense prevailed. |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 20:14:56
You can't have a snake without scales ... |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 20:10:27
Thanks guys big help, now to find the scales.
|
| n/a |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 18:12:41
LOL - Kelf and Scuba!
With what a tat like that would cost - I could buy a snake! And I would, but the government is threatening to adjust my present benefit to something much less, so ...enforced economy. The beer will have to go, but never the snakes lol, only no new additions ( can't risk any more mouths to feed/vet bills) at present. |
| scubadude |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 17:29:06
quote:
Originally posted by BurnedAtTheStake
Hi, Kelf thinks I ought to have this guide (it is Blackecho's) tattooed on me, but it works for me (though like all guides it is a guide, not a hard and fast rule.)
For a royal of 0-400g, feed every 5 days
400 - 800g, feed every 7 days
800 - 1200g, feed every 10 days
1200g+ feed every fortnight
Feed 10/15% of the snake's bodyweight.
A single prey of the weight approximating to the snake's requirements is best, but sometimes you may need to feed 2 rodents to get the weight right - or if you have 2 smaller rodents spare, well why not eh? Or if you're not sure whether the snake is ready to move on to a larger size. It's just commonsense.
Rats are better nutritionally and size-wise for royals - the largest mouse available weighs 45g - an adult royal on mice will need several of these at one sitting, so it's much more practical to feed one rat. So you're definitely on the right track with George eating rats.
Hope this helps.
Flippin Heck Bats thats a hell of a lot of ink in one sitting, but would be nice in Olde script
|
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 17:21:01
I was going to say something but knew you'd be along eventually hehe |
| n/a |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 16:56:47
Hi, Kelf thinks I ought to have this guide (it is Blackecho's) tattooed on me, but it works for me (though like all guides it is a guide, not a hard and fast rule.)
For a royal of 0-400g, feed every 5 days
400 - 800g, feed every 7 days
800 - 1200g, feed every 10 days
1200g+ feed every fortnight
Feed 10/15% of the snake's bodyweight.
A single prey of the weight approximating to the snake's requirements is best, but sometimes you may need to feed 2 rodents to get the weight right - or if you have 2 smaller rodents spare, well why not eh? Or if you're not sure whether the snake is ready to move on to a larger size. It's just commonsense.
Rats are better nutritionally and size-wise for royals - the largest mouse available weighs 45g - an adult royal on mice will need several of these at one sitting, so it's much more practical to feed one rat. So you're definitely on the right track with George eating rats.
Hope this helps. |
| markmifsud |
Posted - 23/06/2011 : 16:40:59
As a guide I think your supposed to feed 10% of the snakes body weight. thats why some feed two rats/mice etc, to make up the 10% |
