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speedy231278
Hatchling
United Kingdom
78 Posts |
 Posted - 05/11/2011 : 16:25:04
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Might sound a stupid question seeing as I've had Patsy almost a year and Tubs three months, and they're both eating fine and seem perfectly healthy and content, but it's always good hear what other people with far more experience would recommend.
At the moment, I'm quite happy with the way Tubs is doing, he's gaining weight nice and steadily and is shortly going to move into a bigger home as he's almost outgrown the small RUB style viv he's in.
The real reason for posting is Patsy. SWMBO went to our local supplier last weekend to get some more frozen dinners, and one of the staff their gave some advice that seems rather a way off what I've been told in other shops, and on this very forum. To be honest, I'm wondering if she gave them the right info, or heard the right answer, but there you go. At present, and as she always has been since I got here almost 11 months ago, Patsy is fed medium rats. The shop I got her from (different to our usual food supplier) was feeding her at three weekly intervals, and that's roughly what she has now. Apart from a couple of intermittant refusals a while after I got her (but not the very first one), she's never refused a meal, nor regurged. Out of curiosity, I've just weighed her, and she's 1760G. This is a bit more than I was expecting as I'm sure when I bought Tubs in August she was 13/1400G (must start keeping proper records!). I don't really know how long she is, as everyone knows it's rather hard to measure a snake on the go, but she seems to be roughly three and a half feet. Age is unknown, the first time I handled her in the shop they said 2/3 years, when I went back to collect her a week later the same person told me 3/4!!
Anyway, my missus was told that medium rats were far too large for Patsy, and it was apparently surprising that she'd not regurged them, but if she did keep them down, the feeding interval should be six weeks or preferably even two months! In addition, this person claimed that Royals really should only be fed small rats at absolute max. Coming from what I normally regard as a very knowledgable business that sells decent quality pets and foods, I'm a little shocked to hear this, it sounds like utter tripe to me given that the overwhelming number of keepers and sellers suggest that the meal should be approx the size of the widest part of the snake, and for one the size/weight of Patsy meals should be around two weeks! In the earlier days, I tended to find closer than three weeks was the reason she refused. Maybe being somewhat larger now I will reduce the gap a bit.
Any thoughts? I'm sure they're talking cobblers! |
2.1.0 royals
1.2.0 corns
0.0.3 motorcycles
0.1.0 she who must be obeyed... ;-) |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 16:50:34
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 !!!
Yes, cobblers!
Blackecho's feeding guide (a very good one imo)
0-400g - feed every 5 days
400-800g - feed every 7 days
800-1200g - feed every 10 days
1200+ feed every 14 days
Feed 10/15% of royal's weight
In dodgy feeding phases (like preliminary to fast/emerging period I'd go so far as to say feed a smaller food item slightly more frequently but that is just my opinion.)
But some snakes do seem to prefer more infrequent meals - you get to know the snake and suss out its preferred feeding pattern.
Imo a medium rat is just right for Patsy! |
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Edited by - n/a on 05/11/2011 16:53:13 |
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speedy231278
Hatchling
United Kingdom
78 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 16:57:34
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| Saw that guide earlier, and it backs up what I am sure was right. I just don't understand how what has always seemed a reputable shop could come out with such rubbish. Still, someone in their other shop casually suggested that the missus could co-hab both our corns without mentioning any of the disadvantages, just the positives. Having said that, when I bought my creamsicle with a 'starter' setup, it didn't have, nor did it mention a stat for the heat mat. They've always seemed very good, but then I suppose that when you are a newbie and don't know any better, why would you doubt anyone with a shop who has been around for donkey's years? Then you come to an owners forum! lol |
2.1.0 royals
1.2.0 corns
0.0.3 motorcycles
0.1.0 she who must be obeyed... ;-) |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2011 : 17:23:44
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| I've found that the shops who pride themselves on been around forever are stuck using techniques they learn't when they started. They miss that things change and techniques move on with research and experiences. |
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Edited by - Lotabob on 05/11/2011 17:25:15 |
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lee1982
Hatchling
79 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2011 : 20:22:30
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| Would you say its better to feed 2 small or 1 large rat |
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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2011 : 20:35:18
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| I'd always go for just 1 item per feed of the right size. |
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karl
Fully Grown Royal
1069 Posts |
Posted - 06/11/2011 : 21:06:34
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You have to remember that all advise given is merely someone elses interpretation of what should be done. In the same way a GUIDE is merely that, a guide. Things work outside of said advise and guides. I for one don't follow many of the "rules", but I do a variation of said guides/rules etc. Learn to do what works for your animals, the guides are merely to help those when first starting out.
To answer you question, I only have one royal who will take a medium rat, and three who could. The others like some of the smaller royals, get "scared" off by larger prey. A 1700g royal CAN (as you know) eat a medium rat without any problems, and if it's a female (sorry, too tired to look and check) then if it will, then you are best off allowing it to. The time between feeds, nothing wrong in my eyes with that one either.
I feed males and females differently. Take less stock in other peoples words, you know that your snake can feed well, and is healthy. |
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reptilemadd
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
969 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2011 : 18:51:00
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| Hi yes as Karl says all advise is really just an opinion for instance my cb10 male was routinely refusing his rats when I was trying to stick to the "feeding guides" then I read that some breeders feed at different intervals as royals are oppurtunistic and don't got to the shop every five days for food, and since then he hasn't refused untill last night which I put down to the time of year, so as long as what your doing works for you I am a firm believer that if it's not broke don't fix it lol....... |
1.0.0 beardie "magic"
1.1.0 100% Het Clown "Cerberus" and "Artemis"
0.1.0 Poss Calico "Ariadne"
1.0.0 Lesser " Kronos"
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Feeding - how much and how often?
