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garrettgaska
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
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 Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 4:01 pm Post subject: "power feeding" |
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i feed my baby ball python (about 70-80g) a smaller mouse every other day and my pre-adult (200-250g) pastel a larger mouse the same. i want to get my pastel to breeding size this season but i dont want to over feed him. will pythons eat if there not hungry? is power feeding bad? He is extreemly active at night always moving around in his cage and when i take him out he is extreemly active.
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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There are arguments to both sides but I'll share my thoughts on the subject.
I offer food every three days just about and those that want to eat will eat and those that don't, don't. We're not power feeding them, we're simply offering them food. It's up to them to eat or not. I'll tell you one thing, if your snake is stuffed with food after a series of frequent feedings, they will ignore the food item. Although I offer them meals every three days, I do have to cut back because they are stuffed and can't fit anymore in their bellies. For example, I just offered a male a small rat yesterday so there's no way he's going to feed for at least another five to seven days. He's a May hatchling by the way. 
Offer them food and let them decide if they're hungry or not. If you encounter a regurge, wait at least 14 days before offering them another meal.
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garrettgaska
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject: |
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so snakes will only eat if there hungry?
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 7:13 pm Post subject: |
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| garrettgaska wrote: | | so snakes will only eat if there hungry? |
I can't answer the question with snakes as a whole but in my experience with ball pythons, the answer is yes. However, I must note that I accidentally left a rat pup in a cage with a snake that refused to eat for several hours. I planned to remove the rat from the cage but "forgot" and the pup was gone the following morning. The pup may have agitated the snake and exceeded its tolerance threshold so it struck, constricted and consumed. I guess this statement conflicts with what I mentioned at the onset but I'll venture out and still say they will eat if they're hungry. If the food item isn't eaten within 15 minutes, remove it.
We recently installed software that will alert me if rats are left in any of the cages. Just imagine if I forgot to remove a small or medium rat from a cage and left it in overnight! 
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Jordan700
Joined: 29 May 2006
Posts: 1048
Location: Petaluma, California
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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You are getting pretty high tech!
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6872
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject: |
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| RonCrawford wrote: | | garrettgaska wrote: | | so snakes will only eat if there hungry? |
I can't answer the question with snakes as a whole but in my experience with ball pythons, the answer is yes. However, I must note that I accidentally left a rat pup in a cage with a snake that refused to eat for several hours. I planned to remove the rat from the cage but "forgot" and the pup was gone the following morning. The pup may have agitated the snake and exceeded its tolerance threshold so it struck, constricted and consumed. I guess this statement conflicts with what I mentioned at the onset but I'll venture out and still say they will eat if they're hungry. If the food item isn't eaten within 15 minutes, remove it.
We recently installed software that will alert me if rats are left in any of the cages. Just imagine if I forgot to remove a small or medium rat from a cage and left it in overnight! |
I can visualize! Since the big ones eat F/t and the little ones are on live ratpups...I am ok for now...sooon after the babies put some meat on their bones, I will begin switching to F/t...but funny thing, I did leave a ratpup in one of the racks...she (the snake) was being picky, so I thought I would just leave her alone. I forgot...a week later when I went to clean the racks....(last week)...ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I will never do that again...small gnats and the ratpup died by itself....ewww. I sprayed...the snake down with reptile relief and cleaned the cage good...changed all the bedding...(the house smells better...those racks can really hold in the smell!)) anyway today I fed again and everyone of them took the ratpup so no problems this time. 
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6872
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:01 am Post subject: |
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| Jordan700 wrote: | | You are getting pretty high tech! |
You ARE! I didn't know there was such a thing. How long before it alerts you to the fact that a rat has been left?
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:44 am Post subject: |
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| deborahbroadus wrote: | | Jordan700 wrote: | | You are getting pretty high tech! |
You ARE! I didn't know there was such a thing. How long before it alerts you to the fact that a rat has been left? |
It starts sending alerts at 5 PM each day if rodents are still in the cages. It sends emails and mobile phone messages until the problem is resolved.
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6872
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 9:05 am Post subject: |
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| RonCrawford wrote: | | deborahbroadus wrote: | | Jordan700 wrote: | | You are getting pretty high tech! |
You ARE! I didn't know there was such a thing. How long before it alerts you to the fact that a rat has been left? |
It starts sending alerts at 5 PM each day if rodents are still in the cages. It sends emails and mobile phone messages until the problem is resolved. |
I see.  I assume you feed them about 4:45 or so.  Ron, do you primarily deal in shipping Balls, or do you have customers come into the store?
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| deborahbroadus wrote: | | RonCrawford wrote: | | deborahbroadus wrote: | | Jordan700 wrote: | | You are getting pretty high tech! |
You ARE! I didn't know there was such a thing. How long before it alerts you to the fact that a rat has been left? |
It starts sending alerts at 5 PM each day if rodents are still in the cages. It sends emails and mobile phone messages until the problem is resolved. |
I see. I assume you feed them about 4:45 or so. Ron, do you primarily deal in shipping Balls, or do you have customers come into the store? |
I deal 99.9% in shipping ball pythons. I don't have a public store per se, just a private state of the art snake and rodent facility. You'd be amazed at all the "can I come and bring my family to see your snakes" questions I get just about every day. 
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6872
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:12 pm Post subject: |
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ahhh! SHUCKS..that was gonna be my next question!
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ted1025
Joined: 15 Aug 2006
Posts: 309
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:31 pm Post subject: |
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| RonCrawford wrote: |
I deal 99.9% in shipping ball pythons. I don't have a public store per se, just a private state of the art snake and rodent facility. You'd be amazed at all the "can I come and bring my family to see your snakes" questions I get just about every day. |
Ahhh I live only like an hour and half away (Philadelphia), if I was ever going up your way, I was gonna find out if I could stop by.
Anyways weird story, once I dropped in a mouse for my snake, he wouldn't eat, let them sit for about 15-20 minutes, still nothing, so I put snake away. Next mourning walking by the tank where the mouse was now living and I noticed something, yeup little pinkies all over...
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deborahbroadus
Moderator
Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 6872
Location: Baltimore, MD
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 1:49 pm Post subject: |
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Do you think that the snake was waiting so that he could "Supersize" it? (more for the money)...lol
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RonCrawford
Site Admin
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 2047
Location: Pottsville, PA (USA)
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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| deborahbroadus wrote: | | Do you think that the snake was waiting so that he could "Supersize" it? (more for the money)...lol |
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garrettgaska
Joined: 27 Jul 2006
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:12 pm Post subject: |
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back to power feeding anyone else have any input
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