I usually wait a week before handling and feeding a new recruit.
At two years old, you should be able to tell what kind of coloration it has. Bubblegums are priced by color, so the more color they have the more expensive they are. Of course, pricing in my neck of the woods is probably vastly different. I got a baby bubblegum for $30" but I have no idea who bred it or what it will end up looking like (it could turn out to be a typical snow).