Feeding Question

[JeffDenver]

Someone posted a link to a chart that shows what size prey should be fed to the snake based on their weight...does anyone still have that link? I looked in the FAQ and couldnt see it.

My snake is about 12 grams right now. I fed him last Saturday but the lump was barely visible at all, so I am wondering if the prey size is too small.

 

[Naagas]

It is called the Munson Plan.

 

[insomniac]

Taken from another thread, I just searched "munson plan".

-When they're on single pinks (2-3g), I feed every 4-5 days. (Snake = 4-15g)
-Double pinks (3g x 2) every 4-5 days. (Snake = 16-23g)
-Small fuzzies (5-7g) every 5-6 days. (Snake = 24-30g)
-Regular fuzzies (7-9g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 30-50g)
-Hoppers (9-12g) every 5-6 days (Snake = 51-90g)
-Weaned (14-20g) every 7 days (Snake = 91-170g)
-Adult (24-30g) every 7-x days (Snake = 170+)
-Jumbo Adults (40-50g) every 7-x days (Snake = 400g+)

Note: Adult females are fed more frequently than adult males (especially following brumation). Females are fed every 6-8 days; males are fed every 7-14 days.

 

[JeffDenver]

Ah, yeah. Thats what I was needing. Thank you.

Looks like Strangles is still in single pink for now.

 

[visceralrepulsion]

Ah, yeah. Thats what I was needing. Thank you.

Looks like Strangles is still in single pink for now.

what size pinkies are you feeding your snake? when i got my hatchling home, she was so thin from being fed single small pinkies that i started her on doubles per advice of people on this lovely forum. if theyre small pinkies, 1.90 - 2.40 grams, you can probably start your hatchling on double pinkies of that size. if theyre large pinkies, 2.50-3 grams, id probably wait until your snakes grows a bit depending on the length and weight of your snake now....if anyone disagrees please feel free to say so =]

 

[JeffDenver]

what size pinkies are you feeding your snake?

There are different sizes? The packs at Petco dont say. They just have the type (pinkies, fuzzies ect..).

The one I fged him looked like it SHOULD have left a lump. He had to open wide to swallow it. But I guess it was actually about the same around as his body.

I just weighed the one I plan on feeding him later. My digital scale only goes in 1 gram increments, and it says 1 gram.

Is it better to feed two at once or just increase the feeding schedule to twice a week?

 

[visceralrepulsion]

if youre going to feed your snake two you should feed it two at once. and at 1G pinkies, i would personally go to doubles. I was getting my pinkies at petco too until i ordered some. and theyre very small. i didnt know there was a difference until i started talking to people and looking at sites that distribute frozen mice.
i would start your snake on 2 pinks every 5 days. youll really see growth in diameter and length when you change them over to doubles. then check the weight once a week, and when your snake is weighing enough for double pinks on the munson plan it will be able to eat 2 large pinkies (3grams). if they dont have larger pinkies at petco, consider going to a petsmart, and seeing what they weigh there. or if you cant find larger pinkies, get on here and ask people about your next best option.
if you look allover the package of mice from petco there is somewhere on the package the weight of the mice inside. its printed pretty small, but itll help guide you. when you feeding double pinkies- feed the first pinkie, wait for the snake to completely swallow it, and start doing the motions with its neck and body to get it down. wait for the snake to get the first pinkie down its body a few inches, it should by then start flicking its tongue, and moving around. then its okay to feed it the second pinkie. atleast thats how i was told to do it, and have done it with no problems to this point. =] good luck.

 

[insomniac]

There are different sizes? The packs at Petco dont say. They just have the type (pinkies, fuzzies ect..).

The one I fged him looked like it SHOULD have left a lump. He had to open wide to swallow it. But I guess it was actually about the same around as his body.

I just weighed the one I plan on feeding him later. My digital scale only goes in 1 gram increments, and it says 1 gram.

Is it better to feed two at once or just increase the feeding schedule to twice a week?

If you want a bit bigger mice without ordering them online, give Petsmart a try like visceralrepulsion said above.. if you have one near you. All the mice I have got from Petsmart are bigger than petco, at least in my area. Petsmart has "Artic Mice" I forgot what PetCo has. Also try to find a reptile expo near you, you can get some good prices on good mice there as well.

 

[Naagas]

Yes! They come in different sizes. 1 gram of difference means a lot to a 15 gram snake.

If you can't weight the pinkies, use your judgement. If you can imagine your snake getting it down, your snake probably can. (by this I mean eyeballing the diameter of your snake and the mouse.) Double pinks is a good way to go.

I would look around (in local classifieds or wherever) for better options than PetsMart/petco. There is a guy I buy mice from who breeds them locally. He always asks me "do you want big adults or little adults?" I pay $0.80 per adult mouse.
I think I pay $0.40 for a pinkie. Not sure.

There is also a local pet store that has fairly well-priced mice (a dollar for an adult, I think) and I can ask all the questions I want about how the mice are raised and what they are fed.

So, look around. It might save y a lot of hassle and money over the life of your snake.

 

[JeffDenver]

Ok, I fed him again today and decided to film it this time. He performed very well. He is kinda clueless about the presence of the food, but once he figures out it is there, he immediately goes for it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HykGwpfvp7k

Naagas: This should give you a good idea of size.

He still gets defensive when I first pick him up, but he is getting a lot more comfortable being handled already.

Incidentally, I thought it was just the flash but his eyes look cloudy. Is he ready to shed?

If they are about to shed should I still feed them normally or just wait until they are done shedding?

 

[visceralrepulsion]

i would say his eyes definitely look blue/cloudy. youll probably have a shed in a couple of days =]. has anyone talked to you about a moisthide/misting? a snake typically wont eat while theyre shedding, so you would resume feeding right after they shed completely, and get back on the same schedule.

 

[visceralrepulsion]

and by the video i would say youd be fine to feed him double pinks. hes about the size of my hatchling, and she takes them down like a champ! if anything he looks a little lean, so it definitely will benefit him to go to double. good luck with your new baby =]

 

[JeffDenver]

i would say his eyes definitely look blue/cloudy. youll probably have a shed in a couple of days =]. has anyone talked to you about a moisthide/misting?

Yeah, I have been misting every day or every other day. Denver is pretty dry.

What is the timespan for a shed, beginning to end? I mean starting from when their eyes just start getting cloudy? Should I just feed as normal or wait until they are done?

 

[visceralrepulsion]

a timespan from cloudy to a full shed can be from 2-7 days on average. most corns i know will fully shed their entire skin in about 2 days after they went blue/opaque in the eyes. and if you mist him several times a day right now while hes getting ready to shed, you should have a good shed. a lot of people use a humid hide.
they put damp moss you can buy at your local petstore, thats made for these types of purposes in something the size of a medium sourcream container for a hatchling. and cut a hole in the lid so the snake can enter and exit as it pleases. you can do that and put it into your snakes tank until they completely shed, and just make sure you keep the moss damp.
or because my snakes wont use their humid hides for some reason or other, i just mist several times a day until theyre done shedding. if you have any retained skin after the shed, use a damp towel, and let the snake slither through it. dont rub the snake itself with the towel, let the snake do all the work. if you have anymore questions theres plenty of good people here to help =]

 

[visceralrepulsion]

oh and the snake probably wont eat even if you tried to feed it, so dont waste pinkies, and wait until the snake is all the way done shedding to try and feed.

 

[MinnesotanInPA]

Is it a normal progression to go from 1 pink/week to 2 pinks/weekly? I thought we would just progress from 1 pink/weekly to 1 fuzzy/weekly? I am beginning to think that my young snake is ready to go beyond the 1 pink/week feeding.

 

[Naagas]

Is it a normal progression to go from 1 pink/week to 2 pinks/weekly? I thought we would just progress from 1 pink/weekly to 1 fuzzy/weekly? I am beginning to think that my young snake is ready to go beyond the 1 pink/week feeding.

I have never fed double pinks. I always just move straight to fuzzies.

 

[Naagas]

Jeff:
He looks big enough for fuzzies to me.
Or double pinks, if you'd rather.

I feed my babies hoppers:

(She is sitting on her hide in her shoebox (6 quart) home, for size reference.)

Of course, WEIGHT matters a lot more than SIZE, so I would recommend getting a scale for 5 bucks and weighing your little guy.

I have never been that exact about following the Munson plan (or any plan), though. When I am ready to order new mice, I look at the babies and see if they have grown enough to bump up a size by eyeballing their food. (If their current food item is smaller around than they are, then they can move up). I never buy more than a couple months' worth of mice.

I have always offered food to my young snakes regardless of whether they are "in blue" or not. I have never had a baby refuse food due to a shed.
Adults are pickier and I've learned which ones won't eat when in a shed cycle. For instance, Adya NEVER refused a single meal until she reached the 250 gram size, now she refuses when she is blue.

I have heard that to prevent regurges, you shouldn't offer a snake a mouse when they are in blue. I heard that AFTER raising 5 babies, though, without ever having a regurge.

 

[OldDetroit]

I have some hatchlings that will eat and be fine when they're blue, others that will regurge, and others that will just refuse. I know they're all possible. Not too sure about frequency of them though. I don't know, seems to all depend on the snake.

Naagas, you're lucky. Half digested mouse smells terrible. And that's a really pretty snake.

 

[visceralrepulsion]

the reason i moreso suggested to bump up to 2 pinks was because in his case he is feeding them petco pinkies which are extremely small. so if he wanted to continue with the petco mice, he could go to 2. im not sure how their peach fuzzies etc are in size there. after spending 4.50 for 3 tiny little pinks a couple times i ordered large pinks online. naagas knows her stuff though, and if she thinks you can just go from those tiny pinks to peach fuzzies, just use your best judgement when buying them. feel them in the package, and look at the weight on the package, and see how big they are compared to the weight of the pinks.