how much do i feed her?

[koa94]

My corn snake is around 2 years old and about 2-ish feet long, but pretty slender. How much am i suppost to be feeding her?? :shrugs:

 

[knox]

1 mouse no larger than 1 1/2 the diameter of the snake every 5 to 7 days. Generally speaking, you want to see a slight lump, nothing too pronounced.

 

[koa94]

i have been giiving her 2 pinkies once a week, should i continue this or move to fuzzies?

 

[knox]

Depends on how large a lump they show. You do want to move up when you can so that the snake can get the benefits of the bones in the feeders.

A pic of the lump after feeding would be helpful. Corns (and other Rat snakes) have very flexible skin and CAN handle large prey items, but I never push it very far. Can you see any lumps after she eats?

 

[Bartholomew]

Have you tried the Munson Plan? Its a feeding schedule desighned for snakes by Roy Munson. Here is a copy:

-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.

 

[VickyChaiTea]

2 pinks at that age is definitely not enough. The prey should be at LEAST the width of the snake at it's widest part. Feeding multiple small prey items as a substitute for one large one is not good, as it will never have as much nutrition as one large item.

 

[koa94]

i can see the mice lumps- but barley. like i said, she is not very round, i cant see her bones ofcoarse i mean she looks plenty healthy but i still feel that she is not being fed enough. Thank you so much for feedback, i will weigh her and see what comes of it. Thank you again

 

[koa94]

my scale that i used (witch is not very accurate) says she is about 8 grams? does that sound reasonable? because according to the chart she should be at least 16 grams to be fed what i am already feeding her? i dont know im so lost right now!

 

[knox]

Don't let it get too complicated...

Remember, fur on a mouse will make it appear larger than it is. And as stated, Rat snakes are pretty elastic. If you are feeding pinks right now, I would go ahead and skip fuzzies and feed small hoppers.

I never go by weight (I don't even have a scale). I go by the lump size.

Don't be afraid to try a larger mouse than what you are currently feeding. The snake can probably handle it.

 

[koa94]

okay thanks!

 

[knox]

Oh, one more thing. A stretched out mouse, such as when a snake is swallowing it, is much narrower than a mouse simply sitting or lying there.

Remember, if a mouse can get its head through a hole, it can get it's whole body through. Pretty cool, actually.

 

[dickdeuel]

Your snake is way under fed for its age. You should be giving it fuzzies, and probably 3 at a time. If it eats these quickly with ease, the go to hoppers. Your snake should be over three feet long at two years of age unless it had feeding problems when young. You don't need to buy any scales to weigh anything, just watch the snake eat and if it struggles and takes more than ten to fifteen minutes to eat a mouse then drop down a size. Get yourself a couple good books. These will have pictures of snakes eating and will be a good guide.

 

[knox]

Not my pic, found it online. But it gives you a good reference. Look at how large the mouse looks compared to the snake's head, yet when it swallows it there will only be a slight bulge.

Use the same proportions when you feed your snake :spinner:

 

[JohnnyK]

Great thread, as for the past month or so, I've been giving our 9 month old snake 3 pinkies at feeding time each week; dropping one in at a time and then going back to give him another. I just increased our second snake to 3 pinkies as well. A month or so back, I bought one of the next sizes up but it just looked to think to give him.

Our snakes are getting longer, but not thick enough from what I would think necessary for the next step up.

Any other general rules on this? Next time I feed him, this Thursday, I'll take a photo of his lump; although, with 3 pinkies in him, it's a longer stretched out lump. You can see the lump, medium in size I would say; by day 3 after feeding, any sign of a lump are gone.

 

[JohnnyK]

Quick question - if I try a fuzzie for the first time tomorrow with our 9 month old snake and it proves too big for him, any risks of him getting hurt, etc. by this? Or, if it would be too big, would he keep try swallow it or would he spit it out (so to speak) and give up on it then? Again, for the past month, he's been getting 3 pinkies.

Thanks.

 

[knox]

He will do one of 3 things:

1. Not try to eat it
2. Eat it and regurge
3. Eat it and be fine

Either way, your snake will be fine and you will know next time it comes to feeding.

Try it. I wouldn't push this with a King or Milk, but Corns are very stretchy and can handle larger prey items.

 

[knox]

Just picked this little 2010 girl up yesterday and fed her last night. You can clearly see the bulge from the pinkie in her stomach.