Munson plan Sucess stories.

[ALGeckos]

I totally understand what Corny Noob is trying to say. Because I am a new owner of a corn snake and it's 25 grams at 1 year & 6 months. When I read other threads about yearling weights, I was shocked because my snake weight wasn't even remotely close. I seriously wanted to leave work just to make sure I weighed him right.

I thought I needed to bump his weight up (not that I thought this was a race, but because I thought he was "anorexic" so to speak), but according to some replies from other members (Flagg, Liselle, Duff, and Corny Noob), I felt better about knowing that I can still follow the Munson plan and he'll turn out just fine. I will not be powerfeeding or overfeeding, but I'll be following the Munson plan to heart until and after "Wendell", my corn snake, reaches a more average weight for his size.

Thread here: http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56949 in case you want to read me freaking out then calming down about weight.

Again, he's my first snake ever, so I was worried. Worried mom!!


- Aimee

 

[starsevol]

I have 2 yearling girls that are unrelated to each other.
Both are on the Munson plan.
I weighed them both Sept 2.
Beacon was 72 grams, Havoc was 308.
Havoc's sister Hatteras is almost as big, but I don't remember her grammage at the moment.

 

[NFS07]

I think that Jenn's main idea was to give hope to the owners that feel like they are failing at raising their snakes or feel that their snake is underweight do to them not feeding enough. Dean's plan has worked for many and I think that it's a good plan to help people along. He never said that it was a way to get a snake to grow quick just an outline of a way that he has found works. Each person will find their own way to feed and care for their snake as they get used to having them. New owners need a guide. I looked the plan over when I was planning to get a corn and again when I got one so that I would have an idea about how to feed and how much. I kind of follow the plan. I use it as a guide, I'm new and I want to make sure that I'm feeding enough but not to much. I see how he eats, than how big the lump is, and how long it lasts. That is how I tell now but I still am using the guide to gauge. It's a good tool to have and I think that Dean should have an ego trip if he wishes. He has helped a lot of new snake owners get an understanding of feeding and make their own plan that is based around his. It's a good plan and I think that it was nice of Jenn it give to hope to new owners and thank him for posting what has worked for him.

 

[NFS07]

Kryptonite was 12 grams when I got him and when I weighed him before his feeding yesterday he was 20 grams. He was hatched in June 07 and I have had him for a little over a month. He gained 8 pounds in a month, I think that is very good. I don't feel that I am pushing him at all. I feed every five days, 2 pinkies. The lump is still there the next day but I have noticed that on the third day I can't tell the pinkies are still there unless I pick him up and look at his belly. I think that he'll be ready for a size up after a few more feedings. Which if you look at the plan is about right. I look at my snake to see if he needs more food and then glance at the chart to see if it's about right. Now if he reaches 24 grams and I can still see anything of the pinkies on the third day I won't move him up. Again it's a good guide to help new owners.

 

[ssmith_1187]

He gained 8 pounds in a month, I think that is very good.

HOLY COW...I'd say that's A-W-E-S-O-M-E :grin01:

Regards,
Steve

 

[jazzgeek]

Hey, if you think that's awesome, I've gained 14 pounds since I've gone on the Munson Plan.

It would even be more, but the lack of variety in the diet curbs my appetite.

regards,
jazz

 

[ssmith_1187]

I've gained 14 pounds since I've gone on the Munson Plan.

That's because you're eating all of that custard

Regards,
Steve

 

[Roy Munson]

I think that Jenn's main idea was to give hope to the owners that feel like they are failing at raising their snakes or feel that their snake is underweight do to them not feeding enough. Dean's plan has worked for many and I think that it's a good plan to help people along. He never said that it was a way to get a snake to grow quick just an outline of a way that he has found works. Each person will find their own way to feed and care for their snake as they get used to having them. New owners need a guide. I looked the plan over when I was planning to get a corn and again when I got one so that I would have an idea about how to feed and how much. I kind of follow the plan. I use it as a guide, I'm new and I want to make sure that I'm feeding enough but not to much. I see how he eats, than how big the lump is, and how long it lasts. That is how I tell now but I still am using the guide to gauge. It's a good tool to have and I think that Dean should have an ego trip if he wishes. He has helped a lot of new snake owners get an understanding of feeding and make their own plan that is based around his. It's a good plan and I think that it was nice of Jenn it give to hope to new owners and thank him for posting what has worked for him.

You're using the plan exactly as I intended-- as a rough guide. I can't really ego-trip about it because anybody with good records and a good sample group could have come up with the same thing or better. It should never be referenced as an authoritative guide. I've seen people refer to is as some sort of piece of corn gospel, and it really isn't. It's merely the result of one guy's experiences. I only posted it because I had been asked for general guidelines in numerous PMs. I can only hope that it has been as helpful as you and Jenn claim.

Hey, if you think that's awesome, I've gained 14 pounds since I've gone on the Munson Plan.

It would even be more, but the lack of variety in the diet curbs my appetite.

:roflmao: I've said it before-- you're one crazy b@$%@^&, Dale. Never change.

 

[Cegninedorf]

I've been using "The Plan" more as a guideline and not as a blanket solution, and I make adjustments as necessary -- and some nights, I'm too bloody tired from the day to feed anything, including myself, so a night is skipped here & there...sometimes more than just a night. I liked seeing something like that in print because it gave me some kind of guideline to follow, but as I haven't seen it etched in stone, I'm not too stressed about it. I will state, though, that my snakes have done well; I began to follow it late April-ish, but here are my stats from the beginning of June until now:

Fritz was 160 g, now he's 250 g
Maizie was 103 g, now she's 180 g
Bellerouge was 60 g, now she's 105 g

ShugaBoog was 8 g at the end of June, and since I've been able to get him feed regularly since the beginning of August, he's now 32 g

Schnee was 10 g at the beginning of August, and now she's 28 g

I'm thinking that I may have to cut-back a little for Maizie because unless she has a big poop coming, she seemed to be looking slightly hippy when I checked on her tonight. Otherwise, I'm happy with the growth that I've seen in all of my snakes; they appear healthy and content, with good sheds.

 

[Corny Noob]

Well the reason I love it so much is because sometimes I stress *too* much, looking at the snake, then looking at the prey item I'm trying to do the measurements in my head "Oh god is this exactly 1.5x or less then her width!?!" I'm almost too visual when it comes to learning :grin01:
The Munson plan makes it a lot easier, but there's been a few times thus far I've looked at the mouse, then looked at her and went "No way jose' she's gotta get a little bigger first for that" :sidestep:

 

[diamondlil]

I don't think you've ever shown signs of having an ego trip about the plan, or said 'this is how it must be done', Dean.
What the plan gives is a good basis to feed a growing corn in order for it to be healthy. My yearling siblings Butch and Sundance were the first snakes I used the plan on from the start of getting them. Butch is 97 grams, Sundance 128. She's perhaps different enough genetically that she has metabolised the food and grown faster than her brother. But both are active, growing well and I'd say well within normal range for their age.

 

[beaniebopps]

I'm not sure where my snake fits in on this sort of plan...

He gets a weaner rat every 10 days. People talk about feeding meals 1 and a half times the size of the body... My weaner rats don't even quite reach 1 times the width of his body!

I also never really see a 'bulge' apart from for 20 minuntes after he has eaten! Ok yes Jake is a bit of a fatty for a corn then, I have not weighed him, but he is over 5' long.

Should I stick with the current routine then? Its working fine, and getting anything bigger than weaner rats seems ridiculous!

 

[Roy Munson]

I'm not sure where my snake fits in on this sort of plan...

He gets a weaner rat every 10 days. People talk about feeding meals 1 and a half times the size of the body... My weaner rats don't even quite reach 1 times the width of his body!

I also never really see a 'bulge' apart from for 20 minuntes after he has eaten! Ok yes Jake is a bit of a fatty for a corn then, I have not weighed him, but he is over 5' long.

Should I stick with the current routine then? Its working fine, and getting anything bigger than weaner rats seems ridiculous!

Neither "The Plan" nor any other guidelines (e.g., 1.5x girth rule, bulge rule) really apply to adult corns like yours. By the time a corn is 300-400g, you have to start determining prey size and feeding frequency based on the individual snake. It's usually a trial and error affair figuring out how to maintain good weight and muscle tone or to allow very modest growth once a corn has acheived breeding size. If I were you, and I considered my snake a "fatty", I would keep the prey size you're using, but extend the feeding frequency out to about 14 days.

I have a few snakes that I consider slightly overweight myself, and I've been feeding them every 14 days for two or three feedings and then extending every third or fourth feeding to 21 days. These snakes are also not getting the max prey size they can handle for all feedings.

 

[Eremita]

I ignore the Munson Plan completely. I do not weigh my snake, my cats or my wife. Everyone is happy as far as I can tell, and doing well.

Roy Munson's ego trip stems solely from being a moderator. But if you look up 'Roy Munson' on Google, the first reference to our Dean is now #25. If he gets up to the first page, he'll have another reason, so be careful.

:sidestep:
-Sean

 

[jazzgeek]

I hereby offer my Web Developer Search Engine Optimization services for our moderator staff.

regards,
jazz

 

[Roy Munson]

I ignore the Munson Plan completely. I do not weigh my snake, my cats or my wife. Everyone is happy as far as I can tell, and doing well.

Hah! If you don't breed snakes, there's really no important reason to weigh them. Even if you do breed, the snake's weight is only one consideration among many. Visual inspection and handling tell you a lot more about the animal's physical status anyway. An underfed snake will be skinny and an overfed snake will be fat. It's pretty simple. I used to weigh my snakes a lot more often, but I've been slacking off. However, I still think it's fun to track their weight progressions, and if it's fun for me, that's reason enough to do it.

Roy Munson's ego trip stems solely from being a moderator. But if you look up 'Roy Munson' on Google, the first reference to our Dean is now #25. If he gets up to the first page, he'll have another reason, so be careful.

:sidestep:

:roflmao: That Google thing's kind of weird.

Roy's Dad:
One day, when people say the name
"Munson," they're gonna think "winner."
Just like DiMaggio is to baseball...
or "Unitas" is to football.
That's what "Munson" will be to bowling.

 

[beaniebopps]

Neither "The Plan" nor any other guidelines (e.g., 1.5x girth rule, bulge rule) really apply to adult corns like yours. By the time a corn is 300-400g, you have to start determining prey size and feeding frequency based on the individual snake. It's usually a trial and error affair figuring out how to maintain good weight and muscle tone or to allow very modest growth once a corn has acheived breeding size. If I were you, and I considered my snake a "fatty", I would keep the prey size you're using, but extend the feeding frequency out to about 14 days.

I have a few snakes that I consider slightly overweight myself, and I've been feeding them every 14 days for two or three feedings and then extending every third or fourth feeding to 21 days. These snakes are also not getting the max prey size they can handle for all feedings.

I don't really think he is overweight as such, the prey size is quite a bit smaller than he could handle - and every few feedings he just gets an adult mouse if they have no weaner rats - here is a full body pic - is his muscle tone ok looking?