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Some questions about feeding in cage

jaric

jaric

New member
First off, hey all :wavey:

So as I was reading through some older threads the search function turned up about feeding in cage and out, I found that I still have some questions.

I don't have a snake...yet. Still in the research phase to make sure I do it right THE FIRST TIME. (A lesson I learned from many failed aquariums...)

I was reading through the in cage vs out of cage debates, and IMO both sides made some good points.

I have an extra 10 gallon tank I could probably convert into a feeding tank if I decide to go that route, but some of the things I have read make me a bit leary about doing so.

First, I was told (or read rather) that you should not handle your pet 48 hours or so after feeding or risk increasing regurgitation. Well, that sounds like good advice (after all, who wants to be tossed around after a big meal? :puke01: ) but then how do I get the snake back into his/her home?

The unquestioned reason for having a seperate feeding tank seems is to avoid substrate ingestion. I was wondering if a possible remedy for that would be to place the pinky (I plan on only using prekilled) onto a feeding dish of somekind to minimize the risk of accidental ingestion.

Has anyone tried that with any success?

The possiblity of reinforcing agression mildly concerns me, but so far I am kinda of the opinion that if tongs are used, and the tank opens more often for handling than feeding, that should be minimized.

Of course I am a complete noob when it comes to these things. Have some experiance with reps (kept a b-dragon for about 4 years before I had to give him up because of a move) but never snakes.

Thanks in advance, and appologies in advance if this has ever been answered by a previous thread.

I used the search function I swear!
 
Well, I've started feeding out of the viv, because he was giving me some disturbing looks as I went near his tank...so it is true it will enforce aggression when you try to handle them :grin01: But before I was feeding in the viv on a large plastic sheet to avoid substrate ingestion...It worked fine. The main reason I did that was because I didn't want to stress him out in his first few weeks by lifting him out and shoving him in a tiny box every 5 days... :rolleyes: Anyway, most would advise feeding in a box. And generally I'd agree. Just my $0.02.
 
Mine's still on pinkies, so there's not much for tongs to grab anyway. I bought tongs before my snake arrived, haven't used them once. But, I feed him in a cleaned and hole'd parmesan cheese container from Whole Foods. Even at first when he was really ticked about my taking him from his viv, he would find the pinky and eat it while rattling against the container. The idea is that they don't have distractions/space to keep them from finding and eating the prey. And the container is much smaller than his viv, so I just pop off the lid and stick the whole container in the viv and then pull it out after he's disappeared somewhere. Works great for me. And, I can clean the container easily after he's eaten, removing any lingering mouse smells there may be.

-Sean
 
hmmm thats an intresting thought.

So perhaps putting a small plastic container in the terrarium for feeding, and then simply removing it after feeding is done?

Ideally the snake would associate the container with feeding and just me. I do plan to let the snake out 2-3 times a week (possible more) aside from feeding.

It sounds good in theory, anyone else have any experiance with doing something similar to that?
 
I just use an envolope box from my work to feed in. I put 2 paper towels in it (watch closely as some snakes have eaten their paper towels and have been injured/killed) and feed there. I will get tongs but with baby mice, there isn't much to grab onto. When my snake gets bigger, I will use a bigger cardboard box. No reason to use anything permanent. Box is nice as I like to monitor the feeding anyway. When done, it's ok to pick the snake up just to move it to its viv. I make sure to support the lump first and then the neck.
 
I feed mine in a separate sterilite container with nothing in it but the food and the snake. That way I have no worries about supstrate. After feeding I pick the snake up and put it back home.
 
My snake ate a paper towel when I fed it on one, so I would steer clear of paper towels period. If your snake DOES start to eat the paper towel while you're watching, you're going to have to grab it and tear the paper towel away, which the snake probably won't like too much.

Some people feed on dishes in the viv, but snakes can pick up and carry off their food to a cozier place, leaving you with the problem of having to watch for subtrate ingestion.

After my little paper towel incident (involving a vet visit, and I was lucky, because it could have been the death of the snake), I just feed them in plastic containers (with tops and airholes). If I'm busy, I can put the plastic containers in their vivs and leave them overnight. If I'm not, I can watch them and let them out when they're done.
 
I've found that by taking him out to feed I have a chance to weigh and measure him at a regular interval, then I place him in his feeding container and he instantly knows that the mouse is coming and as soon as he can reach it he grabs it and constricts. After he's done I gently pick him up and place him back in his terrarium.
 
Rose is... to say the least, bitchy. Sorry for the bad language, but it's just about the only word I know to describe her. I can't pick her up after feeding; she tries to eat my hand. So I just have to slide her out of the shoebox.
 
I am currently feeding him in the deli cup he came in. It's working quite well- I just sit it in the viv and put the mouse in with him and he swallows it down. I then open the lid and out he goes into his viv, and I don't have to lift him at all. It's pretty easy
 
Hmmm I don't like the sound of that at all desert animal. Glad everything worked out ok for you (probably not as much as you were I imagine.)

I like the idea though of doing the actual feeding in the cage, just in a seperate container to avoid all types of problems.

It should not be too much of an issue (space wise) since I plan on outfitting a 40 gallon (30x20) tank for him.
 
I've always fed my 6 month old in her 20 gallon viv. I use unprinted news paper for substrate, and even when she was eating pinkies I used tongs. She is handled on a daily basis excluding after she eats. She has never shown any aggression towards me. So far so good.
:wavey:
 
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