feeding within the enclosure my experiences.

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licky

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From the second half of this year i had swapped my feeding routine from outside the tank to now inside. I have 2 coastals 1 woma and a bredli now always wanting to eat me. But all is fine once they are outside the enclosure, but it has now become war in trying to remove them for maintainence purposes etc.
It is how i feared and how i felt prior to my little experiment, but i figured i should try it before i knock it and now say its best to feed outside the enclosure.
The ONLY pro to feeding within the tank is that i dont have to supervise, but otherwise it seems like all cons.

Anyone have opinions?
 
I used to feed outside, but now my feeding is done inside for the exact reason you stated....once out, they are fine...last thing I need is a 10ft snake (or my partners big olive girl) being untrustworthy when out. When I used to feed outside I got tagged a bit from snakes expecting a meal once they got out, nowday's I just hook them out, or even just push them around a bit with the hook first so they know it's not dinner time, and they are no problems at all. We still have feisty snakes, but they are just that. At feed time they don't get any other interaction than food flying in their door. Both methods are just as valid, just depends on your preference.
 
I found it doesnt matter for me, as soon as mine smell rats cooking there out and looking for food.Even if i defrost outside they smell it,also the smell is on my clothes.I found the opposite,i once took out my female bhp she is 7.5ft long i took her out of her enclosure and she was fine,as soon as i put her in her feed box,while i still had hold of her she came flying out of the box and grabbed hold of the side of it almost grabbing my hand.I would rather use a hook to get them out of there enclosure,once you get them out of feeding mode mine are fine.

Just my opinion.
 
i have fed all my snakes in their enclosures, basically because i haven't got time to pull every snake out to feed.

i have had no cons from this, all handle well and i can't remember the last time i was bitten, or even struck at.

i think the whole arguement about feeding inside enclosures making them aggresive or cage protective to be rubbish. they are just as likely to associate being pulled out of the enclosure with feeding time also. just luck of the draw how your snakes handle and how often you get bitten.
 
i feed some in and some out... Depends on what they are like to feed e.g my Darwin's perious owner did not dangle his food in front of him (properly to scared...)but instead put it on a plate and now that is the only way he will eat despite trying to get him out of this habit :( and he will not eat unless he is in a complete dark room... but on the other hand my Bredli is fine to feed in her enclosure and i haven't had any problems with her trying to biting at me at all :D
 
I feed inside there enclosures,i havent found any difference if i feed in there cage-or out..Either way as soon as my Aspidities smell there food they know its feed time..In some cases ive gotta open one side and then quickly the other side to put the rodent in...My big Coastal is fed in her cage(aviary) also,so far no dramas..Just cant find bigger enough rodents to make a difference to see a lump,may have to try rabbits instead...Bottom line-feed in-out there cages as IMO it makes no difference...
 
i feed mine in now cause when i was getting her in and out to feed she became snappy cause every time i pulled her out she thought it was dinner time, now i feed in with tongs and she isnt ever snappy never even S's up only con i have with feeding in is that it restricts your substrate choices :)
 
I feed ALL mine inside the enclosure now. I house some in pairs all year round, becuase of this I used to remove one to feed the other & so on. But as a result I got mistaken for food one day when it was time to remove one to feed the other. so now all are feed inside thier enclosure & if housed in pairs I time it that the two eat together or only one is wanting food. They can fight each other for food rather than ME.
& if you you have ever had a large python want to eat your hand you will understand & feed inside the enclosure.

They are not stupid & get used to a feeding resume & therefor when it is feed time that is what they are looking for.
I get all ready befor I start & observe snakes untill all finished as I have had one eat first & then attack the other food source. But normally does not happen & if it does I distract the snake as it is still in full feed mode.

I will hardly ever again remove snakes to feed.
 
We have always fed our snakes inside the enclosure, I have seen people do it in another "feeding enclosure" but that was because of there being more than one snake the enclosure. wouldn't it be more stress feeding it outside of the enclosure moving it back and forth when it has just eaten?
 
ozzie i dont see how handling a python makes them associate handling with feeding. Im starting to think it may be the left over smell or something along those lines thats keeps them alert but mine are always following my me and me hands all the time now, they even come out of there hides just to stalk me. And pythons73 an avairy is completely difernt imo. not much residual left over plus you wouldnt feed in the same spot everytime
 
ozzie i dont see how handling a python makes them associate handling with feeding. Im starting to think it may be the left over smell or something along those lines thats keeps them alert but mine are always following my me and me hands all the time now, they even come out of there hides just to stalk me. And pythons73 an avairy is completely difernt imo. not much residual left over plus you wouldnt feed in the same spot everytime

Basicly they will associate any attemp to handle/remove from thier enclosure as feed time.
We feed everything in its enclosure and never get mistaken for food or have any form of aggression displayed from being fed this way.
We handle our snakes very rarely (adults) apart from cleaning or watering!
 
Beeman i dont understand your comment first you say they WILL associate handling with food then you say you have never encountered it.
Could be the lack of proper communication through a computer screen but i dont get your post.
BTW mrs-davo feeding 2 snakes in the same cage is a dangerous game, please dont do it.
 
Yeah hence my mates separating theirs. Fun fact two headed snakes fight each other for food.
 
I feed mine inside the enclosure. I've never had a problem, as MatE and others have said as soon as she smells food she knows it's dinner time! Any other time she's fine and I hook her out. It may depend on the individual snake and the routine they are used to.
 
There is no legitimate reason to feed outside of enclosure other than when snakes are housed together. I wonder how many people with more than 1 or 2 snakes bother to remove them all for feeding, Not many I reckon.
 
I have found it depends on the snake. My jungle is fine with being fed in the enclosure and has no problem when hand go in. Then i dont think he would care about much. My woma on the other hand is the opposite. She goes nuts no matter where you feed her. but is always fed outside because of the subterate. The bredli is fed in his enclosure but and is a little bit cage defensive if you hesitate. The costal has always been fed in cage and well he is currently planning in eating anything that so much as looks at his enclosure.
 
I have always fed my spotted in the enclosure and I am doing the same for my yearling bredli. Like bluefairy said my spotted is a bit snappy if you hesitate to get her out, bredli okay so far. But I am getting a woma in the new year and have been recommended to feed it outside the enclosure due to their strong feed response- now I'm not so sure.
 
licky,
I should of split my post into 2 parts, What i said about handling in the first paragraph was in association with removing them to a seperate container to feed they will then assume anytime you are handling/removing from enclosure its feed time!
 
I have always fed my spotted in the enclosure and I am doing the same for my yearling bredli. Like bluefairy said my spotted is a bit snappy if you hesitate to get her out, bredli okay so far. But I am getting a woma in the new year and have been recommended to feed it outside the enclosure due to their strong feed response- now I'm not so sure.

Lisa5, feed the new woma in its enclosure!

Aspidites have a very strong feeding response in general, Just the action of bringing feed into the room with the snakes will put them on edge.

This feeding response stays for quite a while after feeding which will increase
the possability of getting a bite returning the snake to its enclosure
 
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