For those who keep feed records

[Tobe404]

Just wondering for those who keep feed records.

Say you've gone to one pet shop/breeder but for whatever reason had to switch to another.
When you make a purchase/keep a feed record... Do you go by the label on the Rat or the weight?
I'm asking this because I've recently done a switch from one pet shop to another and there sizes are quite different.

First shop was:
Small Adult Rat 80-130g
Meduim Adult Rat 130-200g
Large Adult Rat 200-300g

New shop is:
Small Adult Rat 120-185g
Regular Adult Rat 185-250g
Large Adult Rat 250-320g

And so on... I think I might have to start entering the weight(s) of the Rats fed rather than the label to save confusing myself.

 

[saximus]

It isn't necessary to keep records of exact weight down to the gram. Wild animals never get exactly the same sized prey item every feed. Just go by visual size and make your own decision about whether you consider it small, medium or large. Then it doesn't matter where you get them from

 

[Skeptic]

You're not conducting a scientific study Unless you've got a massive collection I can't see the point in keeping feed records at all. When it comes to size, I think most people feed undersized meals. I've heard all too often people asking if their 2 year old carpet should move up from fuzzies

 

[Tobe404]

Oh it's just something I've done since I've kept them. Each to their own I suppose.

Currently going to try my 850g (approx) Jungle on a 185-250g and see how it goes.

Biggest MD (around 1.165kg) has had four consecutive feeds of (250-320g) Rats but refused the last two.
One was because of coming up to shed. But the last one I'm not sure why. Could be because it's getting colder (although her hide is always around 34c).
I think at the time the meal wasn't warm enough and it was too late in the night to re-heat it without waking anyone else up. I'll just try in a couple of days and see what happens.

 

[timantula]

feeding records?? huh?? I breed my own rats and mostly feed fresh killed and I just look at each rat and and think yep your going to this nakey or that one, and I tend to feed on the bigger side because I have heard that its not good to be feeding undersize rats to snakes..

 

[andynic07]

Just wondering for those who keep feed records.

Say you've gone to one pet shop/breeder but for whatever reason had to switch to another.
When you make a purchase/keep a feed record... Do you go by the label on the Rat or the weight?
I'm asking this because I've recently done a switch from one pet shop to another and there sizes are quite different.

First shop was:
Small Adult Rat 80-130g
Meduim Adult Rat 130-200g
Large Adult Rat 200-300g

New shop is:
Small Adult Rat 120-185g
Regular Adult Rat 185-250g
Large Adult Rat 250-320g

And so on... I think I might have to start entering the weight(s) of the Rats fed rather than the label to save confusing myself.

I actually only have a small collection ( 6 snakes) and I keep very detailed records. I weigh down to the gram what I feed each snake and when they show signs of coming into shed and when they shed plus regular weight and length measurements. While some of the other members some with more experience say there is no need for this I find it interesting and useful to me. If it is not a hassle to you I would recommend it because even if it useless it also does not hurt to have that information at hand.

 

[Davesgonefishin]

I actually only have a small collection ( 6 snakes) and I keep very detailed records. I weigh down to the gram what I feed each snake and when they show signs of coming into shed and when they shed plus regular weight and length measurements. While some of the other members some with more experience say there is no need for this I find it interesting and useful to me. If it is not a hassle to you I would recommend it because even if it useless it also does not hurt to have that information at hand.

Same. I actually enjoy the record keeping as well as the snakes

 

[Tobe404]

I've only got 3. Soon to be 5. Just makes things so much easier when you have a record on hand. In my opinion.

 

[Sdaji]

I'm a bit OCD and used to keep very detailed records on all my snakes including time of day, weight of meals, time of sloughs, lengths of sloughs (even though I knew that was irrelevant to anything useful) and lots of other stuff. Each snake had its own notebook! I actually managed to keep that up until I finally gave up... at that point I had over 50 snakes. I don't know how I managed for that long! I still record meals, sloughs and other bits and pieces for most of the snakes, but I just write it on their tub or the glass of their enclosure and clean it off when it gets too covered. I record in grams, but I breed my own rats and weigh them all (yep, the weight is written on the zip lock bag! That's also how I sell rats, which would be pretty handy for anyone keeping weight records! :lol: )

Obviously it doesn't really matter how you keep records or whether or not you keep them at all as long as you have a system that works.

 

[Skeptic]

I just drink to numb my brain LOL

 

[Bart70]

I keep records - not down to the gram weight of each meal, but I do document the general size and date of feeds for each animal - including refused meals.

I find mine to be invaluable when looking back at food intake over time, timings of feeds etc.....A lot can be learned about an individuals behaviour from going back over records IMHO.

To the OP - probably not so much the difference between what Pet Stores 'classify' their rats as, but I believe it is important that you yourself know what weight food item your animal needs and purchase it accordingly, regardless of what the Pet Store call it. What you call it in your records is irrelevant as long as it is the appropriate weight for your animal.

 

[Endeavour]

I'm a bit OCD and used to keep very detailed records on all my snakes including time of day, weight of meals, time of sloughs, lengths of sloughs (even though I knew that was irrelevant to anything useful) and lots of other stuff. Each snake had its own notebook! I actually managed to keep that up until I finally gave up... at that point I had over 50 snakes. I don't know how I managed for that long! I still record meals, sloughs and other bits and pieces for most of the snakes, but I just write it on their tub or the glass of their enclosure and clean it off when it gets too covered. I record in grams, but I breed my own rats and weigh them all (yep, the weight is written on the zip lock bag! That's also how I sell rats, which would be pretty handy for anyone keeping weight records! :lol: )

Obviously it doesn't really matter how you keep records or whether or not you keep them at all as long as you have a system that works.

OCD (over collecting data) is something I have encountered before. I once met a keeper who in addition to the data you keep also recorded rat colour and sex of prey item given.


Kindest regards

Endeavour

 

[Tobe404]

If I'm ever unsure I get the pet shop to weigh the food item before I purchase it. (when possible)
So yeah, that is covered.

 

[Bananapeel]

I completely forgot about recording when I purchased my first snake. Only these holidays did I come across something that sparked my memory. Ooops. I have started to record from the first week of the holidays. I could easily have recorded all the feeds from the date I got him as they were all consecutive Wednesdays but I couldn't remember slough date so decided it easier to start from scratch. I so far, have only recorded feed date, prey item (name not weight - dont really know weight :/) and shed dates. Of course any behaviour changes or anything else will be jotted down but I often struggle to remember and find this amount if data useful to me but not to time spending.

i hope this is ok. But I struggle to know what prey mine is eating. To some it would be different to the label when I purchased it. Oh well. Oh and at the end of each month I will record his weight & length.

 

[Starter]

The danger of feeding "UNDERSIZED FOOD" was mentioned here - are there any tables available for what size and amount of food a snake of a certain size/weight should get?

The people who sold me my up to 2.6 metre long pythons last week said that they fed them one fully grown rat per month. Yesterday I attended a local wildlife show and asked the presenter what they feed their Olive python. They said she can eat as much as 5 fully grown rats in one go - every week. Other people said I should rather be looking at breeding rabbits, as rats were too small. ... ?

 

[Riffherper]

I thaw my rats and then weigh them on digital scales prior to feeding. A 'small rat' from one breeder may be a med or extra small at another breeder.

 

[timantula]

my 11ft Atherton jungle gets 3 sometimes 4 fully grown rats every 10 days, I work on if they have a nice lumpy belly after a feed jobs done.. but there will be a few different opinions about how others work it out. my way works for me. but ive just started breeding rabbits for my bigger snakes.

 

[Starter]

my 11ft Atherton jungle gets 3 sometimes 4 fully grown rats every 10 days, I work on if they have a nice lumpy belly after a feed jobs done.. but there will be a few different opinions about how others work it out. my way works for me. but ive just started breeding rabbits for my bigger snakes.

Wow, that is a lot of food. Would you rather recommend giving one big piece (e.g. a rabbit) to a large snake, or rather 4-6 rats? Does it make any difference?

 

[timantula]

yes I would rather feeding one med/lrg rabbit instead of 4 fully grown rats simply because I now have a few snakes and im having trouble keeping up with rat supplys.. no I don't think it would make any difference its still a feed for them.

 

[Starter]

Thank you, timantula.