Feeding Size

[Slytherin00]

So I have a Childrens Python which is about 2 and half months old. I went to the pet shop today to pick up some pinkies but they didn't have any the smallest thing they had was small hopper mice, so I decided to get them. I feed Pippa (the snake) about an hour ago, she took roughly around 20-25mins to completely engulf the hopper.

My question is that considering there hopper mice should I feed her every two weeks, because I was originally going to feed her once week with the pinkies, but im just not sure if that would be to much with hoppers

 

[Gruni]

I haven't had a hatchy and I know they recommend weekly but I think you would be safe looking at around 10 days as it is a fair size feed. I'm sure one of the breeders on here will give you the gun advice though.

 

[Albino93]

Wow a hopper, thats pretty big for a 2 and a half month old childrens imo lol did she have any issues swallowing it? did it leave a nice size bump?
Its really up to u whether u want to feed it in another week or 2, do u want the python to grow a little quicker or just have an average growth rate?
With a feed like that i would go every 10 days. Jmo.

 

[emmalene_bunny]

IMO, a hopper mouse for a hatchy is huge, Way to big, I wouldn't ever consider doing that, I remember how my little guy was at 2months old, and I was only then considering fuzzy mice. I know are very resilient creatures, and in the wild they will only get what they find, but at that size I would consider the hopper mouse to doing more damage on their insides.

 

[Slytherin00]

See because there small hopper mice, to me they look about the size of a fuzzie, so its not like an adult mouse. And I thought it would leave a huge bulge but it was really sort of average looking.

But yeah thanks I'll wait 10 days, cos I was thinking is 2 weeks a little long for a hatchy

 

[Albino93]

Small hopper mice should be ok, the first feed is normally the longest and u'll probably find the next feed wont take as long. If she can easily take the small hopper mice then i wouldnt even worry about buying pinkies next time, i would just keep buying hopper mice or large fuzzy mice until she needs an upsize. JMO

 

[Gruni]

You sure they are hoppers and not fuzzies? I thought when you posted that you meant the next size up from pinky...

 

[Albino93]

A fuzzy is the next size up from pinkies, hoppers are the next size up from fuzzies.

 

[Gruni]

Yes I realise that Albino I wasn't that switched on when I read the first post and assumed he had up sized one mouse type not two.

 

[Trimeresurus]

Size should be fine, just feed every 2 weeks or so until they don't look so big, if they aren't leaving a really big bulge maybe less time between, he'll grow well.

Usually with rodents they can look big until they're squished down in a snakes belly.

 

[Albino93]

Oh ok lol i thought maybe u were confused, considering u dont generally have to worry about size when u have easy access to all different types.

But yeah if it was large hoppers i dont think that childreni would be able to get it down, they really are that small.

 

[Albino93]

Usually with rodents they can look big until they're squished down in a snakes belly.

That pretty much well sorta happened last week with my spotted. I fed her a large adult mouse and it looked pretty big but after being super squished from constriction the mouse went all floppy and skinny and she ate it no probs lol.

 

[leamos]

If in any doubt, go out and buy a set of digital scales, weight the snake and feed it 20% its body weight. Snakes can happily take down prey alot bigger then people give them credit for. IMO a snake gets more out of a larger feed every 10 days then a smaller feed every 5 days

 

[Trimeresurus]

I agree, I feed some of mine 30-40% bodyweight every couple weeks or so and they grow well.

 

[andynic07]

If in any doubt, go out and buy a set of digital scales, weight the snake and feed it 20% its body weight. Snakes can happily take down prey alot bigger then people give them credit for. IMO a snake gets more out of a larger feed every 10 days then a smaller feed every 5 days

Best investment I ever made , alongside my IR thermometer gun. All of these aids are fairly cheap now and you should take advantage of them.

 

[RedFox]

*sigh* why is it so hard to get rodents in Cairns? I am having no luck. If the lump doesn't look that big and little pippa only takes a few days to digest it is fine. I would probably feed her every 10 days or so, whenever she starts showing signs of being hungry.

 

[Gruni]

I've been lucky as long as I've had Skittles I go to one of two friends places point and say 'I want those ones'... never worried about what to call them as far as weener, hopper etc. 8)

It really is nice not having to deal with the pet shop as supply varies there and you pay top $$$. I take it you don't know anyone with a larger collection who breeds their own Red?

 

[The_Geeza]

If its hungry then feed it.............Guys its a Hatchie and it needs the best start in life........Im sure u can all work it out...........Fortnightly feeds really dont give it the best start?????

 

[Trimeresurus]

If its hungry then feed it.............Guys its a Hatchie and it needs the best start in life........Im sure u can all work it out...........Fortnightly feeds really dont give it the best start?????

They do if they're big meals, but most people seem to be against that.

 

[RedFox]

I've been lucky as long as I've had Skittles I go to one of two friends places point and say 'I want those ones'... never worried about what to call them as far as weener, hopper etc. 8)

It really is nice not having to deal with the pet shop as supply varies there and you pay top $$$. I take it you don't know anyone with a larger collection who breeds their own Red?

I buy my rodents off herpshop here in Melbourne but in a couple of weeks I will be moving back to Cairns. One of my best friends used to breed pythons and her own rats but unfortunately she moved from cairns to WA a while ago. :cry:

Even with the amount of pet snakes up there I am having trouble tracking down a reliable rodent breeder.

And don't worry I also get confused by the names as I buy my rats based on approx weight.