What do you feed your Spotted python?

[Gruni]

My girl is 2, 1.2m and 354gr and has never refused a feed. She sheds beautifully about every 7 weeks and I only feed her every two weeks. She makes short work of two large adult mice or a good hopper rat. I haven't tried quails or anything but that is because I have an excellent rodent supply and no easy access to quails.

 

[Miss-Mac]

Gruni, she is beautiful!
True, if you've got a good supply and everything works, why change it?

I'm not sure if it was anything within the quail or if it was maybe her age that has anything to do with her better sheds. But the husbandry hasn't changed at all. She has quickly outgrown her little house though and her new home is in the making, can't wait to see her in it! (It's amazing how fast they can grown when the weather warms up, even with a feed every other week.)

 

[Gruni]

Thanks Miss-Mac, despite all the pics of Blonds etc that are stunning I love her just how she is. There are better pics of her head and pattern on my profile, I posted the chair pic to show her size better.

She is really active this morning and is hunting around so with the warm weather it looks like she might be coming back onto a 10 day feed pattern for now.

 

[JasonL]

I feed my stims chicken necks, actually I feed most of my snakes chicken necks...

 

[Xeaal]

Chicken necks? But.. don't Antaresia get their Vitamin D from the liver of the animal they consume?

 

[JasonL]

Chicken necks? But.. don't Antaresia get their Vitamin D from the liver of the animal they consume?

Supposedly so.... through all my snakes grow, survive and multiply just fine on chicken necks.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Supposedly so.... through all my snakes grow, survive and multiply just fine on chicken necks.

hey jason, do you feed only on chicken necks? do you feed larger pythons chicken necks also? if you do how many chicken necks per feed? are these just shop bought (coles/woolies/butchers etc)?

 

[sharky]

My 11mo eats pinkie rats with no dramas. I've never heard of rats not being good for a spotted! I'd feed mine quail if my pet shop supplied it

Xeaal, I do believe you can add a reptile vitamin to the chicken necks to make them more beneficial to the snake? I had a baby python who was a non-feeder and added a reptile vitamin to his water because he would not eat and that kept him going until he started eating again.

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Just feed them rodents unless you live on a quale farm or live next door to a chicken farm I reckon..... my guys swear by rats aand mice

 

[JasonL]

hey jason, do you feed only on chicken necks? do you feed larger pythons chicken necks also? if you do how many chicken necks per feed? are these just shop bought (coles/woolies/butchers etc)?

Yes just normal chicken necks, $2.50 a kilo from the chinese Deli... My BHPs love them, I just feed them like a dog, a bowl of chicken necks each, about a kilo each for them, Ants have two each, womas, about 8 each, water the same... I have 1 Ant and 1 Woma that smell them as a threat and go nuts biting everything inc me and clearly wont eat them, thus I feed them rodents... for smaller snakes like My Devis and Juvie Pythons I chop them up into bits. Funny enough my BTS wont touch them... funny for bird eating snakes I thought.

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

Thanks jason! definitely a much cheaper option. i'd be able to get a kilo to do everyone. handy to know for those times when my breeder doesnt come up before i run out.

 

[The_Geeza]

Just feed them rodents unless you live on a quale farm or live next door to a chicken farm I reckon..... my guys swear by rats aand mice

I understand what ya saying but people have trouble feeders and variety can help.... I've got a 3 yr old stimi that for his first 2 yrs would only eat mice or rats to keep its self alive.... 10 months he went without eating... Show him a day old chick or 2 week old quail and BAM!!!...... It's ok cause I scent mice with me chicks and he eats a variety now.... So people need other options for problem feeders.... JMO

 

[CaptainRatbag]

Thats very true Oz.... I can only speak from my own experiences, I thankfully, havent had a trouble feeder.... so as is always the case, what I say is only 'IMO'

 

[Xeaal]

My 11mo eats pinkie rats with no dramas. I've never heard of rats not being good for a spotted! I'd feed mine quail if my pet shop supplied it

Xeaal, I do believe you can add a reptile vitamin to the chicken necks to make them more beneficial to the snake? I had a baby python who was a non-feeder and added a reptile vitamin to his water because he would not eat and that kept him going until he started eating again.

Good to know, thank you

 

[cathy1986]

Is there a particular nutritional benefit to feeding quails?

Depending where your quail comes from and what its fed i know my regular source has his on a high protein diet and alot less fat than mice and less stink once passed plus it gives them some variety

Cathy

 

[cement]

I am interested enough to ask what people here call "a trouble feeder"?

What constitutes a trouble feeder, and what time duration are we talking about that defines it as a problem?

 

[zeke]

My 2 year old spotted will eat anything offered, even the occasional finger if he's in the mood but I generally give him a small adult rat a week or a fortnight

 

[notechistiger]

My snakes get chicken necks every now and again too. Cheap alternative, especially considering how ridiculous prices are getting for rodents. My coastals get quails too, if only because they love them best (although they're happy to smash rodents and necks too).