Your thoughts on feeding locations

[DeanoCFE]

Just wanted everyones opinion on weather to feed your hatchling in it's enclosure or move to a separate tub and feed?
I have researched and found that people use both methods just wanted to see what you guys do or suggest.

 

[saximus]

No difference whatsoever. I personally prefer to feed in the enclosure because I don't want to add the stress of moving an animal with a full belly back into its enclosure.
I do see the benefit of doing it if you have a very loose substrate that you don't want the animal ingesting but there is absolutely no real evidence to suggest it causes a difference in attitude

 

[Burnerism]

I feed in the enclosure for convince and have experienced no problems as far as the snake mistaking me grabbing him out for a hold (which I don't do often anyway) for me going to feed him. Up to you tho, I also see the benefit of feeding in a tub if you want to "train" him to not be food responsive when putting your hand in.

 

[RSPcrazy]

I used to feed everything out of their enclosures, because I thought it would make them less cage defensive. But I started getting sick of having to get all these snakes out to feed them, so I stopped doing it to roughly half my collection. Then I started to notice something.

The snakes that I handled a lot, some were fed in their enclosures, some were taken out for food, They all stayed friendly.
The snakes that I used to handle regularly but had almost completely stopped handling, had started to become snappy and cage defensive, even though some were still taken out to feed.

My verdict, after years of experience in this area. Is it makes no differance where you feed your snakes, it all comes down to how often you handle them.

 

[reb01]

Feeding hatchlings should be done with little-none disturbance/stress,so the click-clack should be the go.....As far as a food response because your hand goes in the tub,can be a bit far stretch...Most hatchies will be defensive/bitey anyhow.....IMO in there tub is the way to go..I feed ALL of mine regardless of age in the tub/enclosure...

 

[DeanoCFE]

Thanks guys, that is awesome, will feed in his click clack for sure now, i do have repti bark as my substrate it is loose stuff, should i be worried about this at all?
Should i put the pinky in near his hide and just wait and see or should i put it on some paper near the hot area of his enclosure?
thanks again guys

 

[saximus]

Just make sure it's nice and dry before you chuck it in and you should be fine. A little doesn't matter but if it's wet, heaps will stick to it which is a little less desirable

 

[DeanoCFE]

Cool mate, thanks

 

[Arid_Reptiles]

I feed my girl in her enclosure, she is extremely docile, no cage aggression issues.
Then again, she is docile because she is out all the time.

 

[Hamalicious]

There are other ways you can teach the snake when it is and isnt feeding time. Dont put your hands in when it's feeding time, just open and put the rat in with tongs. When you want to handle, make sure you wash your hands with soap so there are no yummy smells. This way, hands and food wont be associated together.

I feed all my snakes in their enclosures and i dont have any problems, they never associate my hands with food.

 

[lithopian]

I liked how you worded that Hamalicious.

I always feed my snakes in a feeding tub. I have two "exciteable" individuals that have over zealous feeding responses and i believe that if they were fed inside the terrarium they would be biters. This is, of course an assumption and not based on any real evidence. I do however, keep a stimsons pair together and tub feeding is how i hope to keep the two of them from attacking eachother. They are fed separately and both are washed and dried before being returned to the enclosure.

Freshly hatched snakes would probably be my only exception, but i have a 3 month old hatchie that is fed in the feeding tub just like everyone else. Using the tub (that is full of yummy rat smells), I've found that the snakes are all ready and eager for food- they strike immediately and feeding is over in 10 minutes. I think i would be concerned that the snake would not eat a thawed rat straight away if placed in the enclosure. Not sure on that one.

I think a lot of people would do both for many varied reasons.