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Weigh-In: Advise needed

WestCoast_Redneck
05-25-2013, 04:43 PM
Both my snakes never refuse a meal and seem to be thriving. I weighed both today (after a quick soak and poop), but I'm not quite sure what I should be expecting to see in terms of growth/weight gain.

LemonHead: Eating f/t med Hoppers.
weighed on March 13th: 58.6g. Weight as of today, May 25th: 79.4g

Redneck (the escapee): Eating fuzzies/rat pinks.
weighed on March 13th: 13.4g. Weight as of today, May 25th: 30.2g

Could anyone help me out? I know all snakes grow at different rates, but both seem to have put on 15-20g in the last 10weeks. In order to monitor their health, I'm not sure what I should be watching for and/or expecting.
Any help/advise is greatly appreciated!

WestCoast_Redneck
05-25-2013, 04:46 PM
Oops: Both are apparently abnormally small for being summer '11 hatchlings. But they eat, drink, and poop perfectly normal. We acquired both from the same breeder (although one was bought 3rd party) in January '13.

obboi34
05-25-2013, 04:59 PM
almost two years old and still that size?! strange. my first guess would be that they were mislabeled and are 2012 babies. mine gain about 10g a month, even at different ages and species. i wouldn't be giving fuzzies and rat pinks to a 13g or even a 30g or hoppers to a 58g snake. i waited until my yellow rat was 74g before moving up to hoppers, though he was on double fuzzies prior to the switch. my 57g corn is just starting double fuzzies.

WestCoast_Redneck
05-25-2013, 05:52 PM
They were not on fuzzies @ 13g and hoppers @ 58g, that is their current food at current weight. I don't think the breeder mislabeled both snakes from two different clutches as wrong hatch years, but you never know. Redneck we bought from a local petstore, who went MIA a week after purchase(early Jan) and was found several months later weighing a measly 10 or so grams. Considering we didn't think she would survive, she seems to be doing quite well. I got the info of the breeder of Redneck, and we then purchased our second snake. LemonHead was only 20something grams when we bought her in January directly from the breeders house (I had no experience with corns, and had no idea what was an ideal size/weight in regards to age). She sheds regularly and has put on approx. 60grams since then.

I know they are both small. I tried rat pinks to fatten them up, but both are now eating fuzzy/hopper mice consistently. I can't do too much other than ensure they are healthy and fed. Neither have ever refused/missed/regurged a meal, so I think I'm at least on the right track. That's why it's so hard to know what I should expect in terms of weight gain and steady growth rate.
I've been warned of Crypto, and I guess that's my worry if they are not gaining weight at an expected/normal rate. In the meantime, I keep both in separate rooms and use completely separate feeding bins, tongs, etc.

SquamishSerpents
05-25-2013, 06:14 PM
They are BEYOND small...was the breeder even feeding them at all? That's horrible. Luckily they will most likely catch up.

SquamishSerpents
05-25-2013, 06:16 PM
And if crypto is a concern...well, I'd be concerned. That is seriously beyond small for an '11 hatchling.

I have late 2012s that are pushing 55-65 grams each and they are on a fairly relaxed feeding schedule and still only on fuzzies.

How often are you feeding the snakes? This may be a key in why they are so small but seriously, if they are 2011's that is MESSED UP.

Chromatic Corns
05-25-2013, 09:02 PM
My guys were all tiny too but seem healthy, eat shed poop etc...
Their weights are here http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130430

Your guys might have had a similar start- feed to keep alive at minimum cost- as you are seeing good weight gain now.

WestCoast_Redneck
05-25-2013, 09:59 PM
I feed the smaller one every 5 days and the larger girl every week, consistently. Like I said they both eat great, and they both eat appropriate sized meals.

Katia, I had messaged you earlier about my concern for Crypto. After I purchased the snakes, and began posting on this site, I was warned about the breeder being labelled with a case of crypto. So it's definitely a possibility. Although, I believe they were both on a maintenance diet to stay small for "petstore" sale.

Either way, I'm not sure what to be looking for and what to expect.