View Full Version : How much is too much??
How much is too much??
angle0343
11-07-2005, 01:30 PM
I have a hatchling that I bought a week ago and I am feeding him 1 pinky every week. He eats the 1 very fast and you can barely see a bump from the pinky after he moves it down. I think a fuzzy would be too big to start feeding him, so will 2 pinkies hurt him?? Any other suggestions would be great!! Thanks!! :)
Dminor9
11-07-2005, 01:38 PM
I would move up to fuzzies. You can go the 2 pinkies route for a while, but it is better to move up to fuzzies. You should be able to get varying sizes of fuzzies. I skipped the 2 pinky thing and went straight to fuzzies with my hatchling. I have had no problems at all. You would be surprised at what a corn can handle size wise, but be careful not to go bigger than 1 1/2 times the thickest part of your snake. The other point being fuzzies are more nutritious than pinkies. Either way will work, but you will have to move up to fuzzies eventually. Good Luck. :cheers:
Gintha
11-07-2005, 01:39 PM
Some people will say 2 is 1 too many... others will say its fine. The general consensus I have seen around here is to cut the backs of them (ONLY if they are f/t!) to aid in digestion =) Id think that if a pink is making no lump at all, then you should be able to move up the food size some.. up to 1.5 times the widest part of the snake... doesn't always look feesable that they can swallow it, but they do! =)
Dminor9
11-07-2005, 01:41 PM
After re-reading your post, I noticed you said you have only had your hatchling a week. Do you know how old your corn is? You might not be ready for fuzzies depending on how old and how big your corn is. You can go with a large pinky or a small fuzzy. I am amazed with the variances in size of pinkies, fuzzies, etc. that are available. A little more info would help in getting a better response. Sorry if I jumped the gun. :cheers:
angle0343
11-07-2005, 03:58 PM
I'm sorry, I don't know how old my snake is. He(?) is about 10-11 inches long. I bought him at the pet store that I work at and the supplier doesn't tell us how old they are, only that they're hatchlings. I tried a bigger pinky and he got that one down just fine, it did take him a little longer than the smaller one though.
Personally, I don't see anything wrong with moving to 2 pinkies for a few feedings before jumping into fuzzies. When in doubt, I think it's better to try 2 of something you know s/he can handle and then go from there.
Dminor9
11-07-2005, 08:07 PM
Your snake is the same size mine was when I got it in July. Sounds like you got it under control. A larger pinkie is a good start. When the largest pinkie gets not so noticable as a meal, move up to small fuzzies and so on. :cheers:
ultimuttone
11-07-2005, 08:22 PM
It would be nice to hear from the "experts" here, but I personally have moved mine up to two pinks for several feedings before going to fuzzies. I actually have one that I don't think is quite ready for two fuzzies but needs a little more than one so he now gets a fuzzie and a large pink. :shrugs: I just feel more comfortable letting them ease into a larger meal than taking a giant leap. To me it would be like switching my 8 yr old directly from a happy meal burger to the double quarter pounder w/cheese. Sometimes they need something in-between.(just my thoughts)
angle0343
11-07-2005, 08:30 PM
I do have to agree about there being various sizes when it comes to the mice purchased at pet stores. At the pet store I work at, the pinkies are usually good size as well as the fuzzies, hoppers, etc. I think that the fuzzies at my pet store are going to be too big to feed my snake, so I will probably have to stick with a med. size pinky and then "hunt" for the smallest 2nd pinky for him. I am just being cautious about the feeding b/c I have tons of customers come in and say that their corn snake died from not eating. I am just grateful that mine is eating very well!! :)
MegF.
11-08-2005, 08:24 PM
I'm no expert, but I've routinely fed multiple food items (no more than 2) when preparing to move up in size. Usually only one or two feedings though. Then I go up. If the food item is leaving no bulge, the animal is still actively seeking food for some time after eating, or is out looking for food in a day, you can consider that an indication that it's ready for something larger.
angle0343
11-08-2005, 11:04 PM
I gave my snake another pinky and he regurged it this morning. Should I feed him both on the same day or should I feed him 1 one day and then the other the next day? I probably made the mistake of feeding him 1 on one day and the 2nd the next day........................
angle0343
11-08-2005, 11:05 PM
Oh and btw. The sencond pinky was a tad bit larger than the first one, so maybe that could've made him regurge??
MegF.
11-08-2005, 11:55 PM
If you're feeding multiple items you should feed them both one after the other on the same day. Usually I wait until the first item is well down the body, then I feed the second. You'll need to wait at least 10 days before feeding again, and then you should feed only 1 very small pinky.
angle0343
11-08-2005, 11:58 PM
So, the whole feeding was my problem! Gotcha!! Now I know. Thanks! :)
Joejr14
11-09-2005, 12:37 AM
Just for another opinion here...
I've NEVER given two of one size food item for a few weeks before I move up a size---I just move up. If they handle it--great, if not, they stay on that size for a while before trying again.
Taceas
11-09-2005, 01:17 AM
Ditto! I have had far more regurges in smaller snakes when offering multiple items, so I just don't do it anymore. When they look like they can handle more food, I just move them up a size. If they don't do so well, I'll bump them back down.
The only ones who get multiples are my sub-adults or adults who are more tolerant to that, and have a larger stomach. And even then, its nothing like two adult rats or something. More or less one adult mice and whatever is left of the fuzzies at the time.
I'd rather have the meal look small than have to deal with regurge issues.
Rosebear
11-09-2005, 04:10 AM
Another...humble opinion....
From an ABSOLUTELY NOT EXPERT...
That disclaimer aside...
When I bought Legoless from a chain pet store last year, he was eating 1 pinky a week (about 14 inches, and pencil diameter). I bumped him up to 1 pinky every 5 days until he was looking for more immediately after eating, then bumped up to 2 every 5 days until he was "hunting" after feeding, and by that time I was "scoring" the backs of his (F/T) prey. When we bumped up to 3 little pinkies, we went to 1-2 large pinkies. That's when I realized that feeding all depended on from whom I was purchasing prey items.
*DISCLAIMER* I am only relating personal experience, not overtly disavowing or supporting any retailer.
That having been said, I couldn't rely on my local pet store for prey items. One week they'd be tiny, the next, HUGE. And frankly, at $2 a pop, who wants to be picky?? I ended up placing an order and getting an abundance of items. Better to be safe than sorry. What I purchased in a tiny retail package as being "fuzzies" turned out to be "hoppers" by another company's standards.
At this point (today, realistic time line), I'm feeding my littlest baby (Takala, figured to be born on 7/14 as a guess-timate) 2 tiny pinkies every 5 days. Tonight, she was still in "hunt" mode after feeding. To me, that says either 3 next week (and I score skins), or we bump up to larger pinkies, and I'll still offer 2. Legoless is on 2 "hoppers" a week, and starts hunting 1 1/2 days after feeding. Our next stage is small adult mice.
I highly recommend Big Cheese Rodent Factory as a source of information. They'll show you the pictures of the various sizes of mice. They will also deliver the best quality of mice I can imagine. I've never had a shipment that was fouled with urine or blood; all my mice were separated by size (weight, body size, fur, etc.), and they make sure your requests are honored. I have to have my shipments sent directly to my school site...that's where I am, but 98.77% of all shipments go to our warehouse...even personal orders.
Feeding the way I do, I've had NO regurges.
By all means...follow the advice of Meg and any of the other experienced folks here. None of us want to see you lose your snake. A regurge is a warning sign to be taken HIGHTLY seriously. By ALL means....wait 10 days before offering a prey item again. Your snake needs to re-establish the necessary flora in it's intestine (can you imagine the tummy tract in a SNAKE??)....kind of like us taking anitbiotics....our tummy tract gets out of whack.... You just need to be kind of mellow, and not over-reactionary. Time heals all wounds... Give it time. Don't rush. Babies can live without food at all longer than they can survive multiple re-gurges. Hey- - search "regurge"....that's full of heart-breaking tales.
Best of luck to you mate!
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