Feeding too many food items?

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Hey guys! I just wanted to know, is it wrong to feed five to seven food items per snake?

The reason I am asking is because when I worked in a petstore they told me I was feeding my snakes wrong. I usually go up to 2-3 food items when I am changing to a larger size, but never more. They told me it was best to feed several small items, even when not moving up to another size. They told their customers this as well, however I always told them to feed 1-2 proper sized items. It made me angry because I always thought it was better to feed one or two appropriately sized items. I am just asking around on here to see whats right or what other/ experienced people do Lol! (after four snakes I would think I am experienced enough in feeding but who knows lol thats what this site is for!) Anyways humor me people and reply to this thread! :wavey:



-Grace

[Phoeb]

At a time?? I havent ever heard of that. I only feed my corn mice small mouse twice a week...maybe I read your post wrong :o

[Phoeb]

typo^

At a time?? I havent ever heard of that. I only feed my corn one small mouse twice a week...maybe I read your post wrong

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Yes. The petstore I worked at tried telling me, along with other people that feeding several small items at a time was the right way. I didn't believe it and I am just hoping I was right to not believe it. I am sad that a large chain petstore like that could give such wrong advise. I guess its not surprising though. Can feeding too many items at a time cause regurge?


( I do not do this to my snakes Lol. They get one item thats 1.5 times larger than the widest part of their belly once a week unless I am moving them up to the next size. The kingsnake is only a few months old so she gets food items every 5 days instead of a week :) )

[Flagg]

Sounds like a pet shop trying to maximize their feeder sales. 5-7 is ridiculous!

I've found even feeding 2 is not necessary, but then I breed my own feeders and weigh them all so I can gradually step up the sizes.

[snakemom1961]

I would think feeding "several small" food items may very well lead to a regurge. The last couple feedings for my babies were 2 pinkies for Brogan and 2 fuzzies for Bree. That's only because the pinks were more like day old size(Brogan is on the verge of going to small fuzzies) and the fuzzies were more like 4 or 5 day old pinks and Bree is on large fuzzies.

I didn't even attempt 2 pinks on Bree before I tried a fuzzy. I thought after the large pinks I was feeding her didn't leave much of a bulge I'd try a fuzzy and had no problems at all with regurges.

Like Flagg said, it sounds like that store it just trying to sell thier customers more feeders then needed.

Glad to hear your not feeding your baby according to thier feeding schedule.

[snakemom1961]

Also, may I add that at that feeding schedule there will be many owners who will decide the snakes are too expensive to feed and end up not feeding them at all. Which to me is much more unethical then trying to sell more food then necessary.

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Pfft...thats retarded! :shrugs: I guess they really don't care about animals. I am glad I do not work for them anymore. Even when I tried talking to my co workers about snake husbandry and all they just ignored it. Not only that but they force fed their snakes without trying anything else before. I mentioned this once to the manager that force feeding should be used as a last resort...woot did I get in trouble :grin01: I have never fed my snakes that many food items at once. The only time I ever fed three items what when the only thing available at the store were anorexic pinkies lol! My little kingsnake needed more than that but it was all they had. I get my mousicles from a more reliable source now so all is good.

[Green Bean]

I was at a pet store who said they were feeding their yellow phased kingsnake 3-4 pinkies a feeding and that it was eating all of them. I wanted to buy that snake too, but felt that it was being forced food it wouldn't make a good pet. So I didnt' buy it.

[DogStar5988]

There are people who prefer to feed multiple food items but the amount that pet store what feeding is crazy. Its sad to think that you can't trust petstores to take care of animals properly, and most people will take the word of the petstore as Gospel. I personally don't even like feeding two items at a time, even though it would probably be fine it just makes me nervous to feed more than one, but everyone does things differently. I can't believe you got into trouble by correcting your boss, people are just so ignorant sometimes. :(


---Kenny

[Emanon]

When I am stepping up prey sizes I will feed 2 MAYBE 3 of the smaller for a few weeks just to insure I do not get a regurge... 5-7... THEY ON CRACK!!!