Am I Feeding My Baby Well?

[Malaika]

Isha is always so ravenous when it's feeding time. I'm wondering, when is the general age that one should bump up to fuzzies/whatever comes after pinkies? I know that we go by how much the snake weighs, but I don't have a scale just yet. Isha is 2 months old right now, and he gets two fuzzies a week, one on Wednesday and one on Sunday. I know that I'm always paranoid about feeding, but am I doing all right or should he be eating more?

Thanks!

[Tula_Montage]

Follow this!

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50106

[Malaika]

Thanks! I've seen that before and once I get a scale I'll definitely follow it. :) Unfortunately though I don't really know Isha's weight. I know that's how we tend to measure what/how much we feed our snakes, but I was wondering if there was a general age range...some rule of thumb such as 'start feeding them fuzzies at ___ months' or something?

[Tula_Montage]

General rule of thumb: Prey items should be no more than 1.5 x the fattest part of the snakes girth.

[Skazzle]

Just a quick note. I didn't know my snake's weight for a while. Then I went to Wal-mart and found a cheap, probably not 100% accurate kitchen scale. It cost about 5$, and I really enjoy having it. It helps a lot, and is interesting to see how a snake's weight changes.

[Roy Munson]

If anything, you may be overfeeding a bit, or at least you are feeding too frequently. Your Wednesday feeding comes just three days after the Sunday feeding. I think that's pushing it, especially for a two-month old that's already on fuzzies. Elle (Tula) is right: if you don't have a scale, use the 1.5x girth rule. Or you can always use the "visible lump" method. When the prey-size you're using hardly leaves a lump, it's time to bump to the next size. Either way, I think you should scale back the feedings to one appropriately sized meal no more than once every five or six days.

[wmdude102086]

Follow this!

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50106
Thats a great chart

[Velvet]

I agree, my little guys are quite a big older and have only just started on fuzzies...

It doesn't depend on age though, it depends more on size. :)

PS: Corns should be hungry when you feed them! It's a good sign that your little guy has such a good feeding response

[Malaika]

If anything, you may be overfeeding a bit, or at least you are feeding too frequently. Your Wednesday feeding comes just three days after the Sunday feeding. I think that's pushing it, especially for a two-month old that's already on fuzzies.

Isha's not on fuzzies, he's on pinkies! Wow! I didn't know I was feeding him too frequently. Thank you so much! I'll try to cut back. In case it doesn't work well...how do I know if Isha's not getting enough food? Are there any behavioural/visual signs?

[Corny Noob]

Isha is 2 months old right now, and he gets two fuzzies a week, one on Wednesday and one on Sunday.

I'm pretty sure that's what confused most of us.

[Malaika]

OOPS! I'm such an idiot. Sorry!!!

[Malaika]

Everyone, Isha has two PINKIES a week, NOT two fuzzies. Sorry, I'm such a moron sometimes. :)

[jaxom1957]

Everyone, Isha has two PINKIES a week, NOT two fuzzies. A single pinkie every four to five days is fine, so you are probably feeding a bit much, but only a bit.

[AlexSD87]

A couple of days ago I purchased a baby corn. Unfortunately I forgot to ask how old she is.... Yeah Im a dumbass.. But she is really small. Pinkies are just right. Two days after she settled in I gave her a pinkie. I thought she would try to avoid it at all costs.. SHE swallowed it like there's no tommorrow.. Apparently I read her behavior correctly. Two pinkies every 4 days is too much? But she's a baby. I thought the extra pinkie would help her weight, nutrition, and growth? And not torture her since she's so hungry! IM just so happy she ate after such a short time in her new home.

[jaxom1957]

she is really small. Pinkies are just right. Two days after she settled in I gave her a pinkie. I thought she would try to avoid it at all costs.. SHE swallowed it like there's no tommorrow.. Apparently I read her behavior correctly. Two pinkies every 4 days is too much? But she's a baby. I thought the extra pinkie would help her weight, nutrition, and growth? And not torture her since she's so hungry! IM just so happy she ate after such a short time in her new home.It depends on the size of the pinkies. If the hatchling is still eating small pinkies, I will offer two every four to five days. If the hatchling is eating regular pinkies, I will offer two every five to six days, even seven. Anything eating fuzzy or larger gets fed every seven days.