Question on weighing

[Em Wright]

I'm curious to know how often should I weigh hatchlings? I was thinking of weighing after every shed, but should it be more often than that? I'd like to start keeping records for Mali (and the other snakes when they arrive) such as feeding, shedding, and weight. So how often should their weight be taken?

Also I know that an electric scale is what I need, however is there one specific for herps I should look into or would something like a kitchen scale work? I want to get something I can use clear into adulthood... I'm worried that once they've grown they won't fit on a small scale (such as a kitchen scale, which tend to be small in size).

Thanks in advance! :cheers:

[Mysfitz]

i usually weigh before each feeding, or just whenever i feel like it before a feeding.

kitchen or postal scales work good,you just place an empty container on the scale and tare it(most scales auto tare when turned on)
then place your snake into the container.
ice cream buckets are good for adults, deli cups for hatchlings

[Nanci]

I weigh the babies right before I feed them, or a day or two before that, so I don't have so many on feeeding day. I weigh the adults whenever- every two or three months. I keep track of everything with software called Degei. I have the paid version, but I got by with the free version for a couple years till I hit the limit of snakes.

http://www.degei.com/

I write down all the snakes names first, then as I feed, write down their weights and sometimes, what they ate, if it's changed.

Don't ask me why Janine is still on a five day schedule with the babies- I guess because she's always so hungry, and she's a good garbage disposal, although I'm sure Jewel would be happy to do that job, too!

[Nanci]

Here is the scale I use.

[Nanci]

I weigh the snakes in a collander.

[Em Wright]

Thanks Nanci! That frog is just so cute! :cool:

So it looks like Monday nights will be weigh night as well as feed night. I may weigh her earlier in the day though, just to make sure she isn't overly disturb before feeding.

Thanks again to both of you. :)

[mdrews]

I weigh Simon right before each feeding to get his true weight.He's gotten so used to it that I can hardly keep him still enough to weigh him, he's so busy looking for that meal!!:) I use Wal-Mart's cheapest digital kitchen scale and it works wonderfully.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t39/buggyboy80/139.jpg

[akki_neko]

I use that scale too, and it works great.

[Drizzt80]

You can weigh your snake whenever you'd like. (Of course! :) ) It would be best to weigh the day before, or the day of, feeding. Due to the logistics of my collection, I weigh about once a month to once every other month depending on when I remember! There is also a very small camp that think weighing is overrated and unnecessary. In my opinion the value of keeping track of weights puts definites into the equation when you come upon health problems. Instead of "I think my snake has gotten smaller in the past month", you can say "My snake has lost 100 grams in the last month". That's much more valuable especially when it comes to recovering breeding females.

D80

[Em Wright]

Yay for double posts, Drizzt. ;) :p

Thanks for the advise, I'll have to go check Walmart. Does anyone know what department to look in?

I really want to start keeping in depth records on feeding, shedding, weight, etc. on Mali and my other snakes once they arrive. :)

[measley]

I found mine in the kitchen department at walmart, near the kitchen appliances.

[Ceridwen]

You can get a scale online instead of locally and frequently save a decent chunk of change.

I use this scale (http://www.amazon.com/Ultraship-35-Electronic-Digital-Shipping/dp/B0007ICRFQ/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=office-products&qid=1221939060&sr=8-2) to weigh my cats's food (lets me use larger cans and still not overfeed her), my cats, and larger snakes. It would also be good for weighing things like guinea pigs and rabbits, and makes a great all around kitchen scale for a reasonable price. The only downside is that it's not precise enough for hatchlings or weighing pinkies.

For small snakes and weighing food items (so I can separate them out into size classes more accurately) I use this scale (http://www.amazon.com/Weigh-M-500-Digital-Pocket-Scale/dp/B000P1NYE8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1221939411&sr=8-1). It's tiny so it would be a pain to try to measure large snakes on it, but I can weigh the hatchlings in their deli cups (which I use as feeding containers) or a gladware container quite easily.

I usually weigh right before feeding. I tare the scale with the deli cup on it, pop the snake in the deli cup, write down the weight, and toss a pinky in the cup for them to eat.

Keep in mind that you should not stress too much over a single weight that is lower/higher than you expect for your snake. It's the overall pattern you want to look at. A lower weight one week than the previous week doesn't concern me because there are so many variables that could be throwing off the measurements. A consistent weight loss several weeks running would be cause for concern though.

I'll second the use of Degei. I just upgraded to the paid version after a few months using the free version (we bought too many snakes!). It's easier to use than the notebook I was keeping track of things in before. I don't use all the functions (I can't imagine tracking every single poop) but overall it's very helpful.

[measley]

wow, i wish i had checked amazon before walmart!

[Jimmysan00]

I would like to ask a question regarding weight. I feed my snake every 4-5 days when i got her she was 8g, and now she's 10g. After one feeding she went up to 10g and then after that no change. I've fed her 5 times since she turned 10g. How often should i be noticing a weight change, with my feeding schedule? Every 4-5 days one 2g pink

[Nanci]

I've heard, and it seems to be true with my snakes, that one third of the prey weight ends up as growth for the snake. So it takes many two gram pinks to make a one gram weight gain for your snake. Hatchlings go up a gram at a time. Once your snake is on fuzzies, it will gain faster, and once on hoppers, they gain rapidly.

[Em Wright]

wow, i wish i had checked amazon before walmart!

Yeah, Amazon.com is the last place I thought to look, but from now on I'll try to remember it for such things. :) Thanks Ceridwen.