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Old 08-02-2005, 04:09 PM   #6
larryg
Feeding every 3 or 4 days for a hatchling is perfectly fine, assuming the snake is thriving well. For a yearling, every 5 to 7 days is advisable.

Unfortunately, my own take on the term 'Power Feeding' is that it is a red flag, to alert me that I am dealing with someone with limited information and experience. Powerfeeding originally meant putting another feeder item in the snake's mouth, before it has finished swallowing the first prey item, forcing it to eat multiple prey items. Now the word has been adopted by others who have redefined it to mean anybody who feeds their snake more than once a week. When you understand that it is normal for hatchlings to eat more frequently, you can't rationally apply such a rule. In Kathy Love's book, she says 2 TO 3 TIMES PER WEEK is normal for a young hatchling. If someone feeds excessive amounts and/or too often, why not just say that?? I for one will reseve the use of Powerfeeding for its original, intended meaning. I guess 'Overfeeding' just doesn't sound dramatic enough for some people.

Adults can be fed every 7 to 10 days or even less frequently, so it's obviously not a 'one size fits all' type of situation, as far as how often to feed. Snakes also eat more in the spring and summer, which is often when people are feeding young hatchlings. Snakes may not want to eat at all in the winter. All of this needs to be kept in mind. Forget you ever heard the term 'power feeding' and you'll be better off.