Feeding box?

Hi! So I know this forum is about feeders, but this is about feeding so i'll give it a shot.

I'll be getting my corn snake somewhere within the next 2 weeks. She's the first snake i've ever had so I wanted to ask: What does everybody think about feeding boxes?

Some people seem to think that feeding boxes are a good way to prevent impactions and feeding bites, but others just seem to find it unnecessary.

I myself will probably end up using a feeding box, mainly because of impactions.

So what does everyone think of them? And can they have any negative effects on the snakes health or behaviour?

I used them initially years ago but it's totally unnecessary IMHO . I feed my 20 snakes in their vivs and either move the substrate away and put the mouse on the bare viv floor or do what I do and simply put a piece of cardboard in the viv at feeding time and place the mouse on that .

I started with Corns and Royals and fed in separate containers but when I got King snakes Boas , Burms and Retics you don't want to be having to move THEM back to their vivs after a feed when all they're thinking about is food , even if you leave them for a while after feeding ...

As regards , how feeding in their vivs affects their behaviour .... in my experience it simple doesn't have any affect at all on them .

I feed on paper towels to prevent ingesting too much sani-chip, but small amounts have not seemed to bother some of my more animated eaters. I've thought about getting a small brush to quickly push away the substrate in one corner to save time and money.

Only difference for me seems to be that a few of mine have figured out what paper towels going into their tubs mean. My mystery hypo seems especially intelligent and highly food driven, and the mere sight of a paper towel leads to bite-threatening body language and thorough hand inspections. As long as she doesn't smell food she only noses at your hand curiously before backing down, but if she catches a whiff watch your fingers!

Alright, thanks for the replies! I'll only have 1 corn so it probably wouldn't be to much of a hassle to move her in and out of a feed box once a week. I think i'll try multiple things and see what works best for us.

We feed all but one of ours in a separate feed box. We feed the one in his viv just because we don't currently have a feed box big enough for him. I'm not too concerned about any issues with feeding in their vivs, we just like the fact that we can watch them eat in the feed box

blacktip said:

We feed all but one of ours in a separate feed box. We feed the one in his viv just because we don't currently have a feed box big enough for him. I'm not too concerned about any issues with feeding in their vivs, we just like the fact that we can watch them eat in the feed box

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I watch all mine eat in their vivs ..... guessing yours are in RUBS ?


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Zincubus said:

I watch all mine eat in their vivs ..... guessing yours are in RUBS ?


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Ours are in glass vivs. They just all had a habit of dragging their mice back into their hides where we couldn't observe them. I guess I just find it easier to observe them in the feeding bin.

blacktip said:

Ours are in glass vivs. They just all had a habit of dragging their mice back into their hides where we couldn't observe them. I guess I just find it easier to observe them in the feeding bin.

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Ah , I see . yeah guess my Royals also like to eat in privacy whereas all the others eat anywhere ..

I am late to this thread but thought I would throw my $0.02 in "just cuz".

I normally feed in separate bins, personal preference and gives me a chance to spot clean if needed and clean/refill water dishes without bothering the snakes while they're eating. That being said, since I've moved to a different state and am staying in a different (i.e. smaller) house atm, I don't have the room to feed everyone in separate bins (I normally have a folding type table that I can put everyone on and just don't have the space to do so now) so have resorted to feeding them in their vivs.

I have "tap trained" most of mine which has helped to turn off any food response when it's not feeding time and haven't had any issues as far as taking them out, etc.