munson for pythons?

[autumn75]

Anyone have a feeding schedule similar to the munson plan for ball pythons?

 

[suecornish]

Calling Munson. Calling Munson.

I just found out that 3 year old female ball pythons should weight between 1300-1500 grams. Slinky is supposed to be 3 but she is only 550 grams. She is on an adult mouse every seven days.

Just how is she supposed to get up to 1300 grams in three years?

Calling Munson. Calling Munson. :rofl:

 

[crackerhead]

I have a good friend who breeds Ball Pythons. He is the king of getting them to put on weight. You can feed more frequently than every seven days; I've heard him say he feeds some animals every third day and he swears by rats. Of course, make sure your temps are good, housing proper and the weight is sure to follow.
Terri

 

[kathylove]

Balls are really weird compared to corns. From what I have seen raising just a few dozen of them (and talking to more experienced BP breeders), they are real "feast or famine" animals.

When they are babies, they will often load up and eat every 4 days or so. They grow so fast, it is amazing! And they rarely miss a meal. But then they hit their "teenage" time at around 900 - 1200 grams. And they suddenly STOP! They may fast for weeks or months at a time. Seems like you just have to "go with the flow" and feed like crazy when they are in the mood, and leave them alone when they are in fasting mode. It seems like if you miss that "growth period" during the baby - 1000 grams time, they can take forever to catch up.

I have only been raising BPs for 2 or 3 years, and only a few dozen of them. So I am still learning myself. But I have talked a lot to other breeders and this feeding pattern just seems to be the general consensus.

Maybe some others who have kept and bred them longer will want to add to this thread with their own experiences.

 

[toyah]

Remember that some snakes will just grow slower. I have two three year old girls - one is 1200g, and another is 2400. As long as they look in proportion I wouldn't worry.

If you can get her onto rats you'll probably find she grows quicker, but there's no need to be feeding her huge meals or very often - I'd be giving her something about 40-50g in size once a week.

Having said that, has she been checked for parasites? I would suspect something's up if she's eating regularly but not gaining weight.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Calling Munson. Calling Munson.

I just found out that 3 year old female ball pythons should weight between 1300-1500 grams. Slinky is supposed to be 3 but she is only 550 grams. She is on an adult mouse every seven days.

Just how is she supposed to get up to 1300 grams in three years?

Calling Munson. Calling Munson. :rofl:

One mouse a week is not enough for a 550g female bp IMO. I would bump her up to small rats once a week. Like Kathy, I have only been keeping bps not very long. But what I have done is to feed a prey item once a week that is the width of the widest part of the python. By 400g they're all on small rats and that's the biggest I go; even for my whopping 2500g girl. She gets one rat a week.

Bps have really slow metabolisms, and in my experience, once they reach a certain point, their metabolism really slows down and they don't need that much to eat. Hence 1 sm rat a week is the most anyone will ever get.

 

[Roy Munson]

Calling Munson. Calling Munson.

I just found out that 3 year old female ball pythons should weight between 1300-1500 grams. Slinky is supposed to be 3 but she is only 550 grams. She is on an adult mouse every seven days.

Just how is she supposed to get up to 1300 grams in three years?

Calling Munson. Calling Munson. :rofl:

Sorry, Munson doesn't do BPs.

 

[snakewispera snr]

Some really good info and experience here, for a corn site...LOL.
Reps all round..Nice one guys n gals....

 

[Plissken]

I just found out that 3 year old female ball pythons should weight between 1300-1500 grams

On this note, what is the average acceptable weight for a male of the same age? I would like to get a little extra weight on Chester but I'm having trouble getting him on to rats. Just wondering what I ought to be aiming for.

I agree that BPs do seem to reach that weight 'plateau' where they ease off eating so much.

 

[suecornish]

Well, I guess Regina and Leonidas and Slinky will be getting rats for now on. I know they have high fat content than mice.

Slinky was a freebie that we got two months ago. They had been feeding her one mouse a week and said she was 3 years old. It wasn't until yesterday that I read on Constrictors Unlimited that they bred males that were 500 grams and 6 months of age but females were not considered for breeding until they were in excess of 1200 grams. If they are of adequate weight, females can be bred at 18 months old.

So, here I have a 3 year old that is only 550 grams. Regina and Leonidas are under a year and they are half her weight.

Now, my befuddlement is, how long will it take me to get Slinky up to 1200+ grams without making her all fat.

 

[tricksterpup]

Sorry, Munson doesn't do BPs.

:laugh01: So your saying you have no balls. :grin01:


I am with Kathy on this, young ones tend to eat every 4-5 days and as they get older and larger it tends to be a little bit longer, every 2 weeks. But I have had some small ones go off feed for a few weeks on me as well. Heck, I had a well fed little one go off feed for a full month.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

On this note, what is the average acceptable weight for a male of the same age? I would like to get a little extra weight on Chester but I'm having trouble getting him on to rats. Just wondering what I ought to be aiming for.

I agree that BPs do seem to reach that weight 'plateau' where they ease off eating so much.

If he's not eating rats, then keep feeding him mice; no harm in that. Most people I've talked to say that an adult male bp only needs two mice a week to be just fine. And most males I've seen top off around 1000-1500g; but of course there are exceptions. They don't get as big and as girthy as the girls do.

Now, my befuddlement is, how long will it take me to get Slinky up to 1200+ grams without making her all fat.

Depends. Some grow fast some don't. I have a '07 spider who is almost 600g and a '07 pastel who is barely 250g. Both were born within a couple of weeks of each other and both have been fed once a week and never refused. So there are other factors that can affect growth.

Just feed a small rat once a week and she'll be fine. It may be a few months, it may be a year or two for her to put the weight on.

 

[Plissken]

If he's not eating rats, then keep feeding him mice; no harm in that. Most people I've talked to say that an adult male bp only needs two mice a week to be just fine. And most males I've seen top off around 1000-1500g; but of course there are exceptions. They don't get as big and as girthy as the girls do.

The trouble is that I have also never been able to get him to take multiple mice in a feeding. The mice I am buying for him now are the absolute largest I can get my hands on and IMO they are rather small for him (my supplier is a bit erratic with their sizes but they're the best I can get.)

How can I encourage him to take 2 mice at a feeding? Or would I feed twice a week, on two seperate days? How much time should elapse between feedings?

 

[autumn75]

Slinky is supposed to be 3 but she is only 550 grams. She is on an adult mouse every seven days.

Wow, I'm feeding mine an adult mouse every 10 days and he's only 124 grams! His dinners are around 20-25 grams (last night his feed was 25 g and it was the first time we enough noticed the slight bump in him afterwards). We're going to try switching to rats within the next feed or two because he's going to need more as he grows and he's already getting the biggest mouse we can get around here.

The owner of our local pet store said he prefers feeding young BPs every 10-14 days. He said the downside to feeding more frequently is that they live faster (shorter lives).

Our BP has gained 10 grams and 3 inches in the past 4 weeks. I don't know much about BPs, but I'm happy with his progress this first month of having him.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

The trouble is that I have also never been able to get him to take multiple mice in a feeding. The mice I am buying for him now are the absolute largest I can get my hands on and IMO they are rather small for him (my supplier is a bit erratic with their sizes but they're the best I can get.)

How can I encourage him to take 2 mice at a feeding? Or would I feed twice a week, on two seperate days? How much time should elapse between feedings?

Hmmmm... Do you offer him the 2nd right afterwards? You could try spacing them out so that the net result is two a week. As for switching him to rats, try getting some mouse bedding and letting the rat run around in that for a bit before you try feeding it to him. That may trick him a little bit. If he goes for that then gradually start letting the rat spend less and less time in mouse litter until he's switched.

But some will never switch. Another option would be african soft furred rats if you can find a supply of them.

 

[Plissken]

Hmmmm... Do you offer him the 2nd right afterwards? You could try spacing them out so that the net result is two a week. As for switching him to rats, try getting some mouse bedding and letting the rat run around in that for a bit before you ]ry feeding it to him. That may trick him a little bit. If he goes for that then gradually start letting the rat spend less and less time in mouse litter until he's switched.

But some will never switch. Another option would be african soft furred rats if you can find a supply of them.

Yes, I normally offer the 2nd mouse after the 1st but he doesn't seem interested. I will consider feeding twice a week.

I did think about scenting with mouse bedding, but I don't know anyone with mice or rodents and I'm not sure where to get it from. I did once have success with T-Rex Mouse Maker used on a rat, but since then I can't find the stuff anywhere and Chester is adamant he doesn't like rats!

I did wonder if there were any ways of attaching a f/t mouse to another somehow, so as to make one biig mouse...

 

[suecornish]

Regina (female) and Leonidas(male) get feed the same time and they are on weaned rats which weigh about 20-22 grams (I am big on weighing my snakes and their food). Regina will settle in after feeding and I won't see her for four to five days (they are on a seven day feeding schedule) but Leonidas will be cruising his tank two days later looking for left overs. Slinky, I have to wake her up to feed her. I quess I'll brainwash myself to think of Slinky as a much younger lady and start feeding her with the kids (Regina and Leonidas) which will be every five days for now on.

 

[Blue Apple Herps]

Yes, I normally offer the 2nd mouse after the 1st but he doesn't seem interested. I will consider feeding twice a week.

I did think about scenting with mouse bedding, but I don't know anyone with mice or rodents and I'm not sure where to get it from. I did once have success with T-Rex Mouse Maker used on a rat, but since then I can't find the stuff anywhere and Chester is adamant he doesn't like rats!

I did wonder if there were any ways of attaching a f/t mouse to another somehow, so as to make one biig mouse...

I don't know about making a "giant mouse...". You could probably get used mouse bedding from a local pet shop. The ones I've always asked for it gave it to me (though with bizarre looks often!). You might even try just getting a f/t mouse and after its thawed rubbing it all over the rat.

 

[Plissken]

Thank you. I might try the f/t scenting soon - I always feed Chester before the other two so I guess I could give the mouse to Connor afterwards.