Feeding

[Tango_Sprite]

just a little question i have read many places that baby corns will take 1 to 2 feeds a week on pinkies. All i'm wondering is, how do you recognise if the snakes need the 2 feeds a week as at the moment they are only having 1 a week, will 2 feeds a week hurt them?

many thanks.

 

[bitsy]

It's usual to feed hatchlings one pinky every 4 or 5 days, from hatching. They won't come to any harm at all on that regime.

Any more often than that and you're pushing their digestive system and risk them getting fat or regurging. Less than that and their growth rate may be slower than expected.

 

[Tango_Sprite]

Thats sound mate, thank you for the advice. I think i will feed them every 4 days then see how they get on with that how old are they roughly when the move to the next size mice?

thanks again, much appreciated.

 

[Justin Guyer]

Twice a week feedings will work just fine with baby corns. The extra feed just translates to faster growth rates.

It's really not how old they are that determines when to move up to the next size prey item but rather size. You want to feed prey that is roughly equivalent to the diameter of the snake at its widest girth, but you can push the size a bit and go a bit bigger without any trouble providing that your temps will support the digestion.

 

[Tango_Sprite]

fantastic, as this is my first snake im still double checking everything i do, as i want to have healthy snakes..they have had there first feed this morning and they swollowed it in less than 30 seconds, this is why i thought maybe they was needing twice a week feeding..the temps at the mo are 80F on the hot side and 70-74F on the cool side, give or take a couple degrees. but since the feed thay have not really been near the hot side. thanks for the advice

 

[medusacoils]

Twice a week feedings will work just fine with baby corns. The extra feed just translates to faster growth rates.

It's really not how old they are that determines when to move up to the next size prey item but rather size. You want to feed prey that is roughly equivalent to the diameter of the snake at its widest girth, but you can push the size a bit and go a bit bigger without any trouble providing that your temps will support the digestion.

Ya, be very cautious with this advice. Try to space feedings out to every 5 days. Four days if you are trying to increase growth for breeding,but I am not recommending this, at all.

Unless you are planning on breeding, then I would feed once every 5-7 days. One pink that is no bigger, then 1.5 times the widest part of your snake.

Here is a link to a good feeding plan;

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

Good luck!

Wayne