How much time to get to 300gr (please answer)?

[cornmorphs]

they vary so much, i have yearlings at just 0ver 200 g and some that are not 100 g. they are all on pretty much the same feeding shcedule

 

[Drizzt80]

Since when are 8, 7, 6, and 9-day intervals between feedings an aggressive schedule for a hatchling snake on pinkies/fuzzies? You may say it's aggressive because it's more frequent than your schedule, but I know I don't consider it to be aggressive at all, and admit (because apparently it's a horrible thing) to feeding every 4-5 days at that size.

Nice try, but IF you had actually read what I posted, I already stated I feed on a solid 7 day schedule (every Friday). So how is 8, 7, 6, and 9 day intervals more often?? My reference to aggressive is that he went from a single large pinky to a fuzzy+pinky in the course of 4 meals. That's aggressive compared to my schedule. He pointed fingers at previously listed feeding schedules as being either starvation (dead) or overfeeding (horse) and then proceeded to post his own schedule in another thread which averages to the same number of days I feed, but is more aggressive in size/quantity of what I feed. I presumed that I was one of the 'horse' feeders since I have '05's that are 14 months old and at 300 grams. Be sure to read all the information before coming at me fully loaded.

Maybe HE can defend his own comments and clarify what he meant?! :shrugs:

D80

 

[cka]

I must be in the minority as most of my snakes barely make 300 grms by their third year.

Mine too, Susan. An example; my '04 siblings from VMS weigh in at 288, 330 and 335 grams :shrugs:

 

[Kat]

I must be in the minority as most of my snakes barely make 300 grms by their third year.

You're not in the minority, as far as I know. Mine tend to reach size by year three, too. I feed approximately once a week, though there are times where I'll skip a feeding on the older snakes (mostly in winter) to try and keep them trim. Different snakes grow at different rates. I've some yearlings that are pretty darn good size, and some that are smaller and skinnier. All are on the same feeding schedule.

-Kat

 

[PtDnsr]

I wanted to reply again and clear things up a little. I feed every 7 days and I usually am hesitant to push up to the next size. I've looked at my records and the ones I have here (rest are at my parents) is the end of july where most of my yearlings ranged from 60-100g with a one or two around 120g. If memory serves me correctly, most of the yearlings are now around 100-120g with those one or two up around 160g. My '04 snakes are all right around 300g with one down near 250 and two up near 400 (but its debatable if they're late 03s or early 04s). I also think it depends on the source of the mice...the mice that Petsmart sells as "small mice" are the same size as RodentPro's hoppers.

~Katie

 

[TandJ]

Thanks guys for all the answers. I am glad to see I am not the only one who's snakes take 30-36 months to get to 300gr. I was accused in another forum of underfeeding my snakes because at 14-18 months, I had some 150gr snakes. This guy said that a snake normaly fed would be more at 300gr. I feed mine every 7 days, appropriate prey. Since he is a moron and I know he's not worth the time to answer him, I wanted to verify if I was the only one in my case

To me, I feed appropiate sized food items 7 days.. Once a week... (cept when the babie are younger, then every 4 or 5 days till they hit about 20g's unless it is cool in the house )

I have a two+ year old that has hit about 330g's finally ( after a clutch earlier this year, rebounded back from 190g's of after egg weight ). I have 1 and half yr old female catching up to her at approx 290g's.. Oddly enough, I have some early 06's up to almost 80g's on the same sort of feeding schedule.. But then I have a summer 05 barely hitting 40g's.. I let them go natrually so to speak.. Appropiate sized food items works well for me..


.

I was accused in another forum of underfeeding my snakes because at 14-18 months, I had some 150gr snakes.

Ah well, what does he know then? I guess I underfeed some animals severely to then, because a lot of mine are right in the 150g range at the same sort of age.. Go figure Caroline.. I guess he does not take into to account every animal is an individual...

Anywho, great thread..Good times..

Regards.. Tim of T and J

 

[gwb8568]

Maybe HE can defend his own comments and clarify what he meant?! :shrugs80

i probably did not list enough information in her feeding schedule........she had been on pinkies for quite a while, and i will admit, after seeing some of these "monsters" out there, maybe i did try to bump it up some. this was her first regurge since i have had her and as mentioned before, it was a left-over pinky that didn't get eaten so instead of throwing it away.....it tried to keep it to good use. oh well........ :shrugs: and i was not referring to or pointing anyone out in particular, it was more of a sarcastic comment (most of mine are):

if i tried that, i would not have any snakes as they would either die from starvation of seeing the meal or puke up the horse i just tried to feed them

it was a comment made to be funny, not to put down people and their feeding practices.

7/15.......2 pinkies (blue)
7/19.......2 pinkies
7/23.......2 pinkies
7/29.......1 lg. pinky
8/4.........1 lg. pinky
8/10.......1 lg. pinky
8/17.......1 lg. pinky
8/25.......1 lg. pinky
9/1.........1 lg. pinky
9/9.........2 lg. pinkies
9/16........2 lg. pinkies
9/22........1 fuzzy
10/1........1 sm. fuzzy & 1 pinky

as you can see.............she was steady for quite awhile with no regurges. as mentioned before, it was only to not waste food. and to be really honest with you.......there is not much size difference in my regular fuzzy and/or my small fuzzy & pinky selection.

 

[carol]

I must be in the minority as most of my snakes barely make 300 grms by their third year.

Nope. Same here Susan. I have a few that just seem to take off no matter what, but most of mine take three years as well. My schedule doesn't allow for feeding any more than once a week. Sometimes a week gets skipped, sometimes they are fed an extra big meal, but for the most part, it's one appropriate sized prey item per week. I do not bump up the size as soon as possible, but the other way around, I wait until the corn shows signs that the meals are too small before I start giving them bigger items. "Signs" to me would be that the lump is not easily seen after feeding or is gone within 24 hours. It seems some people would say that it's time to bump them up if your snake doesn't look like it's about to explode after a meal, but that's just not how I raise them any more.
I feel it is good for them to have time to "search" for a meal. They shouldn't have another huge item thrown in front of them the second they finish digesting and come out of their hide looking for more. I think it is very good for them to "look" for food for a couple of days before I feed them. This is really the only exercise they get. So if I feed them an item that keeps them in their warm hide for a week, it's too big. I also think it is good exercise for them to "skip" a week. Sometimes I do that once a month, sometimes every other month. Keep in mind I only do this with healthy animals, and not animals recovering from breeding.
Since I revised my feeding schedule, I've had a huge drop in egg bound snakes. Last year I even bred more females under 300 grams than ever before, and had NO egg binding problems. In past years I never bred anything unless it was over 300 grams and had tons of egg binding problems. Am I saying that it's better to breed smaller snakes? Absolutely not. I am saying, however, it's way better to breed a fit snake than a fat one. I also think it's better to build up a snake's tone over a couple of years, than to get it huge and fat so you could work it off.
And just so no one gets sensitive. My comments are not directed at anyone at all. I know the mentality on both sides because I used to get my snakes up to size very quickly when I started breeding. So when I say it's better than getting them huge and fat then trying to work it off, I'm really directing the comments to something I personally used to do. Unfortunately, I was loosing females left and right and decided to change things. So far the results show me it's working.

 

[bribrian]

Oops i voted in the wrong category, should have been 18-24mths.. :dunce: I have an early 05 female amber who is now 380g :eek1: but she does come from a line of really fast growers. She's now on a 14 day schedule...

 

[Drizzt80]

and i was not referring to or pointing anyone out in particular, it was more of a sarcastic comment (most of mine are): it was a comment made to be funny, not to put down people and their feeding practices.

Thanks for the clarification. That's what I was hoping, and your 'regurge' post was timely in working through that. I hope I didn't give the impression that I was talking down to your feeding practices or your regurge, because that wasn't the case. I was, as I stated in that original post with your feed dates, just wanting to clarify that earlier 'horse' statement and find out what you had meant by it. Alls good! :grin01:

D80

 

[Drizzt80]

I feel it is good for them to have time to "search" for a meal.

I also think it is good exercise for them to "skip" a week. Sometimes I do that once a month, sometimes every other month. Keep in mind I only do this with healthy animals, and not animals recovering from breeding.

Since I revised my feeding schedule, I've had a huge drop in egg bound snakes.

My comments are not directed at anyone at all. I know the mentality on both sides because I used to get my snakes up to size very quickly when I started breeding. So when I say it's better than getting them huge and fat then trying to work it off, I'm really directing the comments to something I personally used to do.

Excellent information you've shared carol! :cheers: A few notes to add from my own feeding practices:
1. I feed on Fridays, and they are generally out searching for meals starting Tuesday through Thursday.
2. I will skip weeks during the summer from July through September. My breeding males are actually on a 14 day feed schedule year round once they reach 300 grams.
3. The last two years, brumation is for any male 200+ grams and females 260+ grams at the two week 'starvation' period prior to cooling down. My brumation period lasts for 70 days (each of the last 4 years) from the time heat is turned off to the date it is turned back on. Tack on the 2 week gut emptying, and that's 12 weeks (3 months) each year with no meals. (I also don't intentionally double clutch any females for breeding . . .)
4. I've only had one non-serious egg binding incident, and that was also before revising my feeding system.
5. I think this discussion is always a great one, and I appreciate your additions to it as I'm always looking for ways to tweak what I do. I've always been concerned that my snakes generally get big quickly even though I'm not doing anything 'special' to powerfeed. In fact I just sent a June hatchling to a customer, and her first comments were an exclamation of how big it was compared to hers. It had only had pinkies from every 7 to 8 days apart. :shrugs: Most here recommend 4-5 days apart for hatchlings, and I used to follow that as well for my hatchlings to yearlings and honestly they didn't get that large that fast back then.

I get nervous about how my animals are perceived due to the negative nature/connotation of powerfeeding. I feed every 7 days, even from hatching, don't give 'elephant-sized' meals (just big enough you can tell they ate), and all my snakes don't feel/look/seem fat. On average, most are 200+ grams within 14-18 months. :shrugs: Question for me becomes, what would be the benefit (if any) of feeding less often if all things considered my snakes, look/act/breed/are healthy within my current system?

D80

EDIT: Obviously none of this is set in stone as changes adaptations need to be made for the slow growers, picky eaters, unintended double clutchers, etc!

 

[Shep151]

Whoops...

I hit the wrong one, like a doofus.
I meant 18-24!

 

[Eremita]

What about the pets?

I hope this is on-topic enough not to bug anyone, although I realize the whole point of the thread is in regards to breeding, but since several folks here have referenced exercise as a factor, and since at least some of you (I think) have corns as pets on top of your breeders, do you find that the pet-type snakes need more food to maintain their weight or grow properly if they are taken out and handled a lot? (Also apologize for the run-on sentence, while not changing it) It would seem that the "pet" snakes would be burning more calories, but as I only have one, which arrived less than two months ago, I don't really know.

-Sean