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07-06-2011, 12:10 PM
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#1
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What is a proper feeding schedule for boas?
I have ran across others discussing this topic and was curious to what everyone's opinions were on a proper feeding schedule?
My recommendations are assuming we are all feeding a suitable sized prey item at each feeding. I myself am actually in the process of changing my feeding schedules, which is why I am so curious to what others have to say. My current opinion for a proper feeding schedule depending on size/age is listed below.
0-3 months, feed every 10-14 days.
3-6 months, feed every 14 days.
6 months-2/3 years, feed every 21 days.
3 years +, feed every 30 days.
Personally, right now I am feeding my 0-1 year boas every 14 days. My sub-adults are fed every 21 days and my adults are fed once a month.
Power feeding is when an animal is basically fed as much as they will eat, constantly, in a way that forces the animal to grow at a rapid rate. This method decreases quality of health, will cost more money, requires more food to be on hand and in the end prematurely kills the animal.
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07-06-2011, 01:43 PM
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#2
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I think there's too many variables to post a schedule as simple as the one you put up, Jeremy. It all depends on breeding. If I wasn't breeding the animals, the schedule you posted would work well, possibly even overfeeding a bit for adults.
I feed at about the same rate for juveniles. For adults before breeding season, I up their feeding just a little bit, probably every two weeks until I'm ready to shut them down for cycling. After breeding I also tend to feed them more often to get their weight back on. This is dependent on how much weight they lost, I will sometimes feed them up to once a week for a short period if they lost a good bit of weight before putting them back down to a normal feeding schedule.
All in all, I think the whole deal is helping to inhibit proper growth and then to maintain healthy weight once adulthood is hit. Proper growth does not mean fast growth, but a healthy development.
Chris
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07-06-2011, 01:50 PM
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#3
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these numbers fluctuate, give or take some days - I feed more in the summer and less in the winter, I feed items that do not leave a large bulge, one item per feeding. I feed based on what I perceive the needs of the snake to be and I lean heavily to the slow-grow side. I've been told I 'maintenance feed' like it is a bad thing and I know not everyone will agree with how I do things but my animals seem to thrive so this works for me.
babies - 7-14 days
juvis - 2-4 weeks
adults - 3-6 weeks
My '06 female babies on this schedule are expected to be 'of size' to breed next year (6 years old). My '09 babies are just now hitting the 4' mark.
*****
Powerfeeding to me is - growing an animal as fast as possible in order to achieve a desired size for quick breeding attempts.
Powerfeeding to me is feeding an animal as soon as it poops out the last meal, feeding it as much as it will consume, bumping up food sizes as quickly as possible, foods which leave a very large bulge, a snake that has visible fat deposits on the tail and is still being pumped with food.
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07-06-2011, 01:56 PM
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#4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JCCS
I think there's too many variables to post a schedule as simple as the one you put up, Jeremy. It all depends on breeding. If I wasn't breeding the animals, the schedule you posted would work well, possibly even overfeeding a bit for adults.
Chris
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I left it simple for a reason. Each persons reaction or opinion on what I posted is what I am interested in.
How do you feel feeding an adult once a month is over feeding?
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07-06-2011, 02:01 PM
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#5
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If they are not going through the rigors of breeding, I think they can go easily two months between feeding and do excellent. The longevity records for boas were set at the Philadelphia Zoo and those animals were on a feeding schedule of every 3-4 months.
Chris
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07-06-2011, 02:27 PM
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#6
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I agree that feeding schedules will fluctuate depending on length of day(s), outside temp (summer or winter) and if they are being conditioned for breeding. My feeding schedule I posted is meant more for a "standard" for someone just getting into boas that is keeping them as a pet.
I also slow my feedings on my adult boas as I am conditioning them for breeding. I feel it is healthy to do the same with the smaller boas, as they would be subjected to this in the wild.
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07-06-2011, 02:50 PM
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#7
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In fact Vin Russo feels ALL boas should be subjected to a cooler period with no food during this period. It is something I am working on for my boas.
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07-06-2011, 11:13 PM
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#8
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I was told that my boa, which was born in March of this year, was to be fed every seven days.
By not only a man (damn my memory for forgetting names so easily) on Fauna Chat, but also the person that sold her to myself and my husband.
We figured that was normal, and she always took them until two weeks ago, when she finally just seemed uninterested.
Im going to try her again this friday when im off work, so hopefully trips all over SW MO will bear fruit of her being hungry enough to just munch down on something.
My cornsnakes though, I feed them every 7 days and they are juveniles. They both take those (after a few discussions with the lady who sold them to me on how she fed them) pinkies just fine.
They sit in their tubs, freak out a bit cause ive moved them, and then.. oh.. oh.. MOUSE.
Theyre all fine and they poo at least two or three days after ive fed them.
Id also like to point out im fairly new to the Herp business industry whatever... and im learning quickly on what is right, what is wrong, and what is suggestive.
Anyway, good luck on the rest of you with reptiles! Hope they all progress nicely and are happy with full tummies!
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07-07-2011, 01:47 AM
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#9
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Okay, so other than the fact that they want to make money, why do pet stores tell you to feed snakes once a week?
And I'm a bit confused here on the size of food given, and only feeding 1 item. Everyone is saying that you don't want to leave a large bulge, but I can put three good sized hoppers into my '11 (born May 4th) albino boa without really putting a big bump in the belly. So what the heck is my problem and what am I doing wrong? He isn't big enough for mice yet, I'm almost certain of that.
Is it possible that everyone just has their own opinions on feeding schedules? I agree that power feeding is wrong. But the snake is only going to grow according to how much they are fed. So if you feed it a good sized meal every 7-14 days how could it possibly be getting too much food?
I'm so confused by that.
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07-07-2011, 02:17 AM
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#10
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I think the majority fail to understand what a snake is in snake terms
Those that have the primary objective of breeding could care less
They are just animals right,if you paid for them you can do what
you want with them.No law against it.
Problem with public forums is the tendency to focus on the big name breeders and follow their advise.If you ask them they will tell you
"how they do it",so folks take it as the gospel and run with it.
Then they tell some one and they tell some one and so on and so on.
Now you have a huge bunch trying to follow a breeder that depends on "production" and or "reproduction",the word is still be passed along
and the crowd continues to grow . . . . .
Where in all that is the snake on snake terms ?
Do wild snakes get to eat perfect quality prey days,weeks from birth ?
Young
If they are lucky do they eat every consecutive week in a micro controlled environment?
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