What is a proper feeding schedule for boas?

[the gecko geek]

By what has been presented it is very clear of ones "intent"
when it comes to feeding captive BCI species/ssp
Feeding every 7-10/7-14 days is willfully feeding an animal for "growth"

The entire issue is and or has been so carelessly handled to where its
virtually out of control.
The

I don't necessarily agree with this statement. Earlier in the thread you have posted that someone hears a "big time breeder's" feeding schedule and then uses it as a religion. So maybe its just that they've been taught wrong?

I'm not saying that there aren't people out there that are purposely trying to grow their snakes faster for output of litters, but I'm just suggesting that maybe people are just being fed the wrong info?

Most pet stores tell you to feed once weekly...so somehow people aren't getting the right info. where the source is coming from I don't know...

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

I agree. Many do it simply because that's what they were told to do. Pet shops are big at suggesting it.

 

[the gecko geek]

All it takes is for one person to buy a ball python from a pet store and then tell their friends about it. Then they say it only has to be fed once a week and they all go get one. Word of mouth is a VERY fast means of transportation.

 

[mysticdiva]

I agree that most people aren't meaning to overfeed their boas. I'm sure that some are aware of what they are doing, but most people are just being given the wrong information. If you google "boa constrictor care" most pages say to feed younger boas every 7 days and older boas every 14 days.

I did my research and my homework, but all of the information I found then was feeding every 7-14 days so that's what I did. I am going to change my feeding schedule though. I am a very small breeder, but I'm more concerned with the health of my animals. Thank you to everyone for all of the information provided so far.

 

[the gecko geek]

Yeah when I got my first boa I was told it was eating once a week. It didn't look like an overweight snake to me, but I guess looks can be deceiving? I don't have any photos of him, and when I moved out I had to get rid of him. I would loved to have seen what people would have said about his weight. He was probably around a pound and a half? Is that too much for a year old boa?

I Just weighed my baby male today, and he clocked in at 79g (he was born on May 4th)
Is he overweight?

for a size reference, he is in a 12qt tub that is 16 &1/2" long.

 

[Metachrosis]

This may shock some and may cause others to . . . . .
From birth our BCI are allowed to shed
Our BCI are not introduced to feeding until 3 weeks after they shed
Our BCI are started on F/T rat prey exclusively(yes they will eat in their time)
Our BCI are fed on 14 day intervals from their first feed thru
their 3rd,4th,5th feedings

Our BCI are then fed at 21-24 days for their 6th feeding
Our BCI are then fed 21-24 days for their 7th feeding(all F/T rat prey)
Number 8 is the magic number we have settled on to begin our feeding rotation to 12 months of age for our BCI that will be retained here.

Feeding trail number 8 is 14-16 days from the previous 21-24
Feeding trial number 9 is offered at 21-24 days
Generally those that were for sale have been sold and even the picky eaters are in step with the program and feeding along with their litter mates.

This 14-16/21-24 rotation is followed thru their 12th month(1yr)
The ones that were problem feeders and missed a few meals along the way are compensated for by consecutive 14-16 day feedings during months 10 -12.

At 12 months feedings are 21-24 days consecutively up to 24 months of age.

PREY SIZE
I no longer believe/support in the "lump" theory that many are led to follow.
A feeding is a feeding here,if you are a 2 yr old CA BCI and a "Big Cheese"
type(size) rat fuzzy is more then a mouth full and that is whats in the freezer.
Then that is your portion for that feeding.
If you are normally eating mediums and freezer count doesn't support
"your turn" then a "Big Cheese" (size) small is your portion for that feeding.We have 6 year old CA BCI still eating small to barely medium rat prey and THRIVING!

My feed cards are on every cage,random inspection is open for
anyone invited,the condition of our animals speak for them selves.

How do I define "thriving"
Raised from birth to adult status,successfully bred to with viable young
All fed conservatively,all raised on steady 82-85*F ambient temp thru gestation to partuition.

From where I sit and thru my experience,there is no special wizardry
protocals

 

[Metachrosis]

On a more realistic format. . . . . . thats a baby and if raised with over feeding it will without a doubt resemble what is now overly common in the public school systems. FAT KID!

Snakes only use what their needs require,the residual is dropped in the cage.
Over feeding is requiring (forcing) the animal to engage in unnatural
process's. A snake has not evolved to properly accept human emotional
interaction(s),snakes DO NOT GET HUNGRY!
There is no way possible in the few short years snakes have been kept in culture to induce evolutionary change,and none of us will ever live to see such in our life time.
A snake metabolism responds to available prey,even then it can only use so much of the afforded nutrition and the rest is wasted.
Little by little the progression advances and the boa continues to
adjust to the barrage of nutrition,3yr old Colombian BCI 6'@ 15+lbs

Conservatively speaking,its like a 90-100 pound 3rd grader.
Then forced to breed by age 13.(in human yrs)

Your

Yeah when I got my first boa I was told it was eating once a week. It didn't look like an overweight snake to me, but I guess looks can be deceiving? I don't have any photos of him, and when I moved out I had to get rid of him. I would loved to have seen what people would have said about his weight. He was probably around a pound and a half? Is that too much for a year old boa?

I Just weighed my baby male today, and he clocked in at 79g (he was born on May 4th)
Is he overweight?

for a size reference, he is in a 12qt tub that is 16 &1/2" long.

 

[the gecko geek]

I am going to just throw this out there because it is fact...not that I am disagreeing with what you said Tommy, but just because I know this to be true, but only 200 years ago, humans were giving birth at the age of 13..mainly because our life span was so much shorter before modern medicine. It was essential to the human race.

I totally understand what you're saying though. Humans and snakes are different. Sometimes I wish I could eat like a snake..once every couple of months...I would save so much money on food!

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Yeah when I got my first boa I was told it was eating once a week. It didn't look like an overweight snake to me, but I guess looks can be deceiving? I don't have any photos of him, and when I moved out I had to get rid of him. I would loved to have seen what people would have said about his weight. He was probably around a pound and a half? Is that too much for a year old boa?

I Just weighed my baby male today, and he clocked in at 79g (he was born on May 4th)
Is he overweight?

for a size reference, he is in a 12qt tub that is 16 &1/2" long.

Sounds sorta small IMO. Not that it's a bad thing though. Some are just born small. I've had Boas born heavier then that at 94 grams. I've had them born as small as 54 grams too though. That weight you posted is probably the average weight of the Boas born here, and weighed a week after birth so they can absorb their yolk.

I agree. 200 years ago, a girl was a woman at 13-14, and likely to be married by then or soon after. But I think that was more due to lack of medical knowledge about the human body, then because we didn't live as long. 14 yr olds also acted like adults back then.

Thing is, we know better now, and still we got babies having babies. And on that note, there are some really large breeders out there that have openly admitted online to " getting them up to size" and breeding them in just 2 yrs. after their birth. Aurora's Mom was one such animal, and she died at barely 7 yrs. old after just 3 litters in a row. Pete Kahl told me so himself. This was during the big Albino craze when everyone was bent on making some of these $10K animals for themselves, and did the exact same thing he was doing. Go to his site and read his history about the Albinos. He had the whole story up there at one time, from import to first albinos born, and everything in between.

Like I said, you look hard enough, the evidence is out there of just what over feeding does to Boas. (perhaps I should say Boa Constrictor because there are other types of Boas out there that may handle more food better then Boa Constrictor) BC aren't Pythons, they aren't Colubrids, they aren't Rattlers...they do not handle the extra fat as well as other species might because they just aren't designed that way.

 

[zn394]

From the consensus of this thread and a few others I have read recently, I am overfeeding my boas. Not in an attempt to reach breeding size quickly, but because it is what I had learned from care sheets, books, breeders, forums, etc. I will admit that part of the reason has been because I wanted them to be large. Now I'm concerned that I have been doing them an injustice and need to adjust their feeding to a more healthy regimen. They are currently being fed:

0 - 12 mos: every 5 days
12 - 24 mos: every 7 days
24+ mos: every 14 days

As a result my 4+ yo female is 7 1/2 feet and 19 pounds. When I got her a year or so ago she was 6' and 10 pounds with a rectangular body cross-section. I fed her a jumbo rat every week until about 3 months ago when I switched her to every 2 weeks. Now her body cross-section is more of a trapezoid shape than a rectangle and skin can be seen between the lower side scales. I would say she is fat and should go to once a month or even longer feeding intervals.

Both my 2 yo's are around 5' and 6 1/2 pounds. They both are rectangular and muscular with no apparent body fat. They have gotten a medium to large rat every 7 days for the last year. If their feeding is slowed down now, they should maintain good body weight and stay more muscular.

My 3 yearlings are 2 1/2 to 3' and weigh from 700 to 900 grams. They are getting weanling to small rats every 5 - 7 days. All have good musculature and no apparent fat.

As I have typed this I noticed that the 5 younger boas seem to have done ok with their feed schedule. This is probably since they use their food for growth more than maintenance. However, the big girl had reached adult size when I got her and no longer used as much of her food for growth, but for maintenance. Therefore she grew in length, but since she wasn't still in her "growing" stages, not as much as when she was younger. So, the extra calories were used to make her fatter instead.

This the best thread I have seen on feeding schedules for boas since their has been discussion about it rather than a bunch of folks just saying I feed this and that at such and such an interval. I hope it will continue with even more input.

 

[mysticdiva]

Both of these females have been raised on a 1-2 week feeding schedule. (Yes, that will be changing)

07 girl

08 girl

 

[the gecko geek]

Well I am glad that my snake isn't obese. I would hate to end up on the equivalent of a Maury show about overseeing snakes!

I was also going to ask the question of whether or not feeding younger boas more often is okay because they can use the extra food to grow rather than overall maintenance. Glad that was brought up and in assuming that it is okay along as you aren't feeding it every couple of days.

 

[the gecko geek]

*overfeeding snakes is what i meant to say. Not overseeing them.

 

[Metachrosis]

To the majority these boas would look in great shape ,but its pretty clear how they have been fed.
The lower third of what "appears" to be larger one depicted definitely shows established fat reserves and an overall rounded profile.

Need to cut waaaay back to trim them down,two months of fasting wouldn't phase either one much at all.(seriously)

Without extended fasting periods that will require the animal to draw from its own reserves. it must,in order to reduce body mass,reduced feedings will just be reduced feedings at this point.

Both of these females have been raised on a 1-2 week feeding schedule. (Yes, that will be changing)

 

[Metachrosis]

Why is there a need for a young boa in captivity to grow?
Really just one reason comes to my mind . . . . .
ESPECIALLY if its someone that has followed(read) this thread

Well I am glad that my snake isn't obese. I would hate to end up on the equivalent of a Maury show about overseeing snakes!

I was also going to ask the question of whether or not feeding younger boas more often is okay because they can use the extra food to grow rather than overall maintenance. Glad that was brought up and in assuming that it is okay along as you aren't feeding it every couple of days.

 

[the gecko geek]

It's not about making them grow so they will breed sooner. As much as you want it to be it really isn't.
People WILL have different feeding schedules than you. Whether it is because they want to breed sooner or whatever the reason is NOT for you to decide and tell the rest of the people reading..regardless of how much knowledge you have of the subject in question.


That's cool if you think that everyone feeds their snakes too much on purpose. That is really great for you. However it has already been established that MOST people have been misinformed. But your OPINION is NOT necessarily the right one, and people will always disagree with you. You can't always be right, because by human nature we tend to be wrong at times.

I feel that any living thing, humans, animals, fish, NEED extra food when young. You NEED higher protein so you CAN grow to the BEST of your abilities. For example feeding nursing or pregnant dogs food with much higher protein levels than normal so that it passes through to the pups. Do you feed your rats high protein chow or low grade dog food? In the animal world its not how properly you grow, but how fast you can grow. It's survival of the fittest out there. And being as how captive snakes are still wild animals, it all fits together like a puzzle. The evidence to support the theory has been well provided.

It has been brought up in this thread that possibly WHAT we feed our snakes may be the problem. There's no variety for a captive snake. Maybe VARIETY is what we are lacking? Give them a different meal from something in their native setting once a week and see how that affects them? Has anyone ever tried this before or found any documentation of such a study?

I don't expect anyone to agree with me, but I'm also not gonna go around telling people they are wrong when the topic being debated is still WIDELY varied. That just makes you look arrogant and rude IMO

And I don't mean to come off harsh or rude, it is not my intention, but it seems like beating around the bush and trying to reason with you is not going to work, so I will try being blunt and see how that works.

This is a discussion thread, not an "I'm right and you're wrong" thread.

 

[the gecko geek]

And I am not doubting your knowledge Tommy, because I know that you know your stuff. I just keep getting rubbed the wrong way I guess. And maybe I'm the only one that is. That's fine too. Hell I could be wrong about what color underwear I'm wearing today, but at the end of the day my opinion is what I go home with every day.

Instead of telling people they are wrong, why not just play a little devil's advocate and get the gears turning in their brains. That is one of the best ways to spread knowledge. Make people think.

 

[mysticdiva]

Thanks for the advice. You think I should put all of my adults on a 2 month fast and keep feeding the younger ones, but only every 3-4 weeks?

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

I feel that any living thing, humans, animals, fish, NEED extra food when young. You NEED higher protein so you CAN grow to the BEST of your abilities. For example feeding nursing or pregnant dogs food with much higher protein levels than normal so that it passes through to the pups. Do you feed your rats high protein chow or low grade dog food? In the animal world its not how properly you grow, but how fast you can grow. It's survival of the fittest out there. And being as how captive snakes are still wild animals, it all fits together like a puzzle. The evidence to support the theory has been well provided.

Comparing Mammals, fish and reptiles hardly argues the point validly IMO. Their needs are vastly different. Their metabolisms are completely different.

If a baby mammal, rodent or fish doesn't eat within a certain time after birth, it will die. I've had new born Boas (1 actually) that went it's first 2½ months without eating, and this is without getting the benefit of yolk absorption. And I bet they can go even longer and still end up thriving.

The animal mentioned above was fed every couple weeks for 3 months after finally deciding to eat, then went to 3 week intervals just like the rest. She seems to be thriving too, even if she is smaller then most 3 yr olds I've seen, and is not any smaller then her litter mates that ate right away, and 4-5 extra meals.

 

[crotalusadamanteus]

Thanks for the advice. You think I should put all of my adults on a 2 month fast and keep feeding the younger ones, but only every 3-4 weeks?

I wouldn't worry about a fast. IMO that Boa doesn't look that bad. It's still blocky looking instead of round. And since it looks Colombian and could be BCC, then it won't have the same body shape as a BCI anyway.