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What size rats do you feed your adult female balls? POLL

What size rats do you feed your adult female balls(approximate weight)

  • Small(40-70 grams)

    Votes: 24 42.1%

  • Medium(71-100 grams)

    Votes: 11 19.3%

  • Large(100-150 grams)

    Votes: 15 26.3%

  • Larger(150 grams+)

    Votes: 7 12.3%
  • Total voters
    57
At first glance, I would have answered "smalls" for the most part.....however, given the gram weights given on the poll aren't really very similar to what the frozen rodent companies use, I don't know. RodentPro and Big Cheese's mediums are often larger than what you have listed as larges, so..... :shrug01:
 
jglass38 said:
Nice try Jake. Just because it is done, doesn't mean its the right thing for the animal. But as I said on the other thread, everyone can do what they want. You claimed that all the big breeders are feeding mediums/larges. I asked you for names and you haven't made that happen.

If I said you were an idiot (which I don't recall doing), it has to do with much more than your position on a topic that you have limited experience with, yet spoke on like an expert and even claimed sources to back it up.
Click to expand...
I'll have the list for you in the morning if you would like along with emails

I don't recall saying all breeders are doing it?!?! Just that many of the breeders feed meals larger than 50-70 grams on a regular basis
 
filez41 said:
I tend to feed my big girls 150g rats. I have a pastel female who's putting on weight like it's her job, she's about 700g and she just ate a 130g rat two days ago. Is there a reason that people are feeding smaller prey items? I would think the bigger ones would help them put the weight on faster. My males tend to get smaller meals so they don't get quite as big.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't you be more concerned about what's healthiest for the animals as opposed to what makes them "put on weight faster" so you can breed them?

JMHO, of course.
 
Jake The Snake said:
I'll have the list for you in the morning if you would like along with emails

I don't recall saying all breeders are doing it?!?! Just that many of the breeders feed meals larger than 50-70 grams on a regular basis
Click to expand...

Can I have a preview of the names? Kevin? Ralph? Brian?
 
Jake The Snake said:
Cat, just a couple curious questions
How many balls do you and Bill Produce a year and how long have you guys been keeping balls?
Click to expand...

Bill who? :confused:
 
I only feed weanlings or smalls to the snakes that eat live, but they get multiples if they want them. Smaller prey seems safer to me, and they're easier to handle (I'm not a huge fan of rats, lol). The snakes that eat F/T get bigger prey items depending on the size of the snake (usually mediums since I don't have any really huge girls yet).
 
jglass38 said:
Nice try Jake. Just because it is done, doesn't mean its the right thing for the animal. But as I said on the other thread, everyone can do what they want. You claimed that all the big breeders are feeding mediums/larges. I asked you for names and you haven't made that happen.

If I said you were an idiot (which I don't recall doing), it has to do with much more than your position on a topic that you have limited experience with, yet spoke on like an expert and even claimed sources to back it up.
Click to expand...

Im only going to jump in this thread like this , one time. so lets make it pleasant and continue the thread normally without any bickering.

Jake is good people.

Gib is definitely a guy who knows what he is doing Jamie ( if you are referencing the picture that jake posted from him with your quote "Nice try Jake. Just because it is done, doesn't mean its the right thing for the animal. ")
And, i trust him 100% over... many for advice on feeding issues and anything else regarding the wellbeing of ball pythons in general.
Dang good guy and definitely wouldnt give them anything they could not handle. he is one person, who KNOWS what he is doing.
 
Mooing Tricycle said:
Im only going to jump in this thread like this , one time. so lets make it pleasant and continue the thread normally without any bickering.

Jake is good people.

Gib is definitely a guy who knows what he is doing Jamie ( if you are referencing the picture that jake posted from him with your quote "Nice try Jake. Just because it is done, doesn't mean its the right thing for the animal. ")
And, i trust him 100% over... many for advice on feeding issues and anything else regarding the wellbeing of ball pythons in general.
Dang good guy and definitely wouldnt give them anything they could not handle. he is one person, who KNOWS what he is doing.
Click to expand...

Well because you said so, it MUST be true...
 
Ball Pythons have slow metabolisms. Ball Pythons are known to go off feed to "catch up" when they are overfed. There is not a SINGLE good reason to feed Ball Pythons anything bigger than a small rat. Rabbits? Just ridiculous.
 
jglass38 said:
Ball Pythons have slow metabolisms. Ball Pythons are known to go off feed to "catch up" when they are overfed. There is not a SINGLE good reason to feed Ball Pythons anything bigger than a small rat. Rabbits? Just ridiculous.
Click to expand...


Actually, i know it to be true. I think you need to take a step into chat. I will not continue this here. If you have a problem with that, you can also use the PM system. but No more on this thread, it is uncalled for and unneeded.
 
Mooing Tricycle said:
Actually, i know it to be true. I think you need to take a step into chat. I will not continue this here. If you have a problem with that, you can also use the PM system. but No more on this thread, it is uncalled for and unneeded.
Click to expand...

I'm actually in a chat right now. Feel free to come join in.

Link to Chat
 
Wow, I just love all of the so called self imposed internet experts on the feeding of prey sizes....good lord people take a valium and go sit in a hot tub....y'all need to relax.
 
Laura Fopiano said:
Wow, I just love all of the so called self imposed internet experts on the feeding of prey sizes....good lord people take a valium and go sit in a hot tub....y'all need to relax.
Click to expand...
Lmao, You rock Laura!!!

Why refer us to all of the people that the small rat thing started with Jamie. You stepped onto Fauna, continue it here or let it die by knowing that there is more than one correct way to do it. Isn't that what I was trying to say repeatedly when I was told basically that I am wrong?
 
Folks, if there is one thing I have learned in over 25 years of keeping reptiles it is that there is not a single right way to do anything.

Any person that insists that there is only one right way of doing anything is the last person anyone should be listening to.
 
LOL All my big fat happy Ball Pythons must not have read jamies care guide to Ball python husbandry ;)

all i can say is after 8 years of keeping a Large collection is that all my BPs thrive and grow nicely with eating those large meals,even if went by the girth rule i dont have Anything over 6 months old that would eat anything smaller than medium rats and as far as Bps having slow metabolism and fasting to "catch up" as you put it,is completely off base...My animals eat every 7-10 days with VERY few exceptions (either in shed or lower temps for breeding)

And even on this "ridiculous" feeding schedule they thrive and produce very nicely and none are obese..just good hardy well feeding animals
 
Yeh, Gib is bad with herps. He took my dwarf boa and made him FAT! He's so obese now i need Jenny Craig for my boa!! Darn you Gib, DARN YOU!!!
 
Gib said:
LOL All my big fat happy Ball Pythons must not have read jamies care guide to Ball python husbandry ;)

all i can say is after 8 years of keeping a Large collection is that all my BPs thrive and grow nicely with eating those large meals,even if went by the girth rule i dont have Anything over 6 months old that would eat anything smaller than medium rats and as far as Bps having slow metabolism and fasting to "catch up" as you put it,is completely off base...My animals eat every 7-10 days with VERY few exceptions (either in shed or lower temps for breeding)

And even on this "ridiculous" feeding schedule they thrive and produce very nicely and none are obese..just good hardy well feeding animals
Click to expand...

Congratulations!
 
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