Boa Feeding Schedule

[Will's Reptiles]

Hi,
My BCC will be two years old in November and about a month ago I switched him over to small rats and have been feeding him one rat, once a week. Now it seems like he is getting just a little chunky so I'm just wondering what you guys feed your 1-2 year old BCCs and on what schedule. Is it better to feed little and often or a lot but less frequently. Thanks!

[bigsnakegirl785]

At 2 years, I'd feed every 2-3 weeks. Imo it's best to feed smaller meals less often, especially for B(C)C. At a year, you start spacing their feedings out to 14 days, and continue to space it out over the years until they're eating every 5-6 weeks.

Birth - 1 year: 7-14 days
1-3 years: 10-21 days
3+: 4-6 weeks

The only thing different from B(C)I is that B(C)C take meals almost half the size, but they eat just as often.

[Andy_G]

Every 2 weeks would be fine for a while.

[DLLNP]

Agreed with what's said above (obviously I do... Andy and BSG have given me most of my husbandry advice haha!)

I'm surprised to hear that B(C)C's (I like BSG's nomenclature for the most recent species classification... Or at least I assume that's what you're doing!) eat such small meals, interesting!

@Will: I've recently been reading some academic papers that showed ectothermes such as snakes can use as little as 10% of the energy to thrive when compared to mammals due to the fact they don't need to produce their own body heat. So you can imagine how little food they actually need to live and also how easy it would be for them to gain unhealthy weight, even when only being ever so slightly over fed. And I think this is even exaggerated in boa's.

I would be curious to know how you guys feed during the winter?

[bigsnakegirl785]

Agreed with what's said above (obviously I do... Andy and BSG have given me most of my husbandry advice haha!)

I'm surprised to hear that B(C)C's (I like BSG's nomenclature for the most recent species classification... Or at least I assume that's what you're doing!) eat such small meals, interesting!

@Will: I've recently been reading some academic papers that showed ectothermes such as snakes can use as little as 10% of the energy to thrive when compared to mammals due to the fact they don't need to produce their own body heat. So you can imagine how little food they actually need to live and also how easy it would be for them to gain unhealthy weight, even when only being ever so slightly over fed. And I think this is even exaggerated in boa's.

I would be curious to know how you guys feed during the winter?

Boa constrictor eats smaller meals than Boa imperator because their digestive system is a lot more delicate. They are prone to regurging if they eat too big of meals, so they have to eat much smaller meals. This is why they grow so much slower. Some may be able to handle larger meals, but it's still best to keep their prey size small.

Snakes can thrive on half of what the average owner feeds them, even gravid females don't use that much energy. On average, our animals grow much more rapidly than they would in the wild, and they succumb to fatty liver disease quite often. They eat leaner prey in the wild, they eat less often, and they exercise more. Snakes don't necessarily have to get big within a couple years.

As far as how I feed during the winter, I don't feed my boa constrictors. I'm feeding my younger ones throughout the year, but I'm thinking of starting Tirel and Nymeria's fasts either this winter or next. Right now, just my 5 year old Cloud gets fasted, and this will be the 4th fast I've put him on iirc. I give him his last meal for the winter in November, and then fast him for 90 days. 2-3 weeks after he eats, I drop his hot side temps and lower his ambients slightly, from 88F to 85F and 85F to 80F, and then I raise them again 2-3 weeks before his next meal. This means the next time he eats is late February/early March. Vin Russo has extensively studied and bred boa constrictors for years. He advises winter fasting periods, or at least feeding them sparingly, as they help to shed excess internal fat stores, build muscle mass, and can instigate breeding behaviors.

He also states in his book The Complete Boa Constrictor, that boas grow best when not eating. Limiting their food to a healthy amount, and giving them time off of food will allow boas to grow at a more healthy rate, and build proper muscle mass. He goes in more depth in his book, so I'd advise anyone who owns a boa to buy a copy and read it.

[DLLNP]

Yes, I just ordered Vin's book two weeks ago. Almost done it! It's excellent. He just never really states at which age he starts fasting his boas at. I will definitely cool mine down (probably even colder than 80, my winters are freezing here), just wasn't sure if I should fast at such a young age (both mine will be 1.5 years). I think for this winter I'll just feed sparingly (3-4 weeks... Maybe more?) and next year go for a full 2 month fast or something around that.

[Panntyman]

I've had 3 bcc boas and I know that they don't process food as fast as big boas but at 2 years old switching over too small rat's trust me I am not knocking u on your feeding regimen. But you was really holding back on food intake 1 of my suri females at 2 years old was on 2 pound rabbits but too each his own I'm hear to learn and listen and give some of my experiences and and what I've learned and have failed at thank you

[Andy_G]

I would say 2 pound rabbits at even 3 years old for a BCC to be an unnecessary amount of food. Saying that...probably more towards medium rats at 2 years of age depending on the individual...I suppose my opinion falls between BSG's and Panntyman's. Could some take that size? Definitely...but that doesn't mean you should do it. Boas could practically eat themselves to death if you let them. If you grow them a bit slower, they WILL live longer. Not tearing anyone down, just food for thought.

[Panntyman]

With any reptile especially snakes you feed them less or more often with smaller prey items it is a fact that they have a longer and healthier life people pound there snakes with food so they can breed them quicker I know with bcc you have to wait I think it is 5yrs for female and 3 for male. But power feeding to me you should not even own any reptile it is very wrong but your feeding schedule shows you have a bcc for many years enjoy can you tell me if it's suri, Peruvian,guyana

[bigsnakegirl785]

Yes, I just ordered Vin's book two weeks ago. Almost done it! It's excellent. He just never really states at which age he starts fasting his boas at. I will definitely cool mine down (probably even colder than 80, my winters are freezing here), just wasn't sure if I should fast at such a young age (both mine will be 1.5 years). I think for this winter I'll just feed sparingly (3-4 weeks... Maybe more?) and next year go for a full 2 month fast or something around that.

No he doesn't. I think I heard him say in an interview he starts them on their first winter, or at least halves their food intake during the winter of their first year. I personally want to wait until they're 2 or 3 and completely fast them.

I've had 3 bcc boas and I know that they don't process food as fast as big boas but at 2 years old switching over too small rat's trust me I am not knocking u on your feeding regimen. But you was really holding back on food intake 1 of my suri females at 2 years old was on 2 pound rabbits but too each his own I'm hear to learn and listen and give some of my experiences and and what I've learned and have failed at thank you

Your boas have been power fed and are dangerously large for their age, please refrain from giving such terrible advice (in response to the 2 year old on 2 lb rabbits). Not even my 5 year old is eating 2 lb rabbits....he's 6.5' eating a large rat or 4-6 ounce rabbit...the snake would have to be well over 8' to be reasonably eating 2 lb rabbits, and if a snake is 8' before it's 6th b-day something is wrong. (Small rats at 2 years old is perfectly reasonable, but not 2 lb rabbits.)

[dannybgoode]

+1 to BSG. A rabbit that size for a 2 yo Bc or Bi is just plain silly.

[Andy_G]

@Panntyman

This doesn't happen all that often it seems...but I gotta agree with BSG ;). I had a nearly 50 pound over 8 foot het albino BCI around 10 years old and even she didnt even eat rabbits and she was much larger than a lot of adult BCC that I have been in contact with or seen. She produced some very nice large litters for me. She did eat a few guinea pigs but they weren't 2 pounds. At 2 years old, smalls...maybe mediums as I said depending on the specific individual would be what I deem appropriate. So unfortunately you're doing the exact opposite of what you are advising in your last post when it comes to power feeding...

Also...suriname and guyanan BCC are one in the same and aren't even separated geographically as it's just a small body of water running between the 2 localities. Just an fyi.

[Panntyman]

Everyone has there opinion towards what is too much food intake on certain species of snakes and lizards whats hot whats cold i posted pictures of my surinames dont none of them look power fed if you know what one looks. Like all of their heads fit their body ive been keeping snakes monitors tegus since 91 and if your from that time you know there was hardly any captive bred reptiles the way ive learned was not reading a book and quoting after it i learned through trial and error and many teeth and you can see me and my uncles snakes in my album and you tell me do any of them look powerfed lol powerfed in my day was to tie 2 or 3 rats together or rabbits and he or she would keep swallowing. Now from my experience far far away from that boas.especially bcc are not ravage eaters on the flip side in my experiance every one that ive had in my care were picky raters except one and she was not pure 50% Colombian %50 suri and she is pictured in my album and on this thread she was pushing 6 feet eating 2"pound rabbits and she was not the only one now did i say they was eating this a week no because in my experience i know when they have taken large meals iits a while to digest and i know through experience thatim wasting food. Because they are not the ravage eaters retics are. My lavender that i have posted is pushing 6 ft and eatingv3 pound rabbits and she just took her first one a month1/2 ago she got respiratory infenction and through my experiance not reading a book or watching nat geo she got cured and ate her first meal since falling ill and it was a 1pound rabbit just a. Fyi

[bigsnakegirl785]

It's not a matter of opinion but fact, it is not your opinion that something is too much. If a certain amount of food causes unnatural growth, unnatural fatty deposits, and negatively affects their health it doesn't matter that you think it's the proper amount it is too much. If a 2 year old is eating 2 lb rabbits it is power fed, there is no other option. At 2 years they should be 3'-4', 5' max (and I'd consider that overly-large myself). None of those snakes are even remotely large for a 1 lb rabbit let alone a 2 lb rabbit.

I also don't care how long you've been keeping them, if it's been incorrectly you aren't as experienced as you think you are.

A 6' boa should under no circumstance be eating a 2 lb rabbit, period. Even 1 lb is way too large. Hence why my 6.5' boa is only eating 4-6 ounce rabbits. I fed him 1 lb rabbits when he was 6' and he put on an entire pound in weight after 2 meals spaced 2 weeks apart. It took a year of dieting for him to shed that weight, he was overweight and if I continued to feed him that way I would probably lose a decade or two of time with him. I would be lucky to see him to his 10th birthday, if not his 6th.

Not even my 6.5' RETIC is eating 1 lb rabbits, let alone my boa. She's barely as big around as my arm, and the rabbit is at least 2x my arm's girth. She weighs 2,025 grams last I weighed her, making a 1 lb rabbit a whopping 45% of her weight. That's absolutely ludicrous to be feeding her in any capacity. So I'm just amazed you're feeding your retic 3 lb rabbits.

If a 6' boa could even physically get a 2lb rabbit down, it should be given it's next meal 2-4 months later.

[Panntyman]

Go look at my photo album and show me one power fed snake I look at yours and feel sorry for them their keeper is Martha stewart hope you like the photos there is more for you to see through experience one finds out knowledge and that was for Andy G and that other Danny b Goode you guys some real character

[dannybgoode]

How to make friends and influence people :).

[Andy_G]

Go look at my photo album and show me one power fed snake I look at yours and feel sorry for them their keeper is Martha stewart hope you like the photos there is more for you to see through experience one finds out knowledge and that was for Andy G and that other Danny b Goode you guys some real character...

Just because you've been keeping since the early 90's doesnt mean a thing. I've met lots of people older than myself over the years who don't know what they're doing...but most of them can adapt, are open to other's opinions and facts presented to them and are willing to change or take on advice to better their keeping habits...I feel like you may not fit into that category from your responses, though, and that's ok...they're not my snakes and I don't care what you want to do with them. Also I'm not sure why you're including me in a post with a bunch of retic pics because I didn't say anything about you powerfeeding your retics...just your boas. I've bred a lot of different species very successfully over the last 15 years (and a few before that out of luck) and I am fully entitled to my own opinion and I couldn't have been any nicer delivering it. Please don't act like a defensive butthurt fool if you don't like it, especially after passing on garbage advice that you don't even follow. Now please go enjoy keeping your snakes because you spazzing out is a bit disrespectful towards the OP dude. Anything else you have to say to me should maybe be sent over a PM...I welcome it...if you're lucky I might even respond. You'll have to excuse me now, I just got a new Martha Stewart baking sheet that I absolutely must try out. ;)

[bigsnakegirl785]

Regardless of their body, the way you're feeding them and how large they are at such a young age, they are power fed. Now, this is the last time I'll respond to you as we're getting off topic.

Please refrain from giving feeding advice in the future, the way you feed your snakes will put them in an early grave.

[psychocircus]

once every 2-3 weeks depending on prey size is good advice for a boa at 2 years of age.

[DLLNP]

Go look at my photo album you clowns and show me one power fed snake I look at yours and feel sorry for them their keeper is Martha stewart hope you like the photos there is more for you to see through experience one finds out knowledge and that was for Andy G and that other Danny b Goode you guys some real character my first and post is for you clowns and I can't forget the biggest do boy of them al . Dllnp now run along do boy and clean there cages

Haha how did I get dragged into this!? I honestly have no idea what any of this means... possibly due to the incredibly poor grammar but more likely because I'm the "biggest do boy of them all"!

[Andy_G]

Haha how did I get dragged into this!? I honestly have no idea what any of this means... possibly due to the incredibly poor grammar but more likely because I'm the "biggest do boy of them all"!

I'm apparently a Martha Stewart clown which is pretty awesome if you ask me. I wouldn't want to be the biggest do boy around, it sounds awful. I THINK he was trying to call me an inexperienced googler (HAHA) and he mentioned you in error.

[DLLNP]

hahah wow that is classic!

[Mad Max]

Go look at my photo album you clowns and show me one power fed snake I look at yours and feel sorry for them their keeper is Martha stewart

Who are you to knock Martha Stewart? Her advice is actually pretty well respected most of the time.

[dave himself]

Quite sad actually but I had to Google to find out who she was, I'm still none the wiser for it :confused:

[Mad Max]

Well your seasonal home decor projects could probably stand to be spiced up a little bit then.

[Panntyman]

...i want to have conversations with people with a passion for reptiles...

[dave himself]

Well your seasonal home decor projects could probably stand to be spiced up a little bit then.

Never again will my seasonal home decor projects lack spice. Thank you Max for pointing me in the right direction ;)

[Aaron_S]

Now that my mod duties are done for this thread (I hate you all for making me work) I can participate as a member. *Puts member hat on, it's blue"

... I had a nearly 50 pound over 8 foot het albino BCI around 10 years old and even she didnt even eat rabbits and she was much larger than a lot of adult BCC that I have been in contact with or seen. ...

That's because people are chumps and sell or kill them before they have a chance to grow.

Everyone has there opinion towards what is too much food intake on certain species of snakes and lizards whats hot whats cold i posted pictures of my surinames dont none of them look power fed if you know what one looks. Like all of their heads fit their body ive been keeping snakes monitors tegus since 91 and if your from that time you know there was hardly any captive bred reptiles the way ive learned was not reading a book and quoting after it i learned through trial and error and many teeth and you can see me and my uncles snakes in my album and you tell me do any of them look powerfed lol powerfed in my day was to tie 2 or 3 rats together or rabbits and he or she would keep swallowing. Now from my experience far far away from that boas.especially bcc are not ravage eaters on the flip side in my experiance every one that ive had in my care were picky raters except one and she was not pure 50% Colombian %50 suri and she is pictured in my album and on this thread she was pushing 6 feet eating 2"pound rabbits and she was not the only one now did i say they was eating this a week no because in my experience i know when they have taken large meals iits a while to digest and i know through experience thatim wasting food. Because they are not the ravage eaters retics are. My lavender that i have posted is pushing 6 ft and eatingv3 pound rabbits and she just took her first one a month1/2 ago she got respiratory infenction and through my experiance not reading a book or watching nat geo she got cured and ate her first meal since falling ill and it was a 1pound rabbit just a. Fyi

First bolded: You were 12 years old taking care of tegus and monitors. That isn't responsible in the least and I highly doubt you knew what you were doing. I will be fair and say there was limited information at the time but still. You were over your head and more than likely led to the death of some animals.

Second Bolded: Powerfed MAY have been defined as that 20 odd years ago. However it no longer is. Feeding too large a meal to too small a snake is also considered powerfeeding and is frowned upon.
One thing that makes a veteran keeper a real part of the community is that they continue to learn and grow and educate themselves. They don't stick their heels in the sand and say "In my day it worked so it works today!" If that were the case we'd still be using a horse and buggy simply because it got you from point A to point B. Let me know if you powerfeed your horses too.

Third bolded: This speaks to a husbandry error. Picky feeders is 99% husbandry issues and NOT species related. Way to go old timer. You can't keep basic animals. Might want to go back to 1991 and restart.

Fourth bolded: I'm curious on how you "cured" a RI when you didn't even know if it was viral or bacterial. More than likely it's still present and probably spreading around your collection. Yes, back in the 90's keepers knew more about this stuff than vets (barely though). Now, we have lots of good vets who do tracheal washes to build a culture to find out what bacteria/virus they are dealing with to help the animal ACTUALLY be "cured".

You say you want debate with those that are passionate. Problem is, everyone here is passionate. They are passionate about proper husbandry, feeding, illness/diseases and ensuring that newcomers are given GOOD information to make their captives happy, healthy and enjoy the hobby.

Your information will kill more animals and that isn't good for the hobby. There's a reason why you keep the simplest of species. It's because your errors in husbandry will kill anything that needs some actual education and information.

[Mad Max]

...i want to have conversations with people with a passion for reptiles...

Wish granted by AaronS. Enjoy it, Panties!

[dannybgoode]

*gets popcorn ands awaits Aaron's response*

[Panntyman]

*gets popcorn ands awaits Aaron's response*
I already got my popcorn...

[Panntyman]

Wish granted by AaronS. Enjoy it, Panties!

.............................................

[Andy_G]

I'm sitting here wondering why you would want to have Aaron watch you peeing in your pants...also wondering why you are picturing Danny and Max in a G-String and a cheerleader costume...kinda weird...to each their own though, I guess. Everyone's gotta have dreams. I smell a ban coming...and boy will I ever miss the illiterate posts......

[Pareeeee]

I was working the last couple days and missed all the fun! Good work, Aaron.

Also, sorry Will! It's not usually like this here. Every once-in-a-while we get...unique...individuals who like to be a pain. Hopefully he hasn't turned you off of this otherwise great site!

[Aaron_S]

I can't even quote your message because then I'd have to try to edit it to make it make sense.

I told you in the PM exactly what the warning was for. I spelt it out for you. However, since you missed my entire post and the meaning behind it I feel it would be a waste of time to explain it once again.

[Pareeeee]

My thought progression during this thread.

At first:
http://imgur.com/HzIOzlK.gif

Then this:
http://imgur.com/BUDsdjn.gif

Then this
http://imgur.com/Q2nuXYQ.gif

Then finally
http://i.imgur.com/SOOzvnD.gif

[Aaron_S]

You need yet another hobby Paris.

[Andy_G]

You need yet another hobby Paris.

I disagree.

[Aaron_S]

I disagree.

Actually you're right. I'd then need to do more work around here. STAY PARIS! I NEED YOU!

[bigsnakegirl785]

I'm sitting here wondering why you would want to have Aaron watch you peeing in your pants...also wondering why you are picturing Danny and Max in a G-String and a cheerleader costume...kinda weird...to each their own though, I guess. Everyone's gotta have dreams. I smell a ban coming...and boy will I ever miss the illiterate posts......

I missed something reeaaal interesting...saw this coming the moment he decided to stand by his power feeding habits.

So sorry Will for this thread getting so off-topic...as Aaron said, sometimes we have some off-the-wall people come in and troll the board. Usually just one or two scattered here and there. HOPEFULLY it will be another few months before we get another character like him.

[Will's Reptiles]

I was working the last couple days and missed all the fun! Good work, Aaron.

Also, sorry Will! It's not usually like this here. Every once-in-a-while we get...unique...individuals who like to be a pain. Hopefully he hasn't turned you off of this otherwise great site!

I missed something reeaaal interesting...saw this coming the moment he decided to stand by his power feeding habits.

So sorry Will for this thread getting so off-topic...as Aaron said, sometimes we have some off-the-wall people come in and troll the board. Usually just one or two scattered here and there. HOPEFULLY it will be another few months before we get another character like him.

Thanks guys, I never thought that this would get to be such a heated topic! I got him switched over to a more spread out feeding schedule a while back when people were first responding. Just recently I have just been getting email updates which have been keeping me quite entertained with all the drama these past couple days! And thanks to everyone else who gave some advice and also helped correct some very bad advice! Here are some pictures of my guy out enjoying the sunshine from earlier this summer:

[bigsnakegirl785]

Whoops thought it was Aaron who said that...coulda sworn I double checked, sorry Pareeeee. lol

After getting in so many debates/arguments, I can tell you feeding schedules/habits is in the Top 5 list of things that really gets people's blood boiling. You tell them they're feeding too much, and usually they pull the "I've been doing this for decades and raised countless litters" card.

Glad to hear you're spreading out his feeding, definitely stick to it. He is a gorgeous boy, feel free to share lots more photos. :)

[Mad Max]

I'm sitting here wondering why you would want to have Aaron watch you peeing in your pants...also wondering why you are picturing Danny and Max in a G-String and a cheerleader costume...kinda weird...to each their own though, I guess. Everyone's gotta have dreams. I smell a ban coming...and boy will I ever miss the illiterate posts......

I must have missed some entertaining commentary, but that whole scenario sounds too much like one of those weird independent films to me.

[Andy_G]

I must have missed some entertaining commentary, but that whole scenario sounds too much like one of those weird independent films to me.

:yes:

At no point was my blood boiling (still Martha Stewarting it up I guess), but BSG is right...some "old timers"...or even newbies...when presented with a different or better way of keeping...it's their way or you're wrong. As Aaron mentioned as well as what I touched on is that things are always changing...sometimes not always for the best...but we can't dismiss those changes without really thinking about it a bit further. Thankfully aside from all the nonsense (yes, I know I contributed to it...but I am ok with that because it was fun...) there IS sound advice in here (which I also contributed to...hence my lack of guilt :D). We're all here for the same reasons. We love reptiles, we all want to improve on our methods, we all (almost all of us anyways) want to expand on what we have learned or gained as well as share past experiences both good and bad to help each other...but if everyone is telling you that you're mistaken...chances are pretty good they're right, especially if your methods are dated before the new millenium...maybe acceptance and acknowledgement of past errors would be the respectable and much more welcomed response...

What a complete thread! It's got great advice, bad advice, and some entertainment to boot!

[Mad Max]

it was fun

Yes it was.