Rodent Sizes & Buying

[Piggybuns]

So I'm new to the whole mice and snake thing. This is my 8th month with my corn, and she's doing lovely! Here's some mistakes I made, and then I'll get to my question:

• I knew the whole 2x the width of the thickest part of the snake for food size at the time! She was super tiny and I got her the smallest type of pinks.
• However, I bought a pack of 100. Because I thought, you know, bulk. It was $70 because of shipping. Ouch.
• I had no idea how fast snakes grow. Part of the first year of snake owning! She shot up like a weed, it's great!
• She's long outgrown one single 1-Day pink. I feed her 2 at a time now, every 5 days. She knows her time routine and "hunts" around then.
• Even this has stopped leaving any sort of bump in her belly.

Now onto my question. I fed her a lil more than just buying new ones to at least try to use these ones up. However now the freezer is taking its toll on what's left (ick) and I'd like to buy fresh, a bigger size up, in a smaller pack (way) of 25. Only, here's my biggest issue.

I've never seen a pinkie up close, ever, in real life, and pictures are very hard for me to determine size of animals for. What size of pinkie should I get her now? She's about 18-19 inches long, 9 months old. (This is assuming she was a month old when I ordered her as a hatchling online. I've had her 8 months.)

Would it be regular pinkies, like the one on the far end? That'd be about double, which I feed her two very little ones at a time, right? Should I be getting into fuzzies instead?

Buying in smaller packs means shipping is a lot cheaper and more affordable, so I'm not too worried about the money this go. I've long gone and effed that up and righted myself now, haha. I just need to know size to order as input from folks who've been doing this a long while since I'm still new, and it's my first year ever buying snake-steak.

https://s6.postimg.org/49cx4kutt/Pinky_Mice.jpg

[riddick07]

Can you get a picture of her next to something we can use as a reference like a pencil or coin?

She may be able to move on to fuzzies. Mine didn't stay on pinkies for very long. If you can find a local reptile show that would probably be cheaper for getting feeders with just the one snake.

[Albert Clark]

Agreed. 9 mos. old should be feeding on mice fuzzies or rat pinks. Mice pinks are about 90% moisture and not much nutrition for sub adult snakes. The consistency of rat pink tissue is more complete but mice fuzzies are probably higher in calcium bc of the bony development.

[Piggybuns]

Awesome, thanks guys! I'll try to get a pic of her later on today. I don't have any up to date anyway.

And nope. There are no reptile shows in bumfick nowhere. And I have no car for traveling, I use public transit. .x It's reptile stores (no) or online where I can make sure what I'm getting is actual quality. >_> Thanks anyway tho. I WISH I could reach a reptile show, pfsssh.

:EDIT: I found a pic. Which kind of fuzzy Albert? There are so many size chart pics, and some online rodent supplies have different names for stuff. .o Do you mean peach fuzzy, or regular fuzzy?

http://www.allaboutcornsnakes.com/images/care_sheet_mouse_sizes_IMG_1123_med.jpg
Newborn Pinky, Small Pinky, Large Pinky, Peach Fuzzy, Fuzzy, Hopper, Weanling, Adult

[EL Ziggy]

At 9 months your snake should definitely be eating larger prey. Can you post a pic of the snake?

[Piggybuns]

Yep, I just managed to snag one of her. My hand is a lil smaller than most folks, but this should give a better idea.

https://s6.postimg.org/yth8wpb81/P_20160811_191823.jpg

[riddick07]

Fuzzy. But I would order some hoppers too she probably won't be on them that long save you on shipping if you order both.

[Piggybuns]

All in favor of fuzzies? .D

[Andy_G]

Fuzzy. But I would order some hoppers too she probably won't be on them that long save you on shipping if you order both.

This right here.:yes:

[Piggybuns]

Thanks a bunch guys, you rock. .D

[EL Ziggy]

I'd say fuzzys at a minimum and your snake will outgrow those quickly. I'd go with more hoppers and weanlings.

[toddnbecka]

Simply get a pair of mice and breed your own. You'll have a steady supply of suitable size feeders. and can freeze the extra young ones at whatever size you need them.

[Piggybuns]

They came in today and they look perfect size for her right now. Thanks so much everyone! .) Also, Perfect Prey as opposed to Rodent Pro has MUCH nicer feeders, and there was no waste packed in with them, as well as the shipping was definitely much much cheaper (I'm talking by like $20) so I'm definitely going to stick with them as a supplier. .)

Thanks again folks!

[riddick07]

Yeah Rodentpro is not a favorite of mine. They always seem to come dirty and smell weird. I have to order some of the bigger feeders from them for a bit but once I have more full grown big snakes I have another person to buy from instead. They just have a minimum 50lb to order and I just don't need that much yet!

I'm glad the sizes seem good!

[Albert Clark]

Cool. Yeah, I was with fuzzies. If you are still worried about the size being to big you can cut the fuzzy in half lengthwise while frozen. Thaw, then feed as usual. I have done that for my hatchlings and it actually works pretty good. Cutting while frozen eliminates the gore.

[Piggybuns]

I wasn't 100% sure she could do it without struggling a bit, but I knew she'd grow into it, so I figured now's better than ever. Snakes grow according to how you feed, so I just assumed for now she'd hit a tiny growth spurt.

I was wrong tho! She didn't entirely struggle, she swallowed it just as I assumed was normal, and now has a good healthy bulge in her belly. .) They were perfect. I only got a pack of 25, and since shipping is cheap, getting the next size up will be no problem in a couple months. I learned from getting "bulk" pinkies that they outgrow food really fast, so I only got their lowest amount. ^^

We just watched her eat it, and she took it like a champ. She isn't a shy eater, so we got to watch directly how she handled it. My husband took a look and went "no that's way way too big" and I'm just sitting here like "for a snake this is healthy." XD It's hard to explain to folks who don't know much about snakes that bulges are in fact, a good thing, but there is a limit. The next size up for instance would be too much!

Again thanks all for the size help! It's definitely easier seeing the actual rodents in person. I have a lot of trouble distinguishing size from screens. :3

[macandchz]

piggybuns, those comparison pictures help a lot. i'm never sure what size is being talked about on here. is a rat pup the next size after an adult mouse?