Feeding regimen for a retic???

[sattva]

Hey guys! George will turn two 5/29 and he's about 6 feet... My question is, at what age do I back his meals off to every 10 days and then down to every 2 weeks? :confused:

[dannybgoode]

I'm somewhat working from what will be my adult regime for the olives but at 2yo is already be at 10 days (Or missing a couple of weekly feeds so 7 days, 7 days, 7 days, 14 days, 7 days etc).

And ultimately I'll be going way past 2 weeks. They'll be on a very large rat every 3 weeks and if they get on to rabbits then every 4-6 weeks. I'll also space things out every so often so maybe an XL rat every 5 weeks instead of 3 or a smaller rat and then a bigger one 2 weeks after.

I'll be following something similar for my scrubs and I don't see a large retic being much different in its requirements but of course will happily stand corrected by the likes of Tsu and Dave.

[Tsubaki]

I would have slowed him down already personally depending on the prey-size, pretty sure I've discussed this with you before though! You fed him less back then if I remember properly. Typed it out let me see if I can find it.. Sorry not really up to typing it all again a.t.m. too tired.

Edit: there it is, found it quite easily haha... My methods are considered slow feeding, and more work than just "feed snake x after x days, and repeat"


First of, my way of feeding retics differs a lot from the way i feed any other species, and i might have more ' rules / guidelines' than most people who just go on a steady interval so it is a bit more work, especially if you're not used to this kind of slow feeding and are new to the game... I always feed retics under a year old a meal that is 1,5x the girth of their body.. Then later once they are well established and gained some size, I change their feeding schedule depending on how they behave. It's not as easy to type out as I made this feeding schedule over the years and have adjusted it countless of times based on experiences.. But i will try anyway.
I feed them: 0-6 months once a week.
Then: 6-12 months once every 10 days.
12/15 months and up - once every 14 days if they forage- less if they do not.
After 12/15 months, it all depends on the animal, I slowly increase the time in between their meals all the way into adulthood (6 years+) to a couple of weeks, each of them having their own pace/rhythm. I barely ever weighed anything i feed to them, eyeing it is enough for me, Retics are quite forgiving when it comes to size and a little variance isn't bad. As soon as i see a yearling or older foraging, and it has been long enough since it had eaten last (Whichever minimum they have at that time, animal specific), i will defrost a fitting prey and feed them the day after. (With Foraging i mean Actively hunt around their enclosure for prey, not feeding response once bothered or exploring behaviour, there is quite a difference but it might take a while to see the difference) If i do not catch them foraging, i have a maximum amount of time before i will feed them (18 days for well established yearlings,). If the animal eats at the quickest intervals, they get a prey about the size of their girth, if they forage slower i feed 1,5x or thicker. This way the snake would get whatever way of feeding they preferred. Many of them rather ate rather often as babies, but some ate slowly.. My observing was that mainly animals over the age of 3 picked the wider spacing between meals. I never had a fat or skinny retic. In my personal opinion this is a pretty natural way of feeding, in the wild they go foraging when hungry unless food happens to walk into range They do not eat on a 100% fixed schedule, so i won't feed them on a 100% fixed schedule.. I have a few things i keep in mind with this schedule:
- I always feed at night, on feeding night any foraging behaviours of the ones that did not actively search earlier is ignored for that night (They smell food)
-Males get a bigger maximum amount of time in between feeding, and are fed slightly less in general after reaching 12months.
-In wintertime I let them space the minimum amount of time as well.
-Females i plan to breed get 1,5x sized prey at the quickest interval for a while.
-Fussy eaters i always offer at the minimum amount of time regardless of age until i consider them well established.
I don't have a little booklet to keep track of all these things any-more, as i no longer have 40+ adults.. I keep track of now i when they last ate, and the rest is done on autopilot.

I have been feeding all my retics like this, always had fully grown nice and slim retics. Not fat or thin, but very muscular.

[dave himself]

I was almost the same as Tsubaki when feeding our retic. But have changed a few things to copy it exactly :), as her retic's are in wonderful condition

[Tsubaki]

Thanks for the compliment Dave :) appreciate it!

[dannybgoode]

I have been feeding all my retics like this, always had fully grown nice and slim retics. Not fat or thin, but very muscular

This right here is the key. One of my scrub contacts said exactly the same thing. There's a difference between lean and skinny.

Way too many snakes, particularly the larger ones are way way overfed in captivity.

[EL Ziggy]

@ Tsubaki- Your feeding method is pretty close to how I feel all my critters. :)

[sattva]

Thanks guys! With a special thanks to Tsubaki... I guess I need to back him off to every other week... Will this formula work with Ball pythons also?

[Tsubaki]

No problem. Most snakes can be fed similarly, but I wouldn't copy it one on one without adjusting it per species. I never kept ballpythons besides the odd rescue, but I think they would eat smaller prey a bit more often?

[sattva]

No problem. Most snakes can be fed similarly, but I wouldn't copy it one on one without adjusting it per species. I never kept ballpythons besides the odd rescue, but I think they would eat smaller prey a bit more often?
Thanks again Tsubaki! Atleast now I have an idea of which direction to head... George hasn't missed his weekly meal since I have had him {a little over a year} But he's been looking a little heavy lately so yea! It's time to back him off... Thanks...

[trailblazer295]

Thanks guys! With a special thanks to Tsubaki... I guess I need to back him off to every other week... Will this formula work with Ball pythons also?

How old/big is your BP? Mine is 3 approx 2000g, he eats a small rat biweekly others will feed same size/adult medium rat every 3 weeks. Bi weekly works for me so I've stuck with it.

[sattva]

How old/big is your BP? Mine is 3 approx 2000g, he eats a small rat biweekly others will feed same size/adult medium rat every 3 weeks. Bi weekly works for me so I've stuck with it.
Crystal is 9 months old and Leon is 7 months old... Their up to one rat pup a week each...

[Azrt]

the only type I didnt fee every 7-10 days was when my girl started eating Gpigs and or rabbits. At that point I did every 14-20 days

[dannybgoode]

the only type I didnt fee every 7-10 days was when my girl started eating Gpigs and or rabbits. At that point I did every 14-20 days

I would say for any large adult constricting snake (boas, the larger pythons etc) 7-10 days is way too often. Once on rabbits anything under 3 weeks I'd consider excessive and for some species positively power feeding.

My olive pythons will be on a 4-6 week schedule when fully grown as will my scrubs. All food machines but that doesn't mean they should be fed often.

[EL Ziggy]

I'm very curious to see how the different feeding regiments pan out over the next 5,10 and 15 years. Time will tell. :)

[trailblazer295]

Personally I'll be following Tsubaki schedule for my retic. Seems to work well for various sized giants.

[dannybgoode]

I'm very curious to see how the different feeding regiments pan out over the next 5,10 and 15 years. Time will tell. :)

What regime do you have planned for yours? Mine are being pushed along at the moment and are on weekly feeds and will stay weekly I think for 8-12 months (with the occasional push to 2 weeks) and then they'll gradually spaced out from there.

I don't expect them to be on 4-6 weeks for a few years.

I have found a breeder here in the UK though and this is roughly their recommendation so I'll see how it goes.

Generally I feel captive snakes are overfed and my regimes are on the frugal side. Of course I'll play it a bit by ear and adjust accordingly.

[EL Ziggy]

@ Danny- My snakes usually eat every 5-7 days for the first year, every 7-10 days the 2nd year, and every 10-14 days thereafter depending on the meal size. The Olive and larger carpets will eat every 14 days as adults when they eat rats and every 4 weeks if they eat a rabbit.

[Azrt]

I would say for any large adult constricting snake (boas, the larger pythons etc) 7-10 days is way too often. Once on rabbits anything under 3 weeks I'd consider excessive and for some species positively power feeding.

My olive pythons will be on a 4-6 week schedule when fully grown as will my scrubs. All food machines but that doesn't mean they should be fed often.

worked just fine for me..never had any sick or obese snakes. Will stick with my schedule as i have had it always work great for me

[dannybgoode]

worked just fine for me..never had any sick or obese snakes. Will stick with my schedule as i have had it always work great for me


It may not make them ill its just unnecessary imo. They do just fine on longer feeds as well so why feed more frequently? Genuinely interested if you feel or know of a benefit to feeding more often.

[Azrt]

It may not make them ill its just unnecessary imo. They do just fine on longer feeds as well so why feed more frequently? Genuinely interested if you feel or know of a benefit to feeding more often.



I don't power feed if that's what's your getting at. You feed your way and I'll feed my way. No big deal

[dannybgoode]

I don't power feed if that's what's your getting at. You feed your way and I'll feed my way. No big deal

No that's not what I was getting at all. I'm genuinely interested why you feed so often - if you feel or have research to show that it is necessary.

I'm always open to discussion and debate about all aspects of husbandry and am interested in exploring other people's thinking - especially when it is somewhat different to mine.

[EL Ziggy]

Same here Danny. I probably feed my critters more liberally than some, especially when they're young, but I love hearing how others do things differently. I like comparing the growth rates and the overall health of similar animals that are raised differently.

[Azrt]

I guess when I first got into the hobby would feed neos every 5 days and then I was told 7-10 days was always a good pattern to put them on until they got to much larger prey items. When I got to jumbo rats and bigger it was generally 10-14 days but before then every 7 days. It has to this day worked well. Not obesity or lazy animals etc, and they always seem happy so I just stuck with it

[dannybgoode]

Same here Danny. I probably feed my critters more liberally than some, especially when they're young, but I love hearing how others do things differently. I like comparing the growth rates and the overall health of similar animals that are raised differently.


And we have like species to compare :)

Yours is a little ahead of mine at the moment though. May get the scales out to weigh them. The boy ate last night and the girl use in shed so it'll have to wait a few days.

[dannybgoode]

I guess when I first got into the hobby would feed neos every 5 days and then I was told 7-10 days was always a good pattern to put them on until they got to much larger prey items. When I got to jumbo rats and bigger it was generally 10-14 days but before then every 7 days. It has to this day worked well. Not obesity or lazy animals etc, and they always seem happy so I just stuck with it

My only caution with this is that snakes don't always appear obese. Boas in particular can look and act ok but be storing fat round their vital organs which can shorten their life considerably.

Coupled with the fact that in the wild the large constrictors may only eat a few times a year is why I feed far less frequently. A burm for example will barely get a digestive break so to speak on fortnightly feeds (I posted a paper on a burm's digestion - fascinating stuff - will try and dig it out).

Colubrids are a different kettle of snakes altogether. Their metabolism is much faster and frequent meals are a requisite.

[dannybgoode]

Burm digestion

Digestive physiology of the Burmese python: broad regulation of integrated performance | Journal of Experimental Biology (http://jeb.biologists.org/content/211/24/3767)