View Full Version : Making My Cornsnake Bigger
Hello i have a quick questions if i wanted to make my corn snake grow quicker could i just feed her more? or more often i think I have seen that around here on this forum or another not specifically with corns but with snakes in general any input is appreciated thanks!!!
and if it is true i would like to start doign this how often would i feed her and how much?
it is very unhealthy to feed a snake more than it eats or more often just to make it big. He will grow just fine. You should feed him a prey the girth of his body every 7-10 days. Im sorry but if you wanted a bigger snake you should have bought an adult or maybe a different breed. If you over feed to get big it will have health problems and eventually become obese.
why do you want it grow quicker?
EL Ziggy
06-19-17, 02:46 PM
You really don't want to power feed your snake. They may grow faster but it could cause health issues and even shorten their lifespan. I feed young colubrids 10-15% of their body weight every 5-7 days for the first year, every 7-10 days the 2nd year, and every 10-14 days thereafter. Another method is to feed a prey item no more than 1.5x the widest part of the snakes body using the same feeding frequency.
Scubadiver59
06-19-17, 02:50 PM
You really don't want to power feed your snake. They may grow faster but it could cause health issues and even shorten their lifespan. I feed young colubrids 10-15% of their body weight every 5-7 days for the first year, every 7-10 days the 2nd year, and every 10-14 days thereafter. Another method is to feed a prey item no more than 1.5x the widest part of the snakes body on the same frequency schedule.
^^^^^^ That!
My corn is still pen thin (thicker than a pencil now) after four months, but she's gaining a bit of length...little by little. I've been feeding ever week since then and she is a bit slow in growth, especially compared to my juvenile King, but she is growing.
SerpentineDream
06-19-17, 05:14 PM
Patience, grasshopper. :)
It will take your corn about 3 years to reach maturity. Don't try to rush her by power feeding. That is not in the snake's best interest.
It's worth noting that female corn snakes have somewhat faster metabolisms than males (I learned this from Don Soderberg, the corn snake king). I feed babies and females every 7 days and males over 2 years every 10 to 14 days. Once a week is fine for your corn.
Don't try stuffing her with huge prey items. It can lead to regurgitation, which is BAD for snakes. Prey should leave a slight but visible lump that is gone in 24 hours.
You'll probably notice that she grows faster once she moves beyond the pinky stage. Pinkies are pretty much little skin bags filled with milk (which snakes can't digest), fat and guts. They are lacking in some of the nutrients such as calcium and protein found in larger mice that have more bone and muscle mass.
There's a reason babies are cheaper than adult snakes. It takes time, patience and lots of mice to grow them up.
lol there was an overwhelming response from you guys on this subject do not worry i will never do anything that would harm my snake im way too afraid to harm her and i always research everything before doing hence why i made this post so as all of you have said i will not "power feed" my corn snake i had no idea it could shorten her life span thank you all for the warning! sorry that i keep asking silly questions like this lol im just so new!!!
EL Ziggy
06-19-17, 09:18 PM
We're here for you Justin ;). A lot of us can relate to wanting our snakes to grow up fast, but slow and steady really does win this race. You've got potentially 20+ years to watch this critter mature so relax and enjoy the show. They actually grow faster than you might think. In two years it'll be a totally different animal :).
SerpentineDream
06-19-17, 11:06 PM
It's hard to wait sometimes... especially when you want to breed a snake but it's still at the noodle stage and a good 3 years from breeding size. Some breeders do power feed their snakes to get them up to size faster, without regard for the snake's welfare. I refuse to power feed and thus have learned to appreciate watching them grow up.
There's a lot to enjoy about young snakes. They're super cute as babies (puppies have nothing on baby snakes IMO, though kittens still win). You get to watch their colors intensify as they mature and lose the last vestiges of their baby coloring. You get the pride of knowing you raised that youngster to adulthood and did so the right way. It's worth it! Take pictures. One day you won't believe that nice big adult was ever such a tiny, adorable little noodle.
FYI They do have growth spurts... :eek:
Thank you guys! its funny you called her a noodle SerpentineDream as that is her name lol my daughter calls her oodle lol its the cutest so another question
in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW-TeQz2NcE
the girl fed her 2 pinkies? i know how often but how do i know shes had enough to eat? like to i just keep feeding her until shes like no thanks or do i only feed her 1 pinky?
EL Ziggy
06-20-17, 10:47 AM
With hatchlings I usually feed 2-3 meals of just one pinky, then 2-3 feedings of 2 pinkys, after that I move them up to fuzzys.
SerpentineDream
06-20-17, 12:20 PM
I can't claim credit for "noodle." It's a common term of endearment for baby snakes. So is "worm" and "little rodent killer." :D
be patient :)
snakes start slow generally, but at one point they start to grow really fast, even when fed normally...
This is the weight of one of my younger snakes (L. triangulum sp) over the last months..
Jan-03: 45 gram
Feb-02: 60 gram
Mar-25: 87 gram
Jun-20: 126 gram
You see, 6 months, almost triple weight under normal feeding conditions. Even skipped a few meals early on since they are normally hibernating in this period...
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