What is your IJ eating?

[stkkts]

So my IJ comes tomorrow morning. He is abotu 15 inches long. The breeder said he is currently on f/t large pinkies. There will be 4 snakes in my apt come tomorrow and I am looking at buying Frozen food in bulk. I dont want to go and buy 100 frozen pinkies though if the IJ will only be eating them for another couple of months. Although my roomate has 2 baby Ball pythons with are on fuzzies. If we could get everyone one fuzzies for a little bit, that would work.

Anyway, my question is, how long is the snake on each size meal, and when will he finally reach his final type of meal? I know it depends how often he is fed and whatnot, but im looking for a pretty good guestimate. Like, if he is on large pinkies now, how long before he can move up to a larger mouse, than a larger rat, and a larger rat again, and then his final meal which I suppose will be medium rats, correct?

Thanks in advance.

[Invictus]

There is no reason whatsoever to have a ball python on fuzzies, IMO. They should be started on rats, and kept on rats. If mice, adult mice. BPs are heavy-bodied snakes, and should be given big meals.

As for the 15 inch IJ, pinkies is just insane. It should be feeding on hoppers at LEAST, maybe even small adults. I have an 18 inch Kenyan that gets large adult mice and a NEONATE that eats fuzzies. Have you seen a neonate Kenyan? A BP could pick its teeth with a small Kenyan. So why would you give them the same food?

Kenyans are more heavy-bodied than IJs, but the point is still the same. The prey should leave a significant lump in the belly of the snake. If it doesn't, you are underfeeding it.

[stkkts]

well, the ball pythons are only about 12 -14 inches themselves. but i guess the IJ should probably be on small mice, or fuzzy rats. But im still interested to know how long till he is on his final size meal.

[lordkovacs]

at 12 - 14" your IJ could probably take down a rat fuzzy. do try and get him on rats asap rather then mice. they have better nutritional value, and also, when they are older they cost much less then feeding 4 mice or something. how much bulk do you want to buy? with them growing so fast I wouldn't expect them to be on one food item in their first year of growing much longer then 2-3 months. I personally only go bulk (100 feeders +) when they reach sub adult size and on on their biggest prey(so 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 years old). Perhaps others can shed better light. good luck.
MIKE

[Jeff_Favelle]

Baby Carpets START their eating on mice hoppers/rat fuzzies.

Ball Pythons START their feeding on small adult mice/large rat fuzzies.

[Invictus]

Amen, Jeff.

[Zoe]

at 12 - 14" your IJ could probably take down a rat fuzzy IJs usually hatch longer than 14" (more like 16+), but yeah at that size they can easily take rat fuzzies, but I started mine on rat pinks.

Zoe

[BOAS_N_PYTHONS]

STKKTS:

I agree with everyone here with larger food. My Irian was eating 5 large adult mice frozen thawed, it never had a taste for rats. Was eating this amount every week and at 4 feet in lenght that was good. He would easily eat more but 5 was good as well.

Cya...

Tony

[Zoe]

The breeder said he is currently on f/t large pinkies. Perhaps the breeder meant pinky RATS? Which would make sense!
Zoe

[lordkovacs]

yeah, i was thinking the same thing as zoe... they could have meant pinky rats...

[liquid_mage]

Originally posted by Zoe
Perhaps the breeder meant pinky RATS? Which would make sense!
Zoe

I doubt it. When I bought my baby IJ it was very skinny and the breeder was feeding it pinky mice. I think it was to keep them small and cute so people would buy them. It was 6 months old and not even 20 inches and very skinny.

It is possible they meant pinky rats but I really doubt it.

[JKUROSKI]

I think that a hopper mouse for a newborn is a bit too much, and that you may have problems with regurgitation. I speak from experience on this one. After a few meals they can be taken, but fuzzies are what you should start carpets out on in my opinion.

I started my balls out on fuzzy mice as well. The problem is different people classify the status of a rodent at different sizes. There should be a weight standard put out to correct this.

[Zoe]

JK, my babies ate hopper mice for their first meal (not by choice - my pinky decided to become unreliable) with no problems. Not saying that it's better to start with hoppers, I'm just sayin :)

Zoe