corn,food to small?

[bob_thesnowman]

hey i have a 3 and ahalf-to 4 foot corn,and i've been feeding it 3 pinky rats every time i feed it(usually every 4-5 days)this is my first snake(many lizards,but the first snake :))i was just wondering if anyone thinks i should step up to either fuzzy rats or adult mice?or any prey that's larger then the pinky rats,or if i should leave it as it is...?what does everyone else feed their corns and how big are they?thanks for any help,it's greatly appreciated!

[Big Mike]

I feed my corn hopper mice. On average, the mice are about 1.5 times a big around as the fattest part of the snake. I feed every 10-14 days.

I have read that it's better to feed one bigger prey item than a few smaller ones. Plus, older rodents are supposed to be healthier than younger ones. If your corn is eating 3 pinky rats, I'm sure it could eat something bigger. A good rule to go by it to feed a prey item that is as fat as the fattest part of the snake.

[Tim_Cranwill]

My 3.5 - 4ft corns are on adult mice and have been for the past two or three months. I feed them one every 5 - 7 days depending on their sex and activity...

[sapphire_moon]

What does their sex have to do with feeding?
We just upped our 1month 2 wk corn to fuzzy mice...but was feeding 2 pinks per feeding.....

[Tim_Cranwill]

I just tend to feed my females a little more heavily. Their size matters more when it comes to the end of the season than the males. There's no sense having a big fat male and a female that's too small to breed...

[GTPman4]

Mine is 5ft. and eats a small rat once every 10- 14 days.

[sapphire_moon]

oh I see now....thanks for clarifieing it.........:)

[Invictus]

Pinkies, even pinky rats, do not have anywhere near as much calcium as your corn needs, as their bones are still pretty much all cartilage. Go to fuzzy rats, or adult mice.

[reverendsterlin]

yeah, my babies from July 1st are all eating hoppers now on a 7 day schedule. Large adult mice maybe even two on occassion seems more correct to me for that size.

[jay76]

Ditto Tim & Invictus. I feed 3-4 footers adult mice no sweat, don't be worried if you see a bulge. They can handle it.