BCI Feeding Question?

[Crotalus13]

How do i go about getting my new BCI to eat f/t rats, i bought him 3 days ago and he is around 6' and weighs close to 30 lbs. i definetly say hes not underfed, but he has been eating live food all his life i beleave, thanks any help appreciated! of course i won't be trying to feed him just yet, he has RI from the previous owners not keeping him warm enough, any tips or tricks to help him get over this?, i have removed his water dish from the cage, and am keeping the temps in the high 80's-90, i 'm only keeping his water out for a few days then i will give it back just hoping his sinuses will dry some, if this dos'nt clear any in a week i have a appointment with a vet who knows snakes, thanks for any advice:)--Jeff

[reverendsterlin]

often they can surprise you, warm it and toss it in front of him and many times they will munch down like it has always been that way.

[Invictus]

Leave it in the cage overnight. I bet you'll see it disappears.

If its a 6' BCI though, I hope it's a gargantuan rat... my 6' BCI gets 2 lb rabbits, and could easily take bigger than that.

[Crotalus13]

ok cool, thanks for the advice guys, i'll try that after i get my feeders(gonna order 30 jumbo rats from rodentpro), actualy i was looking at him today and he may be more close to 7', i'll try to get an accurate measureing, any advice on the RI? i'm also gonna find the cable to my digicam so i can snap some pics, btw very cool forum :)--Jeff

[Invictus]

As for the RI, take it to a vet.

[Linds]

I'm gonna have to agree with the above statements. Try just leaving it overnight, in the dark. I have a WC adult BCC that will only take them like this, as well as a female that had been previously fed live (she was 7 years old when I aquired her).
If leaving it overnight doesn't work, you can try the usual progression on live -> stunned -> jiggling around like live. Night offerings are usually the best times, but early mornings may also work well.
As for the RI... your temps are good but make sure he has constant access to water. A sick snake needs to be well-hydrated at all times if he has a fighting chance. You will most likely need to administer antibiotics of some sort, make sure the vet does a culture to see exactly what kind of bacteria you are dealing with.

[reverendsterlin]

go to feed and ranch/farm stores and they usually have a rabbit connection $1-$1.50 a lb is decent price.

[C.m.pyrrhus]

Personally I do not see why a 6 foot boa should eat rabbits. I have 6 footers that take 2 med/ large rats every 10-14 days...7 1/2 footer that takes one jumbo every 10-14 days. That is plenty of enough food. Unless your feeding less frequently, I do not see the need for big meals. Plus the smaller meals are digested and used far better.

[Invictus]

I have a 4 foot boa that takes 2 medium rats in a feeding. You are underfeeding your snakes in my opinion. Nature designed them to be able to digest huge meals, so you're fooling yourself if you think you're doing them a favor by giving them something that is "easy to digest". Easy to digest just means they are hungrier sooner. 2 medium rats is a meal suitable for a large rat snake, not a large boa.

[reverendsterlin]

mine I try to get a 6-11 lb rabbits for, they usually eat about 8-12 times a year

[Invictus]

Holy crap, man... I wouldn't even try a 6 lb rabbit with my 6 footer. But I guess your input still proves my point nonetheless... BIG MEALS! :D

[hip]

In all actuality your point is not proven! You have as of yet told us what your interval between feedings is. In retrospect there is quite a size differental between Rev's Argies and a 6 foot Boa.What I did notice was the infrequency of the feeding schedule that the Rev is using. I do agree that Boa's can and will consume huge meals( good feeding habits are one of the reasons they are so popular in the pet trade) But if we do a little bit on evolution and the specific niche boa's fill in there home range, the issue becomes more clear.


Boa's have evolved as ambush predators so feedings are based on presented opportunity thusly the ability to digest huge meals is well documented. Being an ambush predator also means fewer meals at larger intervals then seen in most captive Boa's. Looking to the wild Boa Constrictor as a guide we find that the overall average length and girdth to be less than seen in captive Boa's (yes there are large ones but not found as frequently)Comparing a rat snake to a boa is not very accurate I think defication rate differences will show that rat snakes process prey at a much faster rate than Boa's (let alone differences in hunting styles between the two) active hunter versus ambush hunter.

Over fed Boa's suffer from fatty deposits around the kidneys and the liver, not to mention very high nitrogen levels(kidney stress) Boa's are fluid conservation masters and due to this adaptive trait not enough fluid is excreted to reduce the high nitrogen levels. All and all this can lead to a reduced life span for captive Boa's I would rather see a solid muscular boa than a spare tire that is listless. Look at it this way they were here a long time before we were and did just fine with what they had (and still do in some selected areas that humans have yet to pillage)





Hip

[Invictus]

My boa is slender and extremely muscular, Hip. So no worries there.

I feed my boas huge meals every 2 weeks. I've talked to vets, breeders, and enthusiasts, and have been around boas my whole life, and I've had great success with this feeding schedule. My point about the ratsnakes had nothing to do with digestion, but rather prey size. If 2 medium rats is suitable for a skinny little colubrid, it's completely ridiculous and bordering on cruel in my personal opinion to feed a similar meal to a heavy-bodied boa. I have done my research on how they live in the wild, and I agree that in those conditions, they may only eat half a dozen times a year, but when they do, they make it count. :) This is why I feel that even in captivity, giving them a colubrid sized meal, even if given more frequently, is just plain wrong.

[hip]

Thanks for the clarifacation on the schedule. In retrospect we all do things different and so what ever works for each of us is fine I have been getting excellent results with the methods I use and have been using for the almost the past 20 years (wow I am old after all) yup got my first common when I was 15 way before they were as popular today. Hey whatever floats your boat time is the only true test of methods. Well back to work (have to make money for snakes)



Hip