Today was Feeding Day...

[exwizard]

... and now I have a few more mouths to feed. First off, it looks like Mick is beginning to switch to rats.. *fingers crossed* He took a rat pup, killed it and it it out while he did so but eventually did manage to eat it.

It looks like the rat shortage continues because I was not able to get any jumbos, either XL or XXL. I did manage to get one retired breeder who happened to be a XL though. Before I realized what size she was I was going to give it toJane but because it was too big for her, I tried to give it to Popeye. All he did was strike at the rat to get it away. Then while I was attempting to retrieve it, Popeye tagged my hand causing it to bleed a lot. Oh well. I got that rat out and tried it on Betty but she refused as well so Arwen got it. As it turns out I had a few extra mediums so I was able to feed them off to the Dums who were scheduled to eat L and XL. As it was, Only Betty and Popeye did not eat. I will try again next week.

On another front, I attempted to feed Poseidon, the male baby Burm, a hopper mouse earlier in the afternoon but he was too quick for me and is now a fugitive, Then later on, I tried again with another hopper mousae and he too became a fugituive so I tossed in a rat pinkie/fuzzy and he took that.

Also, Sheila, my female IJ, got a small rat this time instead of a weaner and she had no problems taking it, so that will be permanent. Im also thinking about upsizing the prey items for the little Macks to full size rat pups. Them being Macklot's, it shouldn't be a problem.

I have done this thread in other forums and I thought it would be fun to do here. I'm interested to see other people's stories about what happened during feeding time so feel free.

[ZStone]

Ha yeah I had an escapee not to long ago I seen him about a week later fat as can be I only wonder what of mine had it been eating

[exwizard]

Needless to say, I won't be feeding him hopper mice anymore, especially if he takes pinkie/fuzzy rats. This is only his third ever meal and he's only going to get bigger.

[stephanbakir]

I'd try to stay away from live, for way too many reasons to list. Because hes a burm, try and stay away from mice, stick with rabbits and rats.

[exwizard]

I'd try to stay away from live, for way too many reasons to list. Because hes a burm, try and stay away from mice, stick with rabbits and rats.He is a 6 week old hatchling. His first 2 meals before I got him were mice and thats why I tried mice again but if he took that rat pinkie/fuzzy, I will keep him on rats.

[Rogue628]

He's a pretty boy. Not trying to spoil your thread theme, but seriously take the rat advice. Like most animals, sometimes switching isn't easy, even for a burm. I have one that's a garbage disposal and another that's so finicky I think she's a ball python. She refused to switch from mice to rats and it literally took me months and thinking outside the box to switch her. I hope I don't have the same issue switching her to rabbits. I'd hate to see anyone have to go through what I had to go through with her. Burms need more nutrition than what mice provide anyway. He'll be a healthier and happier burm when you make the switch :)

I'll be feeding this weekend so I should have a good story or two about feeding day. Nom Nom is always fun to feed and sweet Allie (picky burm) doesn't have much of a feed mode, although she just shed so I'm hoping for a better feed mode since I've waited to feed until she shed. :D

[exwizard]

... and now I have a few more mouths to feed. First off, it looks like Mick is beginning to switch to rats.. *fingers crossed* He took a rat pup, killed it and it it out while he did so but eventually did manage to eat it.

It looks like the rat shortage continues because I was not able to get any jumbos, either XL or XXL. I did manage to get one retired breeder who happened to be a XL though. Before I realized what size she was I was going to give it toJane but because it was too big for her, I tried to give it to Popeye. All he did was strike at the rat to get it away. Then while I was attempting to retrieve it, Popeye tagged my hand causing it to bleed a lot. Oh well. I got that rat out and tried it on Betty but she refused as well so Arwen got it. As it turns out I had a few extra mediums so I was able to feed them off to the Dums who were scheduled to eat L and XL. As it was, Only Betty and Popeye did not eat. I will try again next week.

On another front, I attempted to feed Poseidon, the male baby Burm, a hopper mouse earlier in the afternoon but he was too quick for me and is now a fugitive, Then later on, I tried again with another hopper mousae and he too became a fugituive so I tossed in a rat pinkie/fuzzy and he took that.

Also, Sheila, my female IJ, got a small rat this time instead of a weaner and she had no problems taking it, so that will be permanent. Im also thinking about upsizing the prey items for the little Macks to full size rat pups. Them being Macklot's, it shouldn't be a problem.

I have done this thread in other forums and I thought it would be fun to do here. I'm interested to see other people's stories about what happened during feeding time so feel free.

Needless to say, I won't be feeding him hopper mice anymore, especially if he takes pinkie/fuzzy rats. This is only his third ever meal and he's only going to get bigger.

He is a 6 week old hatchling. His first 2 meals before I got him were mice and thats why I tried mice again but if he took that rat pinkie/fuzzy, I will keep him on rats.

This was my plan all along. :)

[Snakefood]

was feeding day yesterday here, obviously all my corns snarfed down thier mice!!, my 2 yr old BP inhaled his rat (when I'm finished this order, I'm upping his prey size) and my beauty baby Spider ball FINALLY took her first rat!!! (I'm so happy she's off mice now!!)

then next week I think I will have my other baby ball paid off and home (def by months end) and then I'll have to try to switch her over to rats once she's all settled in!!

[exwizard]

....I'll be feeding this weekend so I should have a good story or two about feeding day. Nom Nom is always fun to feed and sweet Allie (picky burm) doesn't have much of a feed mode, although she just shed so I'm hoping for a better feed mode since I've waited to feed until she shed. :DI'm really looking forward to hearing about this.

[exwizard]

was feeding day yesterday here, obviously all my corns snarfed down thier mice!!, my 2 yr old BP inhaled his rat (when I'm finished this order, I'm upping his prey size) and my beauty baby Spider ball FINALLY took her first rat!!! (I'm so happy she's off mice now!!)

then next week I think I will have my other baby ball paid off and home (def by months end) and then I'll have to try to switch her over to rats once she's all settled in!!Thats awesome! I love when feeding days turn out like this.

[rmfsnakes32]

My new little boa we named her Joker haha! Ate a rat pup with no problem she still looks fat and sassy today lol! I am still struggling to get Athena to eat! My two new baby corns that I got over the weekend all also ate! Tiny my baby burm ended up with a hopper mouse since that was all that was available but order for next week is in he will get a rat pinky/fuzzy he has a very strong feed drive so I do not see that as being an issue

[exwizard]

My new little boa we named her Joker haha! Ate a rat pup with no problem she still looks fat and sassy today lol! I am still struggling to get Athena to eat! My two new baby corns that I got over the weekend all also ate! Tiny my baby burm ended up with a hopper mouse since that was all that was available but order for next week is in he will get a rat pinky/fuzzy he has a very strong feed drive so I do not see that as being an issue

You know that'll happen. I will make sure of it.

[Rogue628]

I'm really looking forward to hearing about this.


As promised, I fed yesterday. Half of it was a rush job since I had to go to work and had some personal crap come up.

Everyone ate! The down side is Nom Nom (king) regurged. I'll take the blame as I gave her a mouse that was slightly too large and it was the smallest one the store had...and no rat pups. I was hoping she'd be ok with it, but apparently not :(

Most everyone ate with gusto. One of the dumerils even tried to tag me because I wasn't fast enough. My big girls ate the last of my f/t jumbos and large rats. Except for my sweet Allie. She only ate one jumbo. Her feed mode was a little better, but still nothing like my other girls. She wouldn't take her food off of tongs, as per usual. But she did wrap it this time. She refused the large I tried to give her, but she wanted out to explore more than she wanted to eat. :rolleyes: So Baby Girl (the other burm), being the food disposal she is, ate it...at least it didn't go to waste lol.

Everyone seems to be happy and content, except for Nom Nom. She's still looking for food, but since she regurged, it'll be a while before I'll attempt again to give her system time to settle down.

The OKC reptile expo is next weekend. I'm hoping to pick up a decent supply of feeders, bonus if I can find rabbits :D I'm pretty excited to be going to one as I've never been. I don't plan on getting anything other than feeders....keep your fingers crossed there's still some left since I can only go Sunday since me and the boyfriend cannot get out of working Saturday. If anything, I should be able to find a closer source of food for my girls.

[exwizard]

Sorry about that regurge. I hate when that happens. Your decision to wait until next time was a good one. Its always fun reading about the Burm feed drive as it gives me something to look forward to when mine get bigger. :)

You will love that reptile show. I know I enjoy it every time I go but keep this in mind. Both last week in Omaha and this week in Tinley Park (Chicago), I had planned on getting nothing and I walked away from both of them with 2 Mexican Blacks, 1 Brazilian and 3 Dums. So much for self control ;)

[Rogue628]

The burms are my favorites of my big girls to feed, then my carpet. Baby Girl (burm) and Halo (carpet) hit like a mack truck. Allie is just really mellow. Nom Nom (king) chases her food and tortures it. lol

Congrats on the new pick ups! :D I have to have some self control as I'm trying to move again and only have so much marked for feeders.

One thing I noticed today after feeding yesterday is the medium rats I'm feeding my royals and my BCI aren't leaving the food bumps like they used to so I'll be upping their food size soon. It seems like my babies are growing up so fast!

[exwizard]

...and one by one everyone in my room ate that was scheduled to eat this week. Most ate right out of my hand. This was one of the smoothest feedings I have had in a long time; no refusals, no nothing other than their eager anticipation of the meals that were coming their way.

Big Mama had to be force fed, however. We used a pup for this purpose but it's better than nothing which was what she had for the last 6 months.

This was the short week so none of the Dums ate this week plus the rodent bill was even lighter due to the fact that a retired breeder that I took home with me a few weeks ago gave birth to a litter of 6 shortly afterward. I fed off the mama rat today along with her 5 remaining pups. Rmf can fill you in on the rest after she feeds the snakes at her place. Any extras will come back here. I'm sure I can find a Dum or two that are more than willing to eat tomorrow even though this is their off week.

Also, I forgot to mention Jane. I've been trying to cut her back to every other week but last week, unprovoked and out of the blue, she proceeded to grab ahold of my elbow and wrapped herself around my arm in total feed mode. It wasnt feeding day but she was hungry. Needless to say, that's not going to happen again. She is a Mack and as a Mack, she has a ferocious appetite and Im thinking I need to feed her every week to prevent that sort of thing from happening again, so yeah, she got fed an XL today and will continue to get fed every week.

[Snakefood]

Nice!! I got bit today too!! My little spider ball is going into blue and she missed her prey and got my finger!! then refused to eat, so I bled for no reason at all (LMAO!!)

everyone else ate nicely, except Sol, my newest corn, who has not been home long enough to attempt a feed (I wait a week) so he'll have to wait for next weeks feeding.

next weeks feeding will happen just in time so everyone has finished digesting before being packed up to go to show, so no nasty regurges will happen at the expo!! (have seen that at the last 2 shows, YUCK!)

[exwizard]

Nice!! I got bit today too!! My little spider ball is going into blue and she missed her prey and got my finger!! then refused to eat, so I bled for no reason at all (LMAO!!)...I hate when that happens.

...everyone else ate nicely, except Sol, my newest corn, who has not been home long enough to attempt a feed (I wait a week) so he'll have to wait for next weeks feeding...Its so much nicer when they all eat like theyre supposed to.



...next weeks feeding will happen just in time so everyone has finished digesting before being packed up to go to show, so no nasty regurges will happen at the expo!! (have seen that at the last 2 shows, YUCK!)Yeah regurges are nasty, especially if they havent been caught for a few days. Its good that the timing of this show ensures there will be none this time.

[rmfsnakes32]

So all my corns ate, my new columbian rainbow boa ate a rat fuzzy tiny isnt sure what to think of the rat fuzzy he keeps sniffing it and pushing it with his nose! Athena my little nic is on her 6th week of refusing food, Ramone exwizards brb is so deep in blue he wanted nothing to do with the rat! Joker my new boa didnt eat this week either she is deep in blue too! My long tail boa and red tail both took their mediums cinnamon hit that rat so hard out of my hand that part of the tail was left dangling in my fingers gross! Yet kinda cool at the same time ( I know Im morbid) lol

[Rogue628]

Lol. I think its cool when my carpet does that. She eats one jumbo rat off tongs. No way would I attempt to feed her by hand. Half the time I'm left with its tail in the tongs. That's a hard strike! :shocked:

[Snakefood]

I only hate it when they grab and pull so hard that your left with the skin of the tail in your fingers!! Like an empty skin tube BLEH!!

[Rogue628]

lol That's why I feed with tongs. Halo leaves the whole tail, not just the skin...and you can see the cartilage/bone on the tail that goes into the body.

[exwizard]

wow thats a hard hit

[Rogue628]

She always hits her food like a mack truck. I'll try to remember to start making a video of me feeding her until I can catch her doing it again. Or at least a pic of the tail in the tongs. She hasn't done it in the last few feedings, but when she does, I think it's amazing :D