Question about Feeding Boxes

[J.J.]

I just started feeding 2 of my snakes by putting them in a box with the fuzzie and letting them sit for about 10-15 minutes. So far so good, now I dont have to worry about getting bitten by my evil feeding boa! LoL. Well, Just wanted to make sure that this is ok and stuff...lol. Also, any tips or anything would be helpful! :D Thanx!

[andrea]

that is a very good idea. a lot of people get a small tank or even a rubbermaid for feeding times. it also helps keep them from getting their substrate in their mouth with the prey if you dont want to put something else down in their tank. and they dont associate your hand for food every time you open their home. lol.

[paul_le_snake]

once they've finished eating, put the container back into the tank with the lid off, they'll go their own merry way soon enough.

[Big Mike]

I use Rubbermaid boxes or ice cream pails and put snake & f/t mouse into the container and then put the container into the snake's enclosure. When they are done eating I just open the container and let them come out on their own.

[Pixie]

I've always fed in a separate container or place for my snakes. Depending on size, it ranges from deli cups, kritter keepers and the bathtub (for my balls). I've never been bitten so far, knock on wood! I also wash my hands constantly with sunlight dish soap hoping that my snakes associate the lemon sent as NOT being food! Works for me :)

[J.J.]

lol! Yeah, I started this cuz i do not want to get bitten! lol, oh Pixie, i do the same~ (washing hands) Well thanx people for the tips and stuff!!

[Them and Us]

my grey rat refuses to eat anywhere but his home. my BCI will eat anywhere as long as he isn't watched so i fed him outside of his enclosure

[zouleous]

I always use my old printer box that's folded up. I unfold it and put a piece of newspaper on the bottom so he doesn't get his scales stuck on the cardboard edges. Then I use regular kitchen tongs and hold the rodent by the tail slowing moving it in front of the snake til he hits it and then I let go when he goes to constrict. Works very well.

Z

[Linds]

I used to feed all my animals in separate enclosures. This however becomes a great inconvenience as the collection size grows and just is too time consuming. I now believe it causes unecessary stress on the animals to be moved around for feeding. I have not noticed any behavioural differences between snakes fed in their enclosures or in seperate containers. I have not noticed either having any effect on nippy or agressive snakes either. However one of my rosy's is jsut stubborn and will only eat if he is in his little cell phone box :rolleyes:

[Lisa]

Like linds we used to take our snakes out for feeding, now we only take out the ones that share a tank.

[J.J.]

Alright, Well the reason I put them in feeding boxes is because it reduces the risk of the snake mistaking your hand as it's food. I will probably just keep using the feed boxes because so far, it has worked really well and my snakes dont seem to mind being moved into them when being fed. Thanx again everyone! :D

[marisa]

Have never understood the whole reasoning that leads people to think that the snake will start thinking your hand is food.

For one if you change water often, clean often and hold often, why would one, out of say 7 cage openings per week, opening for feeding make the snake believe every single time it will be fed from then on? That just doesn't make sense to me. If you are doing the proper cleaning and watering that is.

And another thing is that I believe instead of the snake "being aggresive" when fed in cage, I would think that the snake calms a bit because it is handled during each fed. Instead of being fed in cage, and maybe hardly ever handled. It is getting regular, although short handling periods just by feeding when you remove it and put it back home. One would tend to think that would affect its behaviour, instead of thinking it will associate that one cage opening out of 7 with food.

Just my thoughts. I fed in cage.
Marisa

[J.J.]

Well, when you have your hands around the tongs which is holding the mouse and you also have your head hanging over the snakes cage so you can see what you are doing, the snake can get destracted by you moving and by your heat. This may then trigger the snake into thinking your hand is the food, even though there is its real food in front of it. Also, the only time you handle the snake with a feeding box is when you put the snake IN the box. When the snake is finished, you put the box in the cage and open it letting the snake crawl out on it's own, or some people may just have the box/bag in the cage the whole time, then check if it's finished, if it is, just open the box/bag and the snake will crawl out. Another thing is, if the snake is destracted by your hand every single time you feed it, it is going to think that your hand=food. So everytime you stick you hand in or around the cage it's going to think, Oo, feeding time. That is why feeding boxes can be a good way to feed a snake. 1. It's not being destracted by you or your hands. 2. It has it's privacy to eat. 3. You barely come in contact with the snake except when putting it in the box/bag. Like I said b4, this can reduce your risk of being bitten. Also, it may make a snake calmer during feeding because it's alone with not destractions and it doesn't think you're food.
I don't want this to offend anyone, but these are just my beliefs.

[marisa]

But none of that still adds up in my opinion about the snake wanting to bite your hand.

If you are feeding with tongs, why would your hand be anywhere near the snake anyways? I fed in cage and I have yet to be bitten during a feeding. And as for distractions I don't really understand that either having anything to do with it being in cage as a snake can just as easily be distracte d being moved and placed in a box. When my snakes smell food, nothing distracts them. I could blow a whistle and dance and they wouldn't look up. And I am not really a prey item to a 1 pound snake if you know what I mean. :)

Not to mention I can't really fed a 50 inch snake in a bag or box and then *also* fit that bag or box back into the enclosure. I guess with little babies or smaller colubrids but this wouldn't work at all for my larger ones. Which means I would have to handle again to remove the snake, after it eats, and in my mind that would be the number one time to get bitten during a feeding aside from obvious mistakes.

I just wanted to share that I have never had a problem feeding in cage, and I didn't understand the logic about the feeding box. I still don't, so its in cage for me. IMHO :) :)

marisa

[Them and Us]

preference.

[condro python]

snakes are routine animals if you fallow a routine every morning such as un cover,turn day lights on remove defecation an spray every day it gets used to that it has ben said that retics are so much like that that they can spot a neu comer to the routine right away so one day the snake is hungry and you dont entend to feed it until later that day it may think that your hand is geting ready to routinely feed it and strike....BUT if your routine consits of moving the snake before feeding no mater how hungry it gets it still knows that acording to the routine it must be moved befor feeding but you can only raise snakes like that from babys dont try doing that to a wc adult.

anyway that's my theory on that.

Chondro python

[jwsporty]

In my somewhat limited experience to date with snakes, I have noticed that if my snakes are going to try and bite you it is after they have eaten their food. NOT before. I used to setup a feeding tank, under the same impression that there should be a feeding area and a living area. But then you have to move them back to their living area. It is when you try to move them back to the living area, is when they get excited. The three that I have limited experience with, all have shown this trait right after the first pinkie is in the belly.

It stands to reason that after a big meal, they will be a little pissy and not want to be handled. For this reason, I have simply laid out a sheet of paper towel in the bottom of the cage (to help keep the substrate out of their mouths and then put their food on a plate (one plate per snake, not shared ). Remove when they are done and there is no stress. As a matter of fact, I find that 1/2 hour after feeding, all my babies seem to love having their lower jaw petted...no aggression, no biting attempts, no fleeting action. I discovered this approach while surfing and this is the way I will keep doing it from now on.

I can see the point of a feeding box if you have a shy baby, but I am lucky and I don't see this trait in anyone of my girls. I enjoy watching them feed particularly the Desert. She just hasn't figured it out , that they go down easier, head end first. NO she will always take it butt end first. Funny watching her go through the motions of cramming her food..:) Even when the food is presented to her by dangling it head down, she will grab it then release it, swing it into "position" and then start cramming. Go figure

I also take the approach of washing my hands between ANY and ALL snake and snake food handlings, it's just common sense. I am also going to adopt the approach of just leaving them alone for two days after feeding before handling them. Give their food time to digest (Again what I have read...opinions on this issue would be interesting..what do others do). I know that this is particularly important with the big snakes but how about the Kings,corns and milks?

There ya go...my "qualified opinion":D

Best to ya

Jim

0.0.1 Desert King
0.1.0 Albino striped Cal King
0.0.1 Variable King
1.0.0 Pueblan Milk

[marisa]

I would definitly continue with your practice of letting them relax for a couple days after a meal. Not all snakes will have problems if you move them or hold them the next day after food, but they certainly can and its just a good idea to let them relax....:)

marisa