Feed in or out of enclosure?

CDN-Cresties · 10-27-04, 12:02 AM

Im just curious to your thoughts on this question, should snakes be fed inside their enclosure or in a completely different "feeding" enclosure and why? Thanks, my apologies if I'm beating a dead horse which I bet I am.

Ptindy · 10-27-04, 12:10 AM

Out as they won't associate you opening the enclosure for food ever. But I can understand why some people do it inside, if I had over 10 or 20 snakes I would do inside as well. But I have 4 so it doesn't hurt to pull them out, stick em in a box and feed em in there. Then I don't have to worry about them eating substrate. I don't want to be poking them with feeding tongs to get substrate outta their mouth. Just my opinion.

Mike

HeRpZ03 · 10-27-04, 12:12 AM

Well it's all pretty much preference. The reason behind feeding in a separate enclosure is to minimize the association with the handler as the food, or bringer of food. Personally, i don't feed my snakes in separate enclosures, never have, but thats just me

CDN-Cresties · 10-27-04, 12:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ptindy
Out as they won't associate you opening the enclosure for food ever.

I don't buy that reason for second, I could only see that happening if the only time you opened the enclosure was to feed.

Tim_Cranwill · 10-27-04, 12:14 AM

In.... always have.

Will · 10-27-04, 12:31 AM

I don't buy that either.

I feed 'IN' simply because it would take WAY too much time if I had to move everyone to a seperate enclosure and feed them there, not to mention I'd need a whole lot more cages too...

I have two dozen milks and kings, and if anyone were apt to get into a 'feeding frenzy' and snap at you it'd be these guys. As it is, that has not happened once. *knock on wood*

If you are worried about ingesting substrate or whatnot, that I could go with...

Ptindy · 10-27-04, 12:51 AM

Yea the substrate worries me more. I always stick my hand in their feeding boxes and never been struck so maybe the association with feeding that you guys don't but is false.

munchy · 10-27-04, 01:42 AM

i used to feed in a separate rubbermaid but that was a colossal pain. my kings would always defecate and musk in there and id have to clean it after each king and when id try to take them out theyd go buckwild and try to kill me. the BPs seemed to have a tendency to sketch out and refuse meals sometimes. just an unnecessary pain.

i use care-fresh and aspen pellet (sometimes a mixture of both)substrate now and if im feeding F/K i just feed right on the substrate but most of the time its F/T so i just take out most of the hides and lay newspaper over the substrate and take it out after the feed. works pretty well and if your worried about the snake taking the food item under the paper into the substrate, just weight down the paper with a water dish or whatever...

daver676 · 10-27-04, 01:44 AM

I feed inside as well. I believe that the only reason a snake would ever mistake your hand for food is if it smelled like food (you were recently in contact with a prey item and didn't wash), or the snake just doesn't like you.

Jeff_Favelle · 10-27-04, 01:57 AM

There is no "should" and there is no right or wrong. Do what YOU want, it will be fine either way.

I feed in because I see NO benefit to feed out. Why make more work? Life's tough enough as it is without making nonsensical work for myself.

rwg · 10-27-04, 10:36 AM

I do a bit of both. I feed out for any snake that will eat that way. Partly because I like to have a good view, and partly to avoid substrate ingestion. Some of my snakes are shy feeders, so I have to feed them in.

djc3674 · 10-27-04, 11:00 AM

When I got my first BCI about 4 yrs ago, I had read that they should be fed in a different enclosure. I did just that for a short time, but then became more and more comfortable with caring for him. I now exclusively feed IN the enlosures. Not to mention the fact that he is now over 7 ft long and I just do not have the room for a feeding enclosure that big.

However, I think (although I may be wrong) he knows when he is going to be fed and when I am taking him out for handling. First off, when it is feeding time, I bring the boxes with the prey into the room. I then take the top of the enclosure off, pull out the hide and the water bowl. Once I start doing this, he just seems to know, starts flicking his tongue crazy fast, will start to slither up to the top of the tank etc...most likely it is because he smells his food and all of a sudden his enclosure is empty with only him remaining. He just senses that it is feeding time.

When I take him out for handling, I take the top off, then immediately begin to touch him...move him a little etc...before picking him up. I am proud to say (knock on wood) I have never been bitten by my snakes..not even once. My big BCI does not even strike at me..seriously...he doesn't. My Hog Island boa on the other hand is an eating machine and when he smells his food...he strikes at everything.

cjice · 10-27-04, 11:18 AM

I feed IN and I agree with CDN and Will. I open my cage a lot more to handle than I do to feed. Also my bp is usually in a hide when I put rats in the cage so he doesnt necessarily SEE me putting it in. I use very long bbq tongs so I dont think he relates my hands with feeding. I havent been hissed at or bit once yet...KNOCK ON WOOD...Im still careful..lol

BoidKeeper · 10-27-04, 11:36 AM

I feed in except for my sand boas. All of my snakes are on newspaper except for the sand boas which are on shreded aspen. I feed them in rubbermaids.
Cheers,
Trevor

mykee · 10-27-04, 12:27 PM

I'm with the "In Crowd". I feed in, and on unprinted newspaper stock. Never had an issue with striking either.