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What is YOUR Idea of Power Feeding?

Sunshine May 29, 2006 10:00 PM

...being somewhat new to snake rearing and breeding, I cannot see how a BRB is ready to breed at 2.5yrs for females and 2 yrs for males. I think I feed appropriate sized prey items at reasonable intervals. My first kept offspring (hasn't been weighed or measured) will be 3 yrs old in June. She is still considereably smaller than my proven adult female. Her male was born in November of '03 and is also much smaller than my proven male. What is the definition of "power feeding" that you entertain? I know it is possible to breed and produce a litter at 3.25# and 2.5yrs for females since my last litter was born from a female I purchased as a young adult from a breeder that seemed to think she would have no problems due to her size and age. The problem (if it is a problem) is simply that under the feeding regimen I employ the perspective breeders aren't up to weight and maturity yet.

I always thought the term "power feeding" had to do with feeding as much as a snake would eat at one feeding and repeating the process before the first meals were digested.

What is you opinion on this? Maybe I just need to increase the size or frequency of meals.

Basically I'm wondering if I'm underfeeding or if it is overfeeding to achieve reproductive maturity at 2.5 yrs for females?

Replies (3)

Jeff Clark May 29, 2006 11:35 PM

Linda,
....I have had some of both sexes big enough to breed at 2.5 years. I used to push them faster but now take things slower. The youngest females I have gravid now are approaching their 4 birthdays. I have no information about which method is best. I do know that these snakes can really process a lot of food and grow rapidly when young without becoming obese.
Jeff

>>...being somewhat new to snake rearing and breeding, I cannot see how a BRB is ready to breed at 2.5yrs for females and 2 yrs for males. I think I feed appropriate sized prey items at reasonable intervals. My first kept offspring (hasn't been weighed or measured) will be 3 yrs old in June. She is still considereably smaller than my proven adult female. Her male was born in November of '03 and is also much smaller than my proven male. What is the definition of "power feeding" that you entertain? I know it is possible to breed and produce a litter at 3.25# and 2.5yrs for females since my last litter was born from a female I purchased as a young adult from a breeder that seemed to think she would have no problems due to her size and age. The problem (if it is a problem) is simply that under the feeding regimen I employ the perspective breeders aren't up to weight and maturity yet.
>>
>>I always thought the term "power feeding" had to do with feeding as much as a snake would eat at one feeding and repeating the process before the first meals were digested.
>>
>>What is you opinion on this? Maybe I just need to increase the size or frequency of meals.
>>
>>Basically I'm wondering if I'm underfeeding or if it is overfeeding to achieve reproductive maturity at 2.5 yrs for females?

rainbowsrus May 30, 2006 12:17 AM

I have had two females from my 2001 litter gave birth to small litters in 2004. That equates to breeding at 2.5 years old. I don't feel I am "power feeding" them at all. My basic regimens:

Hatchling, first feeder (if available) is a hopper mouse. Either a few days after birth for those full term, no yolk babies or after first shed for the younger, still have yolk to process babies.

Neonates. Fed weekly, typically on Monday, if they refuse, they don't get another chance till the following week. Typical refusal tied to shedding and many will still eat even when fully opaque. Food size based on baby size, as they grow, they get bigger meals, always about the size of their thickest diameter.

Yearlings, get switched to every other week, same basic releative prey size. Sometimes I don't have the "right" size and feed two smaller. I base the feeding on tummy size, one appropriate sized feeder makes a certain sized bulge, two smaller make the same bulge.

Adults, get's trickey, as you know they mostly refuse food while gravid/breeding, Then make up for it after giving birth. So....

Males - fed two to four week intervals depending on time of year.

Females - offered small prey monthly while gravid, then fed every two weeks (sometimes weekly) after partuturition and before the next breeding season. Realistically only 5 or 6 months.

Also, for all, I raise my own feeders and sometimes feeders are scarce, I have been know to have a fast week for all the snakes to allow the feeder colony to catch up. In addition, We typically take two week long vacations and another 5 day vacation yearly. For those times, I stop feeding a week and a half before leaving so the snakes will have time to purge their waste before we leave and not mess up the cages/water bowls while we are gone, bottom line they have two and a half week fasts three times a year.

I have 2.5 two year olds, most are doing quite nicely towards being of breeding size by this fall. The following weights were taken on 04/20.

The males:
Rusty, 1-lb, 1-oz - my smallest two year old, he's a finicky eater and will probably not breed this fall

C1, 1-lb, 15-oz - well on the way for fall breeding

The females:
Daisey, 2-lbs, 6-oz - One of the biggest girls and also the best looking of the group...duh, on the fall breeding list

S2, 1-lb, 11-oz - borderline, will have to see how the summer goes

W1, 2-lbs, 8-oz - My largest girl, on the fall breeding list.

W2, 1-lb, 10-oz - another borderline.

C2, 1-lb, 12-oz - Another borderline.

All three borderlines are looking good and still eating well. They may very well be ready for this fall.
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
2.7 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (adult breeders)
2.5 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (sub-adult from 2004)
4.8 Brazilian Rainbow Boa (sub-adult from 2005)
2.1 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI Albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Salmon / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Salmon (possible super)
1.0 BCI Albino het stripe
1.0 BCI Salmon
0.1 BCI Ghost
0.1 BCI Super salmon, possible jungle
1.0 BCI Salmon, possible jungle
0.1 BCI Super Ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

flavor May 30, 2006 01:40 PM

To me, power feeding is feeding an animal twice (or more) per week, each meal, being as big around (or bigger) as the animal in it's widest point.

I don't use this practice with my animals because there's just no way they're doing this in the wild. My animals normally take between 3 and 4 years to mature. I think this is a more natural experience and, therefore, one that their metabolisms are better adapted to handle. This is just my opinion and I don't have soild evidence to back it up. I've seen healthy power fed animals, but I will continue to feed 1x per week.
-----
Mike Lockwood
www.tooscaley.com

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