I've seen some conflicting views online about feeding techniques/timing and I just wanted to get a broader more personalized opinion.
My baby is probably 4.5ish months old (got her at the end of March, was unable to get an actual hatch date, guessing she was about a month old when I got her unless any breeders think otherwise) and has been a great eater since I've gotten her. She's been on a steady one pinkie every 3 days schedule (pinkie, day, day, pinkie...). I know the "standard" is feeding once a week, but also from reading on here that when they're young you can feed them more often than that and you'll just watch them grow like weeds. I don't have weight measurements, but she was probably just under a foot when I got her and around 17 inches now.
I'm aware of the dangers of hepatic lipidosis/obesity etc, but I just wanted to make sure I wasn't overfeeding her. I've seen people saying 2 mice in one feeding is better than feeding 2 times a week, and that feeding like that can kill a snake. My little one is bright, active, curious and well muscled, no fat deposits cranial to the cloaca etc. I could just be an overzealous parent but hey, we wouldn't be snake lovers if we weren't, right?
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Young cal king feeding schedule
Replies (1)
I know this is a little late, but hopefully you'll see it and it will help.
okay, 1 appropriately sized rodent once a week will keep your snake alive and it may even grow a little, but it wont thrive.
I feed most youngsters twice a week. each meal will be comprised of 1-3 rodents of varying sizes and once 3 rodents doesnt leave a large bulge, I go up a size. 1 pinky, 2 pinkies, 3 pinkies, 1 fuzzy, 2 fuzzies, 3 fuzzies, 1-2 hoppers, 3 hoppers, etc...
you really dont have to worry about over feeding a getula (common king) or it getting fat as long as your husbandry is good and the snake can warm up to digest quickly.
I have one cal king that will commonly eat 2-3 jumbo mice at about 3' long... any less and all fingers become food in her eyes. she's thickly built but muscular and lean in appearance.
