| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Freddiesmum |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 15:04:13
How hard is it to keep more than 1 corn snake? I see that many of you have quite a few!
Does it take up quite alot more time/money or not?
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| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| NexivRed |
Posted - 25/07/2012 : 17:42:05
I know you feel. Other than some initial handling when I first got her home, and then some sneaky holds towards the end of her week settling in, I haven't got to play with her much. If she's not feeding she's shedding, although I won't complain about those things in a new snake! |
| Freddiesmum |
Posted - 25/07/2012 : 16:03:10
Opposite to what i have done haha!
I'll get pics up as soon as he starts eating.......got a handling ban on myself at the moment till he's had a few feeds....it's torture haha! |
| NexivRed |
Posted - 25/07/2012 : 15:59:38
Share some pics, Freddiesmum! I'm still stuck on choosing my second. I'm going for a hatchling this time after getting a yearling last time. |
| Freddiesmum |
Posted - 25/07/2012 : 15:22:08
I'm thinking about getting another, possibly older (as in not hatchling) corn snake at some point. There are a few i have seen online (rescue place), one in particular i have my eye on!
But of course, i'll wait till Freddie has settled in, and is eating regularly etc.
Is there much difference between getting a hatchling and an older snake? (Apart from their size and the fact they will need a viv of course) |
| hayden764 |
Posted - 25/07/2012 : 14:27:29
i have two and it is quite easy |
| Thorne Walker |
Posted - 23/07/2012 : 20:18:17
One other thing that just occurred to me.. Vacations.
I went away for 10 days in June...
During that trip my cats needed to be fed 20 times and watered every other day. Their box needed to be cleaned out 3 or 4 times. I asked my roommate and he agreed without hesitation.
The 2x snakes on the other hand, I didn't feed for a week before I left so there would be no messes that needed cleaning, all they needed was fresh water once or twice while I was away. I had to bribe one of my friends with a bus pass to get her to come by.
Even though the cats were much more work it was far easier to find someone willing...
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| Sta~ple |
Posted - 23/07/2012 : 19:48:53
Order mice online
Auboise bedding
Sorted.
I have 5 snakes in vivs, takes me like 2 hours to do a full clean of them every month. |
| Dancross0 |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 17:37:57
Oh, cleaning and feeding take about an hour one evening a week, when I handle all of them, full clean outs take about 3 hours during the weekend.
Food costs are about £10 a month, but I don't buy bulk, mainly due to freezer space, and I like popping to all the reptile shops in the south Essex area...
The main costs are vivs, the electronic bits and decor, but I can usually set up a new viv for £120 per 3ft viv (less if I can share a stat!). |
| Dancross0 |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 17:32:51
I've got 5 snakes at the moment, and 2 more to pick up at Kempton.
The 5 I have now are all in vivs; 4 yearlings upstairs in my box room, and 1 downstirs in my living room. The 2 hatchlings are going into fauns on top of one of the vivs upstairs.
And I can get 4 more 3ft vivs in the box room (2x4 3ft stacks), and 2 more 4ft vivs downstairs (if I get that many!).
Or another 8 vivs if I move my PC and desk out of the box room...
Or another 5 vivs downstairs if I move the dining room table...
And maybe many more if I rearrange my bedroom... |
| Red123 |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 17:16:10
Time wise and ease its not really much different to keeping one. Money wise , well you have the extra feeding costs but can save alot if bulk buying, I buy twice a year. The most expense is when new vivs are needed. In the lsat 6 months I have spent £480 on three viv stacks. It just hapopened that 5 of my snakes all needed to move into larger vivs so the stacks came all in the space of 6 months. Thats it now though, they have their adult vivs so I won't have that expense again, well, not until I buy more snakes lol. |
| viraleye |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 15:05:20
I now have two diddy hatchlings and a almost one year old.
Snakes are the easiest pet i have ever had! |
| Freddiesmum |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 13:55:28
And thanks for all the replies! |
| Freddiesmum |
Posted - 22/07/2012 : 13:54:27
My computer just lost the massive post i wrote out........so here's a short version!
Basically, i've always have 2 animals at a time at least....seems a shame to only have 1 snake haha! Also, i'm very selfish and would arrange feeding so that i always had a snake to play with 
The other half wouldn't let me get another one this weekend, says i should wait a month and see how i feel then, which i suppose is sensible......however i am 100% sure i'll end up with another lol! i know i have the time and money to be able to care for two, so i say why not
If i had it my way, i'd have cats, dogs, rats, snakes.....the list goes on. unfortunately, i don't have the time or money! One day.......haha.
I haven't thought about breeding yet, since i'm so new to snakes, but in a few years i may consider it, depending on what situation i'm in!
He's called Freddie NexivRed |
| nickyff |
Posted - 21/07/2012 : 00:15:34
I started with one that was bought for my son last september, we now have 5 snakes... (and 3 accidental eggs about to hatch any day, 2 of which already have homes arranged)
They really are very addictive- I can *just* about resist when tempted by pics of gorgeous hatchlings, because three of mine are already adults, and all in 3 foot vivariums, that dominate one side of the living room, and I know that when the two little snakes need to move into bigger accommodation, after that I won't have room for any more.
I think there is a potential danger in falling to temptation when you've caught the 'bug', and getting a series of lovely baby snakes, because a collection of lots of little RUBs or faunariums don't seem to cost so much, or take up too much room. You have to remember though that your beautiful brightly coloured worm is going turn into a huge strapping great cable that needs a floor space with length + width greater than the total length of the snake, and height at least one third the snake's length, and Best Practise says one housing unit per individual snake. Also, those pinkies that cost a few pence will before long be big mice that are somewhere round a quid per meal.
I just read through that, it sounds like I'm trying to put you off!!! nothing could be further from the truth- I think snakes are fantastically fascinating pets to keep, corns in particular- they have such lovely natures.
I guess i'm just warning against over-indulging on impulse; snakes are great, but unlike a hamster that will naturally only live a year or two, a rash snake-purchase on a whim in a petshop will still be around in ten years time, probably more-
planning + thought are essential; research is key. (which is what yr original post is about, so kudos for asking the question |
| Okeetee Mick |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 22:19:17
Depends how you look at it, all ours cost far less per year than a dog for instance and as its also our joint hobby the extra cost is well worth it, plus no walkies last thing at night. |
| EmSquem |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 21:14:08
It's easy to keep more, just incredibly hard to stop getting more . . . I bought a yearling in July and by December I had 5 snakies. So go careful and don't tempt yourself like the rest of us do :P |
| Callazagy |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 19:38:06
This time last year I had 1 corn & 3 cresties, I now have 9 snakes and 7 geckos. It does take up quite a bit of time especially when cleans are due, but I do tend to take my time.
Food bills for snakes don't bother me to much, the geckos are probably worse.
Money spent over the past year is into the thousands but that includes animals, viv builds, equipment, decoration and food, plus I like my vivs to be attractive so thier is perhaps a bit of unnecessary expense.
Ive reached the point now where I can't get much more due to space/money/time, so from now on im budgeting a few hundred a year... hopefully, don't think my parents will be to imprest when I eventually run out of money and they have to help me out, but they don't do anyhting to discourage me... so not my fault lol.
Its hard work, especially when problems arise, but I don't regret geting so many, free time doesn't really exist for me due to volunteering and college, and when my sister goes to uni ill have a lot more to do... but I will cope. At the end of the day I love this hobby and I love my animals, so im happy to spend time and money on them.
If you are only thinking of 2 or 3 corns then its dead easy, its doubtfull it will stop thier though lol. |
| NexivRed |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 18:40:55
You've been bitten by the bug, haven't you :D So have I, I'm looking to get my second hatchling. I've got a heat mat big enough to share between two RUBs at the moment, so don't have to fork out for another set up straight away.
Coming from someone who has 4 cats, snake food is cheap as chips! I've spent up to £60 a month on pet food before and it's a nightmare. Snakes are definitely one of the more money friendly pets.
Are you going to breed in the future? It's something I want to do when mine are big enough, so if you do it might be worth getting one that would compliment your current snake. What's his name by the name? |
| a2c7 |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 18:32:04
We've got four snakes in total and find them much cheaper than any other pet to keep. Four is our limit due to space and work commitments. Once they're all grown up that'll be four VX48's at least..and if Aysha's dwarf gene doesn't show through then a 6x2ft viv.
We live in rented accommodation and we're lucky to have as much space as we do, but it does mean we'll always need the extra space when we're moving house/buying our first.
Also three of ours are in sync with feeding, so they get fed on the same evening (different days to be more realistic to wild) this means it's easy to remember when to feed them. It does mean that we end up buying all our rats and mice at the same time when we run out, so it's a bit more noticeable. Once they're all fully grown we'll be able to order in bulk online though and save on costs.
Our electricity useage has gone up. It's not *so* much more, but we do notice it because we're on a pay-as-you-go meter.
We do get through a fair amount of aspen every month when we clean their vivs out fully. We don't like to store massive amounts of it in our flat because it's just not that pretty.
All in all I would say 4 snakes, living as a couple, is manageable if you're both earning. I get ours out every evening when they've not been fed, Aysha the boa likes to sit in my hair and watch whatever I'm doing, Tek the corn wriggles around for 5 mins til he gets too much to handle, Ara is slower and wriggles around for a while til the impatience sets in and Ginn the king comes out for as long as she isn't moody! |
| lupi lou |
Posted - 20/07/2012 : 18:29:07
i only have two at the moment, but i would say they are alot easier cost and time wise than the dogs, even the hamster takes up more time than my two boys!! |
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