| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| G7ACU |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 10:31:12
Not a big issue at all, but just curious as to others preferences on the subject, as I have heard some odd 'stories' from other keepers.
Once your corns have gone 'blue' prior to their shed, do you disturb them for their usual scheduled feed or leave 'em in peace until they've shed?
My two go quiet and hide off until they shed, and I do feed during this time with no problems at all, but a colleague whose kept corns for many years claims they shouldn't be disturbed (not for any particular reason).
Thoughts, opinions? |
| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Murphy123 |
Posted - 03/06/2014 : 19:34:47
I offer mine when in blue sometimes he takes sometimes he don't all depends on his mood :) |
| Drahcir9 |
Posted - 03/06/2014 : 17:08:13
I dont feed skully when she's blue because she tends to dig herself a pit in the aspen and stay there till she sheds, so i dont handle her either. Also I think a break from feeding doesnt hurt because she normally eats weekly which is more often than some. HOWEVER, if i defrost a mouse before i realise she's in blue, i will give it to her to save wasting it, she's only refused twice. |
| Kellog |
Posted - 31/05/2014 : 08:19:45
Some good points have been made here, which is why this forum is so good  ....not that I'm biased of course  .
I have chosen not to feed as soon as I see my corns have gone blue. One of them will refuse to eat the week before her eyes cloud over. My thinking is the same as what has already been mentioned. In the wild they would be hidden away, not out hunting. They also feel very vulnerable during this time as they are virtually blind and I'd rather not do anything to stress them. I don't handle them either.
I hadn't even thought about the fact that they don't poo while they're blue and therefore it may not be good for them to 'hold on to' a digested meal Razee. I had given thought to needing to deal with a bad shed but being 'hands off' because they're digesting.
I have also heard a few times of snakes that have regurged having been fed the day before they shed. One-offs but it does happen.
As you can see from the comments I think it also depends on the snake, some eat while blue but others don't.
This is like so many other areas of corn snake keeping. There isn't a right or wrong, it's down to personal choice, of the owners and the snake's.
Xxx
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| lupi lou |
Posted - 30/05/2014 : 17:23:21
I don't feed when in blue but then both hide away and don't even poke their heads out. When I have missed 8 being blue and offered a feed he was a lot slower to take the food whereas usually he has a quick strike on him! |
| mrmagicpants |
Posted - 30/05/2014 : 13:36:00
Linguene feeds when in blue. No problem. So far he's never missed a feed for anything.
He's just fed last Tuesday having just cleared from blue and then promptly shed right in front of us when I put him back in his viv. Bloody show off that he is. 2nd time he's shed in full view.
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| Haybop |
Posted - 30/05/2014 : 10:36:27
I have fed when he's started to go dull but I swear he times it so I don't notice his eyes have gone milky until the third day after his feeding and then he sheds pretty quickly afterwards. He's only once missed a feeding because of his shed, so far it's been pretty well timed for him to shed on the day he'd be due a feed anyway - I blame the fact that he's a greedy little so n so & doesn't want to miss a feeding ;) |
| Razee |
Posted - 15/04/2014 : 08:15:01
I also choose not to feed in blue - most times. Reason being - as Red said - they wouldn't feed naturally, and the occasional short break from feeding can only do them good. They also tend not to poop ( at least mine don't ) when blue, so the food is lying inside them for ages. And, if the shed goes wrong, and you need to help them, you don't really want them with a full belly.
I have fed in the very early stages in blue ( before their eyes turn milky ) - on the rare occasion, when we have been away, and the snakes haven't eaten, and not feeding would have meant the snake having a really, really long gap between feeds.
But that's just what I do, and, to be honest, the snakes probably don't mind either way. :-) |
| Red123 |
Posted - 15/04/2014 : 07:10:57
I do not feed any of my snakes if I know they are blue. They naturally take a break from feeding when blue so I just leave them to it. I think we, as caring owners, probably feed our snakes to often anyway simply because we don't like to think of them going hungry and it seems unnatural to us to not feed our pets. We forget that snakes would go weeks with out eating naturally :) |
| Moppet |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 20:28:59
The forum is a useful place to gather opinions  Most people who keep reptiles have their own fixed way of doing things that they think is the right way. In reality, there are lots of right ways.
I even feed my corn snakes when they're full on 'blue' (blue eyes, completely blind). They don't seem to mind and take the opportunity to eat whenever they have it normally (except during breeding season when all sorts of things can happen). |
| G7ACU |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 20:11:11
Redware and Moppet, you both make valid points - thanks for your thoughts.
Our two have always fed happily, although I don't disturb them while they're in the obvious 'blue' state. They seem to vary in their shedding 'routine' too though; sometimes they'll shed quite quickly and sometimes Dylan will take a while longer. As I prefer not to sway too much from their feeding schedule, I'll vary by a day or so depending on their state at the time.
I was more curious of others opinions and habits based following a discussion I had with my colleague.
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| scottishbluebird |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 16:54:58
Kellogs will sometimes eat, Storm wont, he just hides from start to finsh |
| Moppet |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 15:24:20
I still offer my snakes food as normal when they're blue. Some corn snakes will quite happily eat whilst blue (ALL of mine do, little pigs!) and some won't. I've never had a regurge after feeding any of my corns when they're blue.
Redware is right in that in the wild they probably wouldn't eat when blue because it wouldn't be so easy to get hold of. However captivity is a different situation entirely in my opinion. It wouldn't do them any harm to miss a meal as a shockingly large number of captive corn snakes are overweight but my feeding schedule is sorted for my corn snakes personal needs (some of them seem to put on weight easier than others, so get fed less often) and I prefer to offer to my snakes when in blue so as not to disrupt things(especially females preparing for breeding season). |
| Redware |
Posted - 12/04/2014 : 10:36:23
Hi Paul
I leave them until after they have shed. In the wild they would be hidden away and not hunting at this time as they are at their most vulnerable and in a healthy corn a missed or late feed is not issue. I personally had a regurge early on with one of my corns when I fed her in blue, this could have been a coincidence but has totally put me off feeding in blue.
Many people do feed in blue and do so with no problems at all so as with many things it can be down to personal preference of both you and your snake!
Hope that helps. |
