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Elicia
Hatchling

222 Posts

Posted - 25/06/2012 :  22:39:59  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi all,
just after some advice and reassurance -

Percy is exactly a year old now and last time I weighed her she was 27g. I think she is looking quite small for her age, but wasn't concerned as I know corns grow at different rates.

Since I got Percy I have been feeding her 1 fuzzy every 7 days, she seemed to practically inhale it and when it got to 5 days after food she would start roaming her viv and staring at me through the glass! So for the last 2 months I have been feeding her 2 a week instead. She was also guzzling those down in less than 2 minutes, so last week I decided to buy a small mouse instead and try her on those.

I looked at the mouse and though there is no way she will be able to eat it, it was only a little wider than her body, but it was a lot larger than her head and neck. I gave her the mouse thinking that if it was too big she would leave it, but she struck and coiled for the first time, im just worried as it took her ages to eat it-about 15 minutes and after she eventually managed it, she looked REALLY fat, not just a little bump- it was huge. This was 7 days ago and she is back to normal and roaming around again.

I was just wondering does a small mouse seem appropriate for her age? and if im now using small mice instead of fuzzies should I reduce to feeding fortnightly instead?

Also- may seem like a stupid question but if a prey item was too large for a snake, would it know?? Or would it just carry on struggling to eat it?

advice appreciated

Elicia



Normal Corn-Percy
Speckled King-Bumblebee

kev 5
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
3065 Posts

Posted - 25/06/2012 :  23:16:20  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
are you sure he is only 27g? my diffused ghost is a year old and weighs 234g. which i know is big for a yearling, but 27g is quite small for a yearling. if your snake ate the small with no problems, then carry on with them (as long as the small mouse is no more than 1.5 times the thickest part of your snakes body). I'd also leave it at one a week.



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a33272
our battery charger

United Kingdom
3063 Posts

Posted - 26/06/2012 :  09:44:13  Show Profile  Visit a33272's Homepage  Send a33272 an AOL message  Click to see a33272's MSN Messenger address  Reply with Quote
double check the snake weight, as said I think something is wrong there, a small mouse weights 10-15 is grams. As long as rodent isn't bigger than one an half times snake at widest part then should take it fine. Ud be supprised what they can take. If it was to big most likely would spit it back out.



0.1.0 creamsicle corn-Marmalade
1.0.0 jungle carpet python-Bumble
1.0.0 corn Casper

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cobweb251
Hatchling

United Kingdom
435 Posts

Posted - 26/06/2012 :  10:27:35  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
yeah that doesnt sound write at all. My corn is 10 moths old and was 56g last time i weighed him and there is no way he would eay small yet....

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Dalymad2
Hatchling

United Kingdom
301 Posts

Posted - 26/06/2012 :  10:44:06  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi my yearlings are on small mice both weigh aprox 100g , if your snake is able to eat small mice i would carry on with them and keep a close check on the weight.

1.0.0 CORN- FRED ( CAROLINA)
1.0.0 CORN- BARNEY (CAROLINA)
0.1.0 CORN- SNOWDROP (SNOW)
1.0.0 DALMATIAN- SOLO
0.1.0 DALMATIAN- METOO
0.1.0 COLLIE CROSS- LILY
0.1.0 CAT-SOOKIE
0.1.0 AFRICAN GREY PARROT- SPIRIT
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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
5091 Posts

Posted - 26/06/2012 :  11:43:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Corno is 10 months, 50g and has just moved up to 'mini mice' (I think what some places call hoppers - between fuzzies and smalls). Ember is 18g and there is no way she could eat a small yet.I'd definitely get some new digital scales to be sure of her weight lol! If you are concerned the small left too big a bump you could go back to double fuzzies? Alternatively, get a feeding pic next time showing eating and bump and that would give people a better idea :)

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Blackcat
Sub Adult

United Kingdom
1235 Posts

Posted - 26/06/2012 :  15:57:43  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I am just thinking of putting Zeus onto smalls, he/she is 9 months old and weighs 40g, he had two fuzzies last feed and virtually inhaled them.
Morse is about 8.5 months old, weighs 16g and is on double pinks and no way going to be on smalls for some time as he/she is long and slender. I am going to try and locate some small fuzzies to try him/her on.
I think you have to take feeding guides for what they are - a guide, all snakes as you said develop at different rates. We all like reassurance on how we care for our snakes but in the end we are the ones who see them daily and as long as they are eating, pooing and shedding as we would expect and are healthy we cannot really do much more.
I am so tempted to feed Morse every 5 days to try and up the growth rate but stop myself as I don't wish to cause long term health issues due to 'power' feeding.



0.0.2 Corn snakes - Morse & Zeus
1.1.0 Brazillian Rainbow Boa's - Indigo & Ruby
0.0.2 Columbian Rainbow Boa's - Orinoco & Tobago
1.0.0 House snake - Hoggle
0.1.0 Crested Gecko - Ludo
2.0.0 cats (RIP Zebee), 0.1.0 Dog, 2.0.0 Horses
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Elicia
Hatchling

222 Posts

Posted - 29/06/2012 :  19:25:05  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi
thanks for replying, been busy all week...first of all what a dur brain am I ...I meant 57g not 27!!! I weighed her again just to make sure im not cracking up and its def right! (well shes actually 60g now) But thats still way lighter than all of your snakes? So possibly could be the scales haha! (no wonder my cakes always turn out crap...probably been using all the wrong weights lol!) Ive ordered some digital scales now so can check reliably! (I feel a bit of a fool lol but I never thought the scales could be wrong lol)

also- Im feeding her tonight so am going to take some pictures to see what everyone thinks.

thanks!



Normal Corn-Percy
Speckled King-Bumblebee
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Okeetee Mick
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
2308 Posts

Posted - 29/06/2012 :  21:15:21  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Keep her on a small every 7 days and offer two smalls from 80 gms plus. My lavender stripe is just a year and weighs 56 gms so it's not unusual.

0.1.0 Okeetee (Sookie) 0.1.0 Powder (Luna) 0.1.0 Bloodred (Arlene) 0.1.0 Caramel Stripe (Tara)
0.1.0 Ghost (Crystal) 0.1.0 Caramel (Jessica) 0.1.0 Lavender Stripe (Portia) 1.0.0 Platinum (Godric)
0.1.0 Thayers King (Lettie Mae) 0.1.0 Albino Blairs King (Lorena) 0.1.0 Russian Ratsnakes (Pam)
0.1.0 Korean Ratsnake (Katerina) 1.0.0 Russian Ratsnake (Lafayette)
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Elicia
Hatchling

222 Posts

Posted - 30/06/2012 :  00:09:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks Mick, that's reassuring to know, Ive still ordered the digi scales to be more accurate. Anyway, I got some pictures of her dinner earlier. She eats it no probs, but it just looks huge!!



and after....



Normal Corn-Percy
Speckled King-Bumblebee
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Georgina
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
2382 Posts

Posted - 30/06/2012 :  00:35:48  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
looks fine x

1.0 western hognose (hero)
1.0 phantom reverse pin dal brindle crested gecko (goyle)
0.2 red dal red harly (sprite) 99% full pin Harley crested gecko (TuLong)
0.0.3 miomantis paykullii
0.0.3 Bombina orientalis (oriental fire bellied toad)
0.3 fancy mice (snap, crackle and pop)
1.0 yorkshire terrier (jasper)
2.1 cats (echo, shadow and pokey)
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smart bunny
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
5091 Posts

Posted - 30/06/2012 :  09:36:44  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Lol 27-57 is quite a difference! Not that much different to Corno then after all :)

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kev 5
Fully Grown Corn

United Kingdom
3065 Posts

Posted - 30/06/2012 :  10:24:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
looks fine with the small



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Elicia
Hatchling

222 Posts

Posted - 30/06/2012 :  11:03:49  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Yes I mis-typed lol. The keys on my netbook are really small ha ha. Thanks for advice everyone, Ill keep her on 1 small a week then. x



Normal Corn-Percy
Speckled King-Bumblebee
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oakleyman18
Yearling

828 Posts

Posted - 01/07/2012 :  16:58:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Christ Kev, a year old and 234g?? How much do you feed that thing?! That's worryingly massive..



Oscar Morrell
0.1.0. Tessera het Caramel Diffused Hypo ph Amel Anery CB'12 "Cassi", 0.1.0. Diffused Powder CB'12 "Ruby"
0.1.0. Normal Stripe, het Hypo, Amel, Lavender CB'11 "Amber", 1.0.0. Lavender Stripe het Diffused Anery Amel Hypo CB'11 "Pluto"
1.0.0. Hypo Opal Ph Stripe CB'12 "Hops", 1.0.0. Caramel Stripe het Amel CB'08 "Jasper", 1.0.0. Opal Stripe het Anery CB'09 "Topaz"
0.1.0. Amel Stripe het Caramel CB'09 "Poppy", 0.1.0. Tessera het Amel Lavender Stripe ph Diffused Hypo Anery CB'12 "Amethyst"
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