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Hillyhenhouse
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
 Posted - 31/10/2013 : 08:03:31
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We feed our new cornsnake last night with the smallest pinkie we could get.
They seem to be possibley 4 day olds by the pictures online, I chose the smallest they had.
He is just about the right width in the body but it looked a bit big for his head and neck as this is thinner. He is 4 months old and about 14 inches long.
We did not want to worry him by weighing him before feeding but will weigh him next tIme.
Having said that he took it quite well, with a definite bump in his body.
I feed him 6 days from his last meal as I am going to be away for a couple of days and wanted to make sure that he eat and did not have problems before I went. DH is not that keen yet!
If he was going to have problems digesting it how soon would it show?
I am going to look for some smaller pinkies or may have to cut them in half length ways if not.
I hope he grows quickly enough to take large pinkies soon, not a great thought cutting them up!
Hilly. |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 31/10/2013 : 08:30:33
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I know it's nerve-wracking but corns can eat prey items that we think are much too big for them. As long as the pinkie wasn't more than 1.5 times wider than his widest part then he'll be fine  . I think you'll also find that if a prey item is too big then the snake is most likely to refuse to eat it, so the fact that he took it quite well is a good sign.
Obviously you don't handle them for 48hrs after they've eaten, giving them time to digest. IF there is an issue, which I don't think there will be, then it should happen within that time.
There certainly shouldn't be any need to cut the pinkies in half. To reassure yourself maybe you could check with the breeder or shop where you got him to find out what he was eating. I'm sure they'll say normal pinkies but it may put your mind at rest.
You've said that you've fed him 6 days after his last feed because you're going away. I'm not sure how often you feed him but when little ones are on pinkies they are most often fed every 5 days. The Rough Guide to Feeding has some good information, but remember that all snakes differ so it is only a rough guide.
Hope that helps.
Xxx
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Hillyhenhouse
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 31/10/2013 : 16:39:39
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He had been taking pinkies weekly from his breeder. When I saw the size of my pinkies and googled it then they did not look like newborns more 4 days old, 1 of them has a little skin colour.
I was considering feeding every 5 days but also wanted to let him settle.
We have had him 6 days now and not handled him, just changed his water and checked under his hide to see he was still there. I was going to feed him a couple of times before we held him. Let him settle in and keep feeding first. He is going to be with us for a long time a couple of weeks won't hurt us to wait.
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hayleylsl
Egg
United Kingdom
98 Posts |
Posted - 31/10/2013 : 19:22:40
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Silly question but was it definitely a mouse pinky? I only ask as I once got a pack of rat pups rather than mouse pinkies in the local rep. shop as the owner was out and his gf was filling in for him and gave me the wrong thing!
In any case I'm sure your snake will be fine if he has eaten it :-) |
1.0.0 CB 12 Amel Motley- Boris
0.2.0 cats Grizabella and Jennyanydots
Foster cat: Jasper who has a healing broken pelvis |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 31/10/2013 : 22:16:50
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There is a big variation in the size of pinkies. Depending where you get them from the weights can differ but generally they are 0.5g to 3g. Doesn't seem much difference but it is. It may also be that you were given something that was slightly bigger than that but it does sound as though he handled it fine. I have a fussy eater and the place I get my food from are great, they will weigh out exactly the weight I want for each rat fluff. That is extreme but necessary with this particular snake. If you are worried you can ask to pick over the pinkies yourself, so you can choose the smallest ones for now.
I love your attitude about leaving your snake to settle in and have a few feeds before handling him. You are right in the fact that you've got years of handling ahead and it's great that you're giving him the best start possible  .
Does he have a name??
Xxx
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Hillyhenhouse
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
8 Posts |
Posted - 04/11/2013 : 20:57:16
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Thanks for the advice his name is Hermes.
There is a picture of him in the introductions. It is the one his breeder took. I am not bothering him for now.
He is in blue now so will have quite abut of time to settle in.
Hopefully he will not take to long and miss his next meal.
He looks like he wants to be left alone, quiet and hiding. So for now I just change his water lift his hide to check on him and he swaps to the other one calmly.
Will post more pictures of him out and in his shiny new coat soon. |
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Pinkies very large.
