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Kazzaboobers
Egg
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
 Posted - 10/04/2010 : 11:26:25
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Hi all - The answer to this might be obvious but I just want to get it right lol - We have our first 10 month old Corn snake - a Motley ghost -'Sookie'
We bought her on Thursday 8th April and following the 1 week rule wouldn't get her out till next thursday - but she is due a feed on Tuesday - so do we feed with minimal handling on tuesday and then get her out thursday/friday or wait to feed on thursday and then handle on Saturday/Sunday?
My OH has been changing her water bowl so i guess he would be the best person to handle first - doh! But she did make a break for it this morning so he had to hold her then but put her straight back in.
Sorry if this seems obvious or i havent posted in the right place  Thank you x
P.S. how do you know if your snake is happy? I know when she curls up s shaped she isnt but she is now curled around herself sitting on a plastic leaf watching the world go. |
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devilsmistress
Yearling
United Kingdom
829 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 11:37:50
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Sounds like she has settled in nicely! I would wait till thursday, a few days wont hurt, and if you think about them in the wild, They would not make note of the exact day they are to feed.
With mine I just feed as and when, Sometimes I skip a feed, sometimes they might only go 5 days between as aposed to 7 sometimes its 10 days between! Thats just me though, you will find alot of people stick to a strick feeding scedule.
Hoe this helps :) |
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mozacchio
Sub Adult
Greece
1135 Posts |
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col654
Egg
United Kingdom
83 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 12:18:21
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| Hi and welcome just done my long week was told to feed 2 days after i got Becardi.Took all the advice i got left for the week i got a shed then was feeding time took it well so a week is nothing lol. |
1.0.0 Corn Becardi
1.1.0 royal brezer |
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Kazzaboobers
Egg
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 12:25:09
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| Thanks for that - It is so hard waiting lol - I will post some piccies in the mean time tum tee tum lol |
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mozacchio
Sub Adult
Greece
1135 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 12:41:04
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quote:
Originally posted by Kazzaboobers
Thanks for that - It is so hard waiting lol - I will post some piccies in the mean time tum tee tum lol
It's not hard. It's impossible! 
The hardest part is watching it being out and about and not being able to pick it up..! |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 12:57:25
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Just wait and feed on the thursday, and then you can handle 48 hours after the feed. It does sound like she is starting to settle.
For your first few handling sessions just keep them short and sweet, 5 mins or so once or twice a day. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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Kazzaboobers
Egg
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 14:46:53
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| Thank you for the advice and the link to the other thread - It's kind of what I thought but ohh i'm so desperate to get her out lol xxx |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 21:48:25
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You definitely posted in the right place and everything you have been told is right - feeding first and then handling 48 hrs later.
Although your OH has been changing the water and therefore it is his smell in the viv, there shouldnt be any problem with you handling as well....but it only should be one person handling Sookie each time - it would be stressful for her to be handed from one person to another.
when I go to handle my snakes I go in slowly, and I fiddle with their substrate a bit because that way I am getting their scent on my hands, which I think must help in keeping them calm. It also warns them that you are in their viv so they are not surprised.
Neither of my corns come onto my hand...wanting to be picked up. It is a case of me choosing to pick them up from wherever they are in the viv. When you do pick her up try not to come at her from above, but rather scoop her up from the sides....that will scare her less. Be very calm and confident, using both hands and being careful to support her so she isnt dangling. Hold her firmly and gently as she WILL try to escape from your grip - but that is a natural reaction for her and you must not react to it but continue as you are. Hold her fairly firmly but gently to bring her out of the viv.
Once you have her out sit with her (covering your lap with a towel is a good idea in case she decides to poo on you) and just let her run through your hands, moving one to the other to the other and so on. She will seem flighty and scared to begin with...but again, you have to realise it is natural and something both she and you have to get used to. You must just be very calm and steady with your movements.
Dont have her out for more than 5 minutes, and return her gently and calmly to the viv if she is showing signs of stress. Repeat again and again and again....(except for 48hrs after eating of course!)....and you will begin to notice a difference in her behaviour as she gets used to being handled and will begin to tolerate it. As she gets used to it so will you and your confidence will grow. You can then lengthen the amount of time you have her out and allow her to begin to explore your body and then around you...but that is a long way off.
She will be able to tell you are not confident and that will make her more stressed. It is a case of you needing to 'fake it until you feel it'...behave calmly and gently, with no sudden movements, and she will respond positively to that. Her reaction when you go to pick her up will be a fear response...but that will lessen with time.
It really is a case of time and patience and quality of handling rather than quantity. Take it slow and trust yourself...only when you do that will she trust you.
As for showing signs of stress....you will learn as you go along. She may go stiff and still, or she may try to escape. Going into a striking position and tail rattling (yes, corns do rattle their tails  ) is also a sign of stress. She may even try to bite you (tag you), but if she does you will barely feel it. You must not immediately return her to her viv if she does any of this, as she will learn that you are scared of her when she reacts that way. Whatever she does you mustnt react to it, just remain calm with no sudden movements. She is going to show signs of stress....corns are not used to being handled, dont really want to be and do just adjust to us handling them and then come to enjoy the time outside the viv, being able to explore etc.
Sorry to have rambled on (this is becoming a bad habit of mine  ) but hopefully some of what I have said is helpful.
xxx
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Edited by - Kellog on 11/04/2010 03:14:46 |
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Kazzaboobers
Egg
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2010 : 22:32:11
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Wow Kellog that has to be the most informative post i have read on how to handle Corns. A massive thank you - as a newbie any advice is greatly appreciated especially when it is done in such an informative way - sometimes some posters on some forums can appear slightly condescending
She is having a really good search around her box at the mo and doesnt seemed bothered by the other noises in the lounge - ie TV and 3 kids lol!
BTW - how often would you expect them to poop on average - as we havent noticed anything as yet - poop or the other?
Thank you again x |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2010 : 03:33:38
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quote:
Originally posted by Kazzaboobers
Wow Kellog that has to be the most informative post i have read on how to handle Corns. A massive thank you - as a newbie any advice is greatly appreciated especially when it is done in such an informative way - sometimes some posters on some forums can appear slightly condescending
She is having a really good search around her box at the mo and doesnt seemed bothered by the other noises in the lounge - ie TV and 3 kids lol!
BTW - how often would you expect them to poop on average - as we havent noticed anything as yet - poop or the other?
Thank you again x
I am so glad you found what I had to say helpful, I tend to get over-enthusiastic - especially as I know what I was like when I first got my corn....and a lot of what I say is stuff that I wish I had been told at the time. So, again, apologies for the length and I do hope that I NEVER sound condescending !! If I ever do then you all have my permission to knock me off my pedestal - fast !!
I am so glad Sookie is settling in so well with you, it does sound as though she is a fairly confident little thing and obviously already feeling secure in her new home.
As for poo...you would be surprised how often we get asked about it, as before you have experienced it you do wonder what it looks like  !!
This link will give you a rough idea - http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7150&SearchTerms=poo
I find that with my corns they will poo a couple of days after eating and then a poo each day for 2 days after that - but then they are adults so it may differ with hatchlings, which I have never dealt with. They do seem to poo and wee at the same time....at least I have never come across any wee, but that is not to say that I havent missed some as it is not easy to see amongst the substrate.
Both of mine do their poos outside of their vivs, and I prefer it that way as it does keep their homes cleaner - you just have to get good at reading the signs and 'catching'....but be ready for some lovely 'gifts' when you least expect it - handling and activity seems to stimulate them into pooing.
I daily change their water and do a substrate check, just running my fingers through it to make sure that nothing has been done in there - and I do often find a 'gift' nicely buried in the substrate on the 2nd day after a feed with Silvesta. I know I could use gloves but I prefer letting my smell get into the viv by fiddling with the substrate, so just deal with what I have found by scooping it up with a piece of kitchen roll and then smoothing the substrate back down. I do a full viv clean about every 6 weeks, which is not often but that is because of the fact that 90% of their pooing is done outside the viv.
Once again I have rambled on....sorry , but I do hope it has answered your question, albeit in a long-winded way!
xxx
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n/a
deleted
8 Posts |
Posted - 11/04/2010 : 11:08:14
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| Nice read there Kellog, very good informative post i'll try and take that info on board. cheers, Kristian. |
Without a dog some people would never go for a walk! |
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newsnakekeeper
Hatchling
United Kingdom
222 Posts |
Posted - 14/06/2010 : 21:08:16
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| Kellog u ramble on never u just give good advice the way u do things for others to learn from |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/06/2010 : 20:49:46
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quote:
Originally posted by newsnakekeeper
Kellog u ramble on never u just give good advice the way u do things for others to learn from
Thanks for that Newsnakekeeper....although I definitely do ramble on too much !!
xxx
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Topic |
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Newbie - First feed/ handle
