How much to feed?

[misskris]

I'm curious how much a 26-27 inch garter should be eating?

Simone is eating 2-3 pinkies and a med. large night crawler ever 3-5 day's. I want her to have enough but not over feed at the same time. Is it possible to overfeed?

[guidofatherof5]

That sounds like a good size meal, she's still growing and maturing. Do you have a postage scale? If so, run a chart on her for a month or so to see how she's putting on or off weight. 24 hours after shes eaten is it very obvious that she had been fed. If not, that amount of food should be fine. I might make it more towards the 5 days between feedings, though. Just my opinion.

[jitami]

As long as she's not getting fat she's fine :) I've recently learned what a "fat" snake looks like, but just can't describe it... you almost see like a double chin... ok, all you experienced folks can laugh at me now! Anyway, just go by how she looks and acts. I think you're at a good starting point. You could probably stretch that meal to once a week and you could probably switch from pinks to fuzzies. Fuzzies are a bit bigger than pinks, but if she's eating two to three pinks she can likely handle a fuzzy. Fuzzies have less fat than pinks so will put on weight a little more slowly.

[misskris]

Tami, I looked at fuzzies last week. To me they look to big for her to get down.... Maybe they aren't. I think she'd probably eat everyday if I'd feed her.. Little glutten :)

[guidofatherof5]

Kris,

It's legless pigs! Mine would and ask to eat everyday. Unless they've filled up on salmon.
Then they just spend the next day sleeping.

[jitami]

Tami, I looked at fuzzies last week. To me they look to big for her to get down.... Maybe they aren't. I think she'd probably eat everyday if I'd feed her.. Little glutten :)

Some people say to use a prey item no larger than the width of her head, many say the widest part of their body, many fall somewhere between that <gg> It's relatively easy to cut a frozen fuzzy in half lengthwise, too. I'd do that just for the price difference between 3 pinks vs. 1 fuzzy :) I know it sounds gross, though, and it's taken me a bit of time to become comfortable just chopping stuff up <gg> The key for me is to do it while they're still frozen and let them thaw after cutting.

[adamanteus]

I split pinkies and fuzzies lengthways as a matter of routine. I prefer to do this after they are thawed, using an extremely sharp knife (filleting knife), I find it gives a cleaner cut than 'sawing' through a frozen item.

[jitami]

James, after hearing both you and Stefan saying the same thing about sawing through frozen mice and it being a messy process I'm wondering if your freezers aren't colder than ours over here? It seems that your frozen mice are frozen harder than mine. I also use a filet knife and just push straight down with very little effort and it makes a clean cut. I'm all for whatever works, though :) Just thought it was odd that we keep hearing the arguement and thought that there must be something more to it. I dunno :)

[Stefan-A]

James, after hearing both you and Stefan saying the same thing about sawing through frozen mice and it being a messy process I'm wondering if your freezers aren't colder than ours over here?
The freezer I have goes down to -18C. Didn't really occur to me that there could be a difference. Can't come up with a single reason why there would be.

[Snake lover 3-25]

lol me too!!!!! mine are quite easy to cut frozen......:confused:

[jitami]

The freezer I have goes down to -18C. Didn't really occur to me that there could be a difference. Can't come up with a single reason why there would be.

Me either and it's been bugging me :) I don't know what my freezer goes down to... hmmmm... can't go check now or it will wake the hound and then I'll have to tend to him and I'll never make it back here with the answer :p

[infernalis]

I have a cleaver, and it pushes easily through the semi frozen pinks with ease, nice clean cuts every time, and not as juicy.

You may be surprised about the fuzzy mice.

http://www.dekayi.info/garter/dimouse.jpg

[drache]

I've never seen a need to chop up anything bigger than a small pink, I always do it when they're fully frozen, and I never do any sawing
I just take a big square non-serrated vegetable chopping knife, set it where I want to make the cut, and briefly put a bit of my weight on the upper blunt edge of the blade with the hand that's not holding the handle - doesn't take much, and it's a very clean cut
I do see how sawing would make it messy

[misskris]

I picked up a package of fuzzies at Petco. She ate the last pinky I had this mornin, so we'll see if she can gulp down a fuzzy later :)

Thanks