[Feeding Issue] Calming Down the Feeding Response?

[MLynch]

MY female BCI doesn't like to "find" her food. She likes to have it presented and take it from the tongs. She hits it and constricts. My other BCI and my BRB both like to have the food placed in their cages: they go look for it and eat - nice and easy like. They don't constrict, and they are very casual about the whole affair.

My female on the other hand... she gets really excited on feeding day. To the point that she's struck the side of the cage in anticipation of the coming rat. I even need to keep an eye on her while spot checking/cleaning her cage on feeding day. She gets that tight stare (the snake equivalent of the 1000 yard stare) that she gets right before hitting a rat.

So anyone have any suggestions on how to get her to relax like my other two boas on feeding day? It may just be her personality, and she may always be like this, but would just putting the rat in and letting her find it help reduce this aggressive response? She's ignored food this way in the past, so I have a feeling it would be a while before she accepted it, but do you guys think that would help?

[snake77]

Re: Calming Down the Feding Response?

I have some that do the same thing I don't think there is a way to calm it down. Half the time 2 of mine strike the glass and don't have the rat in the room yet.

[ron petri]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

My female is put in a tupperware then I give the rat. but man does she know that its feeding time when shes in that bin she sprawl wide and ready. after she s done and settled in the bin when I get the bin with her in it to take her out she strikes at shadows, or what ever aproaches the bin I ll take the top off and wait for her to come out into my hand so I dont get bit. lucky so far. but she is chill until I put her in that tupperware. so hopefully she knows out the bin no bite. are you feeding in a separate tank?

[jgonzalez305]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

Yeah...that happens to me too...you can try to feed her out side of her enclosure...but ive tried that in the past and it did not work with some of my snakes...

If they are hungry they will be in ambush mode no matter if you feed them out or in the cage....

Ive heard all kind of theories and techniques...every snake is different some will do good with the feeding tank some won't

leave feeding day for feeding

spot clean any other day

[satyra]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

you may never be able to tame down the crazyness lol. how old is she btw? i have several bigger females who were crazy as babies but now i usually just lay the food next to them and they eat on their own. otherwise if you really wanna get her to start finding her own food just leave the rat in there, if she doesnt eat, take it out and try again in a week or two, when she gets hungry enough im sure she will eat whatever she can get lol.

[joshua.britto]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

tell her to meet u by the swing set afterschool..that'll teach her!

[Poznak]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

every single one of my snakes go absolutely crazy when im ready to feed. They strike glass even when I first walk in the room. They probably smell the rat soon as its been defrosted. I keep a tight feeding schedule and feed in tank. Once in a blue i'll sneak a rat into the enclosure before the snake notices.

[MLynch]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

She's 7 months old - so she's still a youngen.

I was feeding her in a separate encolsure for a while and then went to feeding her in her cage. I'll try going back the the separate enclosure and see what happens.

On feeding day she's right there when I open up her cage... just waiting. ...poised. I swear she knows I have the rat before she ever sees it. ...Good sense of smell I guess.

She's always been an aggressive feeder. But her eagerness on feeding day has only developed in the past few months, whcih is why I'm wondering if this isn't something that can't be changed. ...Of course it could just be a side of her personality that is just now coming out.

As far as spot cleaning on another day - I never thought of that. I've always been of the mind that if there are urates or a poop in the cage they need to come out pronto. ...I always feel guilty when I find urates that I missed. My BRB likes to burrow and sometimes he'll pee or poop under the substrate (Repti Bark) - so I've learned to root and dig when spot cleaning/checking. But I've occassionally found surprises under there that had been there for a couple of days. I always feel like a bad pet owner when that happens.

[gottabsleeved]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

Good feeding response thats great!And good exercise they will never use them muscles more at any thing than a good squeeze.I got a suriname thats crazy at first,But i pop door and stand there and she just smells the air and just like that shes puppy dog tame and starts coming on my arm when i hold my hand up.I love it!She hits the glass when the rats come in room.But i trust her more than the ones that will only floor feed.They seem more nervous than the ones who know whats going on like ok its a rat, no its him everythings cool play time.My cheapest boa and the best pet boa of all.Its barry millers line if anyone is looking for a affordable pure suriname from a good breeder.There great pets.Mines not as nice looking as some i have but i cant for see her leaving here.

[b3napoleon]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

Personally, I like an aggressive feeding response. I would rather have a boa pound it as soon as I put it in the cage than gently take it off the floor after an hour. I had BPs like that and they were always the ones to go on hunger strikes. The ones that took it out of the tongs never refused a meal.

[jgonzalez305]

Re: Calming Down the Feeding Response?

how's she doing........any better?