[Cali Kingsnake]

I have had my cali kingsnake for over 2months now.I had a few feeding problems when i first got him but he is eating ok now.He started eating pinkies with no problems and recently i have fed him a small rat because my local reptile shop adviced me to try him on one.He struggled with it alot and it took a long time for him to swallow it.Is it to soon to be feeding him rats? or because he ate that one is he ok to start eating them all the time now? If not when should i start feeding him rats? Please comment i really need to know.

 

[Trice]

From pinkies to small rats? surely you should try to go pinkie - multiple pinkies- fuzzy and onwards?

 

[slither61]

Hi all,
I agree with Trice, its a big jump from pinkies to a small rat.
Do as Trice as advised and you will be ok.

slither61 :snake: :snake: :snake:

 

[oldelpaso]

How big is the snake?

And when you say pinkies you mean the baby hairless mice? And small rat as in fully furred rat?

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Yes.I tried him on pinkies and mutiple pinkies [Hairless mice] for a while and he had no problems so i tried him on a fuzzy and he seemed to struggle with it but he still got it down.Is that alright? or because he struggled is it to soon? sorry for the use of "small rat" this is my first snake and i dont know all of the proper terms for the feed :wink: He is quite a small snake.As he is only about 3months old.

 

[welshgaz]

I would go with the rule that don't feed anything that is greater than the thickest part of your cali... If you have been feeding pink mice, then I would move on to pink rats (they are much bigger), if he's taking them happily then try rat weaners.... In general though the bigger the item the longer they will take to eat it

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Ok.My reptile shop only gave me pinkies and fuzzys and they said to feed him pinkies untill he can take a fuzzy.Will that work ok? or do i need to start him on pink rats?

 

[welshgaz]

That would work.. you can up the number of pinks until he can take a fuzzy BUT it sounds like a shop scam to me!

Put it this way a pink in a shop sells for 50p, a fuzzy is say 75p and so is a rat pup/weaner...
You'll need to feed 3 pinks until he'll take 1 fuzzy, thats 1.50 per feeding
If you went from feeding one pink, to one rat pup, to one weaner to one fuzzy it works out much cheaper...

You have to be very careful in reptile shops because there information is very suspect at times!

There are plenty of different sized rodents out there between mice and rats they you really never need to feed any more than one item...

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Ok.Thankyou so much So if i up the number of pinks to 3.Is that 3 pinkies in a week on different feeds?

 

[DaveM]

What I did with my cali king was feed multiple pinkies, until it was taking 4 no problem, then I moved up to 1 fluff a week and am now at 2 fluffs a week, and after its next shed (its colours have a slight grey tinge to them) I'll move up to three fluffs, then the next size of mouse up, this method has been working fine for me and it has put on a lot of growth, but it hasn't gotten fat with it, so I must be doing something right :lol:

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Ok.So would it be ok to feed him a pink on monday,wednesday and friday and then go up like you did?

 

[DaveM]

Ok.So would it be ok to feed him a pink on monday,wednesday and friday and then go up like you did?

feed, say 3-4 pinks on one day (whatever your feed day is for your king) for maybe three or four weeks, then move up to 1 fluff for a few weeks, how ever long you feel, then move up to 2 fluffs, then the next size food after a few weeks

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

So i feed him about 3 pinks just on one day and then leave it for the rest of the week? and do i have to leave some time between the feeds or doesn't it matter?

 

[welshgaz]

Na take three pinks feed one straight after the other then wait a week and repeat... sounds like a cooking course that :lol:

There is no set way to feed snakes just go with what you feel is best...

 

[DaveM]

So i feed him about 3 pinks just on one day and then leave it for the rest of the week? and do i have to leave some time between the feeds or doesn't it matter?

yeah, feed 3 pinks on one day, and leave 5 days between feeds, as he is only 3 months old, so say you feed on a sunday, feed again on a friday, and every other 5 days, but wait 2 days before handling to give time to digest the meal, how big is it now, length wise?

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Ok.Thankyou I will try that and thankyou to everyone else who commented x

 

[Cali Kingsnake]

Erm....I don't know because i havn't meassured him yet.

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There is a pic of him but its not that good.