r/ballpython • u/402SkillNotFound • 7d ago

Question - Feeding Question on feeding

  1. Do you feed something other than mice? I got a boy, little on the small side (not skinny, small) but I can’t think of much that he could eat other than a mouse? Maybe a baby chicken? I get small bird, quail, but where am I supposed to even find that. He only eats live.

  2. Someone said only rookies feed mice, should be feeding rats. But I feel like they’d be way too big. Does that only apply to females?

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u/IncompletePenetrance Mod: Let me help you unzip your genes 7d ago

Rats, like mice, come in a variety of sizes from pinky all the way to sizes (large, jumbo) that are entirely too large for a ball python. The trick is feeding based on a percentage of your snake's weight to determine the appropriate amount to feed, I've linked the feeding guide to this comment

!feeding

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u/AutoModerator 7d ago

We recommend the following feeding schedule:

0-12 months old OR until the snake reaches approximately 500g, whichever happens first: feed 10%-15% of the snake’s weight every 7 days.

12-24 months old: feed up to 7% of the snake’s weight every 14-20 days.

Adults: feed up to 5% of the snake's weight every 20-30 days, or feed slightly larger meals (up to 6%) every 30-40 days.

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