To Those That Power Feed

[Apocalypstick]

What is your usual feeding regimen when you power feed. If you will, can you give examples for different sizes, sex, and species?

Any info would be greatfully appreciated :worship:

 

[BlkCat]

u already have a thread on this:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=40012&highlight=power

others:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=35905&highlight=power
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=35313&highlight=power

 

[FRAZE01]

I honestly don't believe in power feeding.I don't even do it with my reptiles.I can cause health problems

 

[Mandi]

in most reptiles, (especially iguanas who are known for weak kidneys) it puts a strain on the internal organs too because they cant keep up with the rapid growth.

Id imagine it would be the same for a t.

 

[Heartfang]

Are there any other bad side effects of powerfeeding?

 

[Windchaser]

Are there any other bad side effects of powerfeeding?

A shortened life span. Many studies have been performed on a variety of animals, including spiders, though not tarantulas, that have shown a calory restricted diet increases the life span of an animal. If you look at the news these days, it is not uncommon to hear that obesity is a problem. Obesity has been shown to have negative effects on humans, as well as other animals. It is only reasonable then that power feeding tarantulas would also have negative effects.

 

[FRAZE01]

Same results with herps

 

[Beardo]

Like mentioned above, power-feeding can have drastically negative effects on reptiles, which are my main animals of interest, and is a controversial topic in herpetoculture as well. It is generally frowned upon by responsible keepers, but some people just don't care and do it anyway. Power feeding is most prevalent in snakes, more specifically in boids (boas & pythons). Because of their slower metabolisms (in contrast to colubrids, which have very high metabolic rates and are very hard to power feed and actually do better on a more frequent feeding regimen) boids are very susceptible to the many negative effects of power feeding such as shortened life span, liver and kidney failure and obesity.

 

[Sting Crazy]

forgive my newbie ignorance, but what exactly IS powerfeeding? :? Is it simply forcing an animal to eat more than it needs?

M

 

[Windchaser]

forgive my newbie ignorance, but what exactly IS powerfeeding? :? Is it simply forcing an animal to eat more than it needs?

M

Basically yes. Although, you don't really force feed T's. Power feeding is offering the large quantities of food. They will eat as much as they like. To effectively power feed a tarantula to accerlate its growth, you should also raise the temperature it is kept at.

 

[critterz]

Powerfeeding is feeding a captive animal until it stops eating. Almost all exotic animals kept in the pet trade could be considered "opportunistic feeders". In other words, when they encounter prey they take the opportunity to feed because it might be awhile until they get another chance. Some people take advantage of this instinct, and feed captives more than in necessary to keep their animals healthy. Generally this is done to accelerate growth rates. While I don't think their has been alot of documentation on powerfeeding inverts, I'm sure it's not the best idea.

 

[Sting Crazy]

I think I might have a problem powerfeeding myself :8o
Oh well, I'll start the diet tomorrow

 

[JJJoshua]

In my opinion power feeding T's isn't very possible. Maybe with some of the more aggressive T's it is, but I put 5 cricks in my blondis cage the other day (its only about 4.5" leg span) and it ate them all immediately. Today I put 1 in and it didn't want anything to do with it. I can see problems arising with higher animals like herps and mammals but I'm not so sure with T's. My smithi hasn't eaten in around 2 months but I give her atleast 1 crick a week just to make sure she has food available and everyweek I take one dead uneaten cricket out. I figure the T knows more about it's hunger and feeding patterns than I do so why not feed it until it doesn't eat anymore? My T's usually only eat a lot right after a molt and then it peeters off to 1 or 2 everyother day until a molt.

I can see how over feeding would occur with true spiders, especially orbweavers, they wrap whatever flies into the web and save it for later, and if it doesn't get eaten it will be wasted so I think they may eat it even if they're not hungry, but I do not see this happening with my T's atleast.

 

[BlkCat]

I try to feed the smaller slings twice a week to get them at a longer length. I worry more about the sudden sling death syndrome when they are under an inch.

 

[Scorpiove]

In my opinion power feeding T's isn't very possible. Maybe with some of the more aggressive T's it is, but I put 5 cricks in my blondis cage the other day (its only about 4.5" leg span) and it ate them all immediately. Today I put 1 in and it didn't want anything to do with it. I can see problems arising with higher animals like herps and mammals but I'm not so sure with T's. My smithi hasn't eaten in around 2 months but I give her atleast 1 crick a week just to make sure she has food available and everyweek I take one dead uneaten cricket out. I figure the T knows more about it's hunger and feeding patterns than I do so why not feed it until it doesn't eat anymore? My T's usually only eat a lot right after a molt and then it peeters off to 1 or 2 everyother day until a molt.

I can see how over feeding would occur with true spiders, especially orbweavers, they wrap whatever flies into the web and save it for later, and if it doesn't get eaten it will be wasted so I think they may eat it even if they're not hungry, but I do not see this happening with my T's atleast.

I agree with jjjoshua, I have fed my spiders to the point where they won't eat anymore. I beleive they do get full. A lot of my tarantulas right now won't even touch food since they aren't hungry. They only one eating right now is my Emperor scorpion who eats usually every other day. But as far as my tarantulas go they probably last ate a month ago, and that is their choice.

 

[David Burns]

Interesting. I never feed more then a single crik at a time, But I might do that twice a day. Allowing it to finish and dispose of the remains before feeding again. After a T has reached a large juvenile stage I cut back to 2 or 3 crix a week. In this way I don't think I shorten its lifespan much, just its slinghood.

 

[CreepyCrawly]

I think it has much to do with individualtiy.

I have three ball pythons, two which eat only as much as they really need, then refuse any more food. One of the two I really wish would eat just a little bit more - as she always looks boarderline thin to me. My vet agrees, but says that since she is simply maintaining her current weight, not losing any weight and is otherwise in perfect health she is just fine. Simply because I don't restrict her calorie intake further, doesn't mean that she's being powerfed. If I restricted her calorie intake she would begin losing weight, and would become sickly as she is currently eating JUST enough to maintain herself. Three of my seven snakes practice this on their own. The two ball pythons, and a brazilian rainbow boa. The rest of my snakes I do practice "calroie restriction" with - as they would no doubt eat themselves to an unhealthy weight.

In the wild, many of these "exotic" species have sort of a built in hunger overdrive. In the wild, they may have to take every single opportunity to eat just to stay alive. So they take everything they can get, and in captivity this can lead to overeating and being powerfed. But this isn't true in all animals in all populations. Common sense will tell us that spiders living in the desert may have a harder time finding prey than spiders living in a more tropical rainforest type environment, and so they probably have hunting drives that act accordingly.

But in some species, I think that they hunt, and take food only when they feel they need to, because otherwise they are expending calories unnecessarily. Many people have trouble getting their ball pythons to eat in any but the most perfect of conditions, probably for that reason alone (IMO) - that they just don't take food unless they feel they need to. Many people have gotten around this by offering only larger than necessary foods, so when they do decide that they need to eat they have no choice but to take an exceptionally large meal, and then while they are swallowing that meal they follow with another prey item head to tail, so the snake just continues it's swallowing, not knowing probably that it is being tricked into swallowing yet another food item.

I don't think that calorie restriction is a good "blanket" type idea to apply to everything, even though in quite a few species it is required. A better idea I think is for us to try to figure out the optimal amount of calories to give a certain species and go with that.

I believe that some species may be prone to being powerfed, but with some species I believe that it is probably impossible to do.

 

[David Burns]

Sorry I didn't know we were talking about snakes, please disregard my input. Thanx.

 

[Scorpiove]

Sorry I didn't know we were talking about snakes, please disregard my input. Thanx.

heh I think the discussion kept alternating between tarantulas and reptiles.

 

[Scolopendra]

picky rosie

i'd have to agree that it's an individual attitude thing, my rosie Scarlet ate a fuzzie once and she hasn't eaten since. she isnt particulary chunky now either so i dont think its b/c she's full. and on the other hand my gf's rosie Shelob is a beast and doesnt ever stop eating. exaggerating of course.