When am I feeding enough? Too much?

[Clintaceous D]

Just curious as my one sling (C. cyaneopubescens) is an absolute pig! I fed it along with the other 2 slings a cricket roughly as big as it was (1/2", maybe 3/4"). While feeding though a dead cricket got in the enclosure along with the live one. I figured I would pull it out after it finished the live cricket. I came back a few hours later and saw the dead cricket gone! I searched the enclosure and saw nothing but a fat spider! The abdomen is easily two, two and a half times the size of its cephalothorax!

I ask because some people say feed your spider as much and as often as possible. Others say to make sure the abdomen isn't too much bigger than the cephalothorax. I also read overfed tarantulas can get hernias!

So what is the best thing to do when it comes to feeding amount and frequency? Let the tarantulas decide? Or decide for them? If it helps, I keep my slings on the cooler side between 20-22C (68-72F) and was thinking 1-2 appropriately sized cricket every 5 days

 

[Clintaceous D]

The piggy in question

 

[DuntyDunt]

Tarantulas are opportunistic eaters in nature and will more often than not eat it if given the opportunity because it could be months until their next meal. That said, the abdomen is really fragile and with such a fat one, if it climbs to the top of the enclosure and falls it's very likely to rupture the abdomen. The feeding frequency you mentioned seems fine as long as the cricket is proportionate to the T.

I'd suggest letting the abdomen shrink a lot more until feeding it again, but do your own research and see what works for your T.!