Feeding Chicks (Chicken chicks), is it good or bad?

[muzikfreakah]

Well, I heard a lot of talk about it being bad since chickes are pumped with a lot of chemicals to get them to lay more eggs etc..

But I figured, hey, we humans eat them right?

There is a very good supply of chicks here locally in the Philippines.

I am having a hard time finding RATs, Mice is more abundant.

So if there are not rats available, would Chicks be better or Just mice will do?

Thanks!

[JLC]

I've heard of people feeding them chicks. Wild caught specimens have been found with bird remains in their stomachs. The worst I've heard about doing so is the primary downside being runny, exceptionally smelly poo. I don't know for sure whether or not there are significant health risks. I haven't heard of any, but I also don't know anyone who has used chicks as a primary diet...just an occasional experiment.

[muzikfreakah]

Aite. thanks for the quick response, so occasionally I guess it's ok. As long as the BP takes it right? I wonder how good it is nutrition wise?

[billye1982]

Occasionally may turn into all the time if the snake gets an appetite for chicks and refuses everything else

[Emilio]

Yeah you will eventually have a bp that only eats chicks that said if its all you can offer I don't see a problem with it. And I agree with Judy there must be some poop difference and it will more than likely smell very different if runny.

Nutrition should be about the same keep us updated on eating habits and growth. I'm thinking a chick will digest faster in turn making said Bp hungry faster.


This post is in no way advocating feeding chicks to our Bp's here in the states or anywhere that rats and mice are available in abundance.

[kitedemon]

There is field evidence of ball pythons eating young birds. I also am guessing that in your area the use of massive hormones isn't quite as rampant as it is here in the Americas I know much of europe isn't as bad.

I can't speak about poop as I have never tried chicks, I can see runny poo if the animal was switched from one food to another and was not given time to adjust I am guessing but the snakes may adjust and have normal poo. I am however just guessing.

look at this...

http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/jrr/v01...045-p00049.pdf

based on that I might give some thought to a bit of reptile supplement on the chicks just to make up the differences.

[muzikfreakah]

What are examples
of reptile supplements for Snakes?

[Annie]

I love this study about birds of prey. Nice good facts.

So many people have opinions about feeding chicks or other birds to snakes, but almost nobody really tried it.
I can speak about the facts because I myself have been feeding my snakes exclusively with chicks for more than 2 1/2 years.

There have been no problem since then with my snakes. They are strong and muscular. I have a pair of cornsnakes that has reproduced twice since. I am now waiting for the third batch of eggs. My male is 5ft long and the female 4 1/2ft.

I guess I'll be starting another subject about feeding chicks to snakes, as I have way too much information to share, but let me tell you that it works perfectly fine. No runny smelly poo at all. This is a legend. I still wonder where it could come from.

So, in my 2 1/2 years experience with more than a dozen snakes, (cornsnakes, BP, Dumeril and BCI), in my friend's 2 years+ experience with 100 BP, in another boa and RP breeder's experience, and in the experience of other people I know: Yes, it is good. It works. No problems.

I have never supplemented with calcium, although I am open to the idea. We'll see after my female cornsnake lays her eggs for the 3rd year after being solely fed chicks, but up to now I have not seen any signs of calcium deficiency in her nor in my other snakes, many who have been started on chicks as babies and must have needed a lot of calcium to grow up.

According to our collective experience, snakes grow faster on chicks than on rats.

For your lost BP: I don't know how long it has been, but have you tried putting glue traps, the type used to catch mice, close to walls and where she might hide in the room where you lost her?
That glue is easily removed with vegetable oil. The snake should be washed out after to remove the oil. I mean, when you find her.