Feeder Mice

[ZBP]

So I purchased my ball python, and I will be getting it in may her weight is in the 200-300 gram range, and the most affordable way for me to get mice is to buy frozen in bulk, so my question is what size rats should I buy If I plan on buying around 100?

I plan on feeding her twice a week until she is about 700 grams then once a week. This may seem like a lot of mice to buy in advance for one snake but this is really the best way for me to do this with shipping being as much as it is.

[The Serpent Merchant]

I would get weaned rats (about 40 grams)

[Inarikins]

Wait, are you buying mice or rats? Rats are more nutritious for your snake and as the snake gets older it's easier to feed a larger rat than multiple mice.

[ZBP]

Rats is what I meant, also should i get all the same size rat or should I get some different sized rats too for when she grows?

[ballpythonluvr]

Wait, are you buying mice or rats? Rats are more nutritious for your snake and as the snake gets older it's easier to feed a larger rat than multiple mice.

Do you have any proof of this? I feed my snakes mice and they are fat and healthy.

[The Serpent Merchant]

Rats is what I meant, also should i get all the same size rat or should I get some different sized rats too for when she grows?

I would get some weaned and some of the next size up.

[Evenstar]

Wait, are you buying mice or rats? Rats are more nutritious for your snake and as the snake gets older it's easier to feed a larger rat than multiple mice.

Do you have any proof of this? I feed my snakes mice and they are fat and healthy.

As far as I know, there is no research available that proves rats are more nutritious than mice. Most folks feed rats because its generally more economical to feed a single rat per feeding than 2-3 mice. But mice are just as nutritious as rats and some BPs will only take mice. I have one myself and she is 3 years old and weighs in at 2100gm and is fat and healthy eating 2 jumbo f/t mice per week and she'll fast for a month or two sometimes as well and all's good.

Having said that, I would feed her rats if I could - everybody else eats rats and it would make my life easier if that's what she'd take. But really, its mostly a matter of convenience and preference.

I would get some weaned and some of the next size up.

I agree with Aaron - get 50 weaned rats and 50 smalls and that should be about right.

But I wouldn't feed twice a week. I would feed 1 weaned rat every 5 days instead until she's ready for the smalls and then go once a week. Every 5 days is often enough while she's on the weaned size. Every 3-4 (twice a week) is a little too frequent.

[satomi325]

Wait, are you buying mice or rats? Rats are more nutritious for your snake and as the snake gets older it's easier to feed a larger rat than multiple mice.

That's a little off. Rats have a higher fat content than mice. But overall, they have generally the same nutritional value.

The only reason to feed rats is that it takes less time and effort to feed a single rat to an adult snake than 4 adult mice, which I agree with you.

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[Mike41793]

That's a little off. Rats have a higher fat content than mice. But overall, they have generally the same nutritional value.

The only reason to feed rats is that it takes less time and effort to feed a single rat to an adult snake than 4 adult mice, which I agree with you.

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^^^ this right here