Live Feeding

[Air23Jordan]

Can any1 give me some tips on live feeding

[bongzor]

Not sure what you mean but.

If you feed live make sure you supervise the whole feeding, and do NOT leave a live mouse with a snake unattended.

[rabernet]

Here's a good discussion that happened in June on this subject:


http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...highlight=Live

[Lady Python]

Please don't feed live food. The food can turn nasty and badly injure and even kill the snake


Better to use frozen/thawed (it can't bite back!!!). Just thaw the rodent out and warm it up. I use an old hairdryer - works really well. Then I wiggle the rodent by the tail from a pair of forceps. My boids (two Boas and 2 Royal Pythons) strike at it in seconds.

So much safer than feeding live food.

[tigerlily]

Please be careful here. Feeding live, when done correctly, is perfectly safe. If feeding f/t works better for you then that's fine, and feel free to expound on you're successes at feeding f/t. (It works great for me) There are hazards to feeding f/t as well. The object of this forum is to provide as much helpful info as possible. There are many who feed live without any issues. Those feedings where a snake is badly injured or killed, happen when people feed incorrectly and irresponsibly.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Please be careful here. Feeding live, when done correctly, is perfectly safe. If feeding f/t works better for you then that's fine, and feel free to expound on you're successes at feeding f/t. (It works great for me) There are hazards to feeding f/t as well. The object of this forum is to provide as much helpful info as possible. There are many who feed live without any issues. Those feedings where a snake is badly injured or killed, happen when people feed incorrectly and irresponsibly.

Very well said Christie!!

I think with almost all of the top ball python breeders in the world feeding thousands of snakes worth upwards of $30,000.00 live food every week that if done correctly it is very safe.

For anyone out there wishing to or currently feeding live, don't be distracted by this. Feeding live can be done safely and is a perfectly acceptable method of feeding your animals!

-adam

[frankykeno]

Well said all of you!

Since good arguments can be made for any type of feeding (or for that matter the old mice vs rats debate) I think that what you feel most capable of feeding responsibly, what you can get as far as a good supply of healthy prey, and what in the end your snake shows a strong and consistent feeding response to is what works for you best and for the snake.


~~Jo~~

[rabernet]

I agree with all the above. Of course, I learned how to responsibly feed live from Adam. Will I change to f/t? Don't know, but for now, live is working well for me and Kash. Would I have tried it if I had not talked with Adam? I'm not sure, but I'm glad I went to the expert and made sure I learned how to do it responsibly!

[HelicopterPilot]

I say if your snake can eat p/k or f/t go for it! But if live is all it will eat ,be sure to supervise and watch the whole process to make sure injuries don't happen. If you are responsible it should be no prob and the chance of injury is untimately gone. even if the rat/mouse starts to attack (not saying it will) it won't have the chance to kill you ball python becuase you will be there to take it out. Unless your cruel or sumthing

[rabernet]

I say if your snake can eat p/k or f/t go for it! But if live is all it will eat ,be sure to supervise and watch the whole process to make sure injuries don't happen. If you are responsible it should be no prob and the chance of injury is untimately gone. even if the rat/mouse starts to attack (not saying it will) it won't have the chance to kill you ball python becuase you will be there to take it out. Unless your cruel or sumthing

Believe me, once your snake is constricting, the mouse is more concerned with trying to get a breath than with biting!