Substitue prey items??

I was wondering rats are getting pretty expensive and i saw chicks are they safe to feed to ball pythons, also i have the same question with quail?

Why bother? They get everything they need from mice and rats.
Why fix what's not broken?

Start breeding rats.
It's pretty cheap and easy.

You might be able to switch them to chicks, but I read somewhere (can't find it now that I want it!) that adding chicks to their diet can make their stools runny.

I was wondering cause they are like wayyy cheaper than rats.

I would suggest you start breeding your own if you need live or buy in bulk online if your snake will eat F/T. If you have to ask then feeding chicks is a bad idea. I have heard of people raising pheasants as prey items, but this is not something to go into lightly. This really comes down to, in my humble opinion, being prepared for the expenses of owning a pet before you get that pet.

I thought you might be interested in reading this web page:
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ferrerid=10586

I wouldnt. Not only becasue it may cause digestive problems like diarrhea, dehydration, etc. But also becasue theyre terrestrial snakes. Birds may be a tiny part of their wild diet but its not a staple. i dont see it as being a healthy, and cost efficient solution to the issue you have with rodents. If you are worried about cost efficiency, breed your own rats. But that really is only cost effective if you have more than a couple balls. If you only have one it might be cost effective to buy ft in bulk at reptile shows, or from the websites. They keep forever in the freezer and you may only have to buy 1-2x a year if you do it right.

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

I wouldnt. Not only becasue it may cause digestive problems like diarrhea, dehydration, etc. But also becasue theyre terrestrial snakes. Birds may be a tiny part of their wild diet but its not a staple. i dont see it as being a healthy, and cost efficient solution to the issue you have with rodents. If you are worried about cost efficiency, breed your own rats. But that really is only cost effective if you have more than a couple balls. If you only have one it might be cost effective to buy ft in bulk at reptile shows, or from the websites. They keep forever in the freezer and you may only have to buy 1-2x a year if you do it right.

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Couldn't have said it better myself

alright ill breed my own rats ive got 7 snakes 1 of the seven are due to lay 8-1 and i got 6 eggs due to hatch 8-10 so i guess i have more than a couple:0)

my next question is who to buy from im in GA and i need pups, weaned, small, medium, and large i can have it shipped but preferably not?