I Give Up On FT

I will never waste my time and money again. I have tried everything I have read about. I am just unlucky. None of my snakes young or old will go near the things.

I guess if my collection gets much bigger I'll have to try and breed my own feeders or luck out and find a local breeder who sells cheaper than the pet store.

You guys that feed FT are absolutely lucky 100%.

I know how you feel. :(

Its really easy and cheaper in the long run to breed your own rats:gj:
You might try to find a little mom and pop shop or reptile only shop, they tend to be cheaper.

Feeding the snakes is supposed to be fun! Don't you remember that from when you first started?

I decided a long time ago never to do f/t again. Feeding day immediately became fun again. Have never looked back since.

Btw there is nothing more satisfying then feeding off a top of the line perfectly healthy rodent that you bred. It really adds a whole nother dimension to the hobby.

Besides I am one of the ones that thinks feeding live is better for the snake then feeding f/t anyway.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike Cavanaugh

Feeding the snakes is supposed to be fun! Don't you remember that from when you first started?

I decided a long time ago never to do f/t again. Feeding day immediately became fun again. Have never looked back since.

Btw there is nothing more satisfying then feeding off a top of the line perfectly healthy rodent that you bred. It really adds a whole nother dimension to the hobby.

Besides I am one of the ones that thinks feeding live is better for the snake then feeding f/t anyway.

---

I completely agree. I've done a fair amount of research on animal nutrition (cats in particular), and while there are no studies that show whether freezing reduces the nutritional value of rodents, I feel that fresh prey is the healthiest option.

I definitely need to switch up my rat setup to save space/money, but I really enjoy breeding them. I go for fun colors/patterns and sell off the nice ones as pets to help pay for things.

And there is just an intrinsic satisfaction that comes from feeding your snake a rodent that you have raised.

In my opinion, in the attempt to GET my guys to eat F/T, I would waste money and prey items by thawing and offering and having them refused. I'd rather save my money, breed my own and be confident that the snakes are nice and full. :)

4 of my 5 take f/t. One of them thinks that it is of teh devil.

I don't know as it's luck but rather that snakes with a high feeding response will take f/t much more easily than those with low to average feeding responses. I doubt that it is a coincidence that the four snakes that take f/t are the four that are the greediest on live prey as well.

for now we are on f/t. I never in my life of wanting a snake ever imagined f/t didn't even no existed until about a ayear ago. Do not think that breeding rodents for one snake is an option, and not liking the prices or option for live.

We have a retile shop that is somewhat affordable, both live and f/t. But, one I hate to give them my business, and two their animals are often sick and look like crap. I went up their when I first got Igboo, while the staff is great, the owners practises suck.

My other options are petco and petsmart. I am using petco f/t right now, but will be switching to Bigcheese soon since they are only about an hour away and I can get bulk rodents.

That being, I find dealing with dead rodents to be absurd and gross. I know others have issue's with live, but nope not me, the dead frozen stuff just wigs me out.

I guess I got lucky, my one BP male does not care what I put in his tub. He actually snatches the dead ones quicker. Granted I do wiggle the dead ones in his face. I hope my future additions are as eager. I have been spoiled by how he easy he is when it comes to pretty much everything.

All of mine take F/T without hesitation besides my het pied male, he gets the special treatment. When I move to San Diego in a little over a year I will start breeding my own rodents again and offer fresh pre-killed. The rodent breeder I currently get rodents from does an amazing job. All the rodents are packed and presented well. I have zero doubts in my mind that they are full of nutrition from the breeder’s husbandry techniques.

At the same time I can't wait to offer all of my snake’s rodents I've produced. It's a great feeling knowing the care and treatment of the rodents offered.