african soft fur experience

Hello all, I haven't posted in a while but today was feeding day; the shop I go to for feeders was out of mice and said that he had small rats; I looked at the tank and it said soft furred and I came home and searched African Soft Fur Rats on Google. The rat I had looked just like the pictures I saw online. This guy was NOT NICE one bit. Bit at the tongs I had, and then when I grabbed him by the tail; continued to squirm and try and bite himself and the tongs to get away. My BP had an immediate feeding response; better than any other I've seen him react with, I know what I'm feeding from now on! :D

ASF's are nasty little buggers, and are like crack to BP's. the issue is that once they get hooked on ASF's it can be nearly impossible to get them to eat anything else. ASF's can get expensive real quick. I would look into breeding some yourself if you plan on feeding ASF's long term.

The one I got was only 3 dollars. :D And I agree, they are nasty things, meaner than a...snake. Sorry for my lame joke. :oops:

Oh and another thing, do you think if I asked the shop I get them from to kill some with Co2 gas and to freeze them for me; would that help with getting my bp to eat f/t?

Actually if you just pick them up by the tail then they are fine. Tongs REALLY piss them off and will just make them more aggressive. I have only been keeping soft furs for a few months but already through selective breeding I have soft furs that are almost pet quality. The one that is my favorite, the most unusual, unique soft fur that I have had will sit in my hand, not jump like some of the others do and actually likes to attention. And they can get expensive but I get mine at Critter Barn for $3 each. I do not recommend switching from rats to soft furs if you can help it. Yes they will eat almost every time and it is rare that my three balls do not eat, but soft furs take FOREVER to grow. In the time it takes to reach the size of a weaned rat, a normal domestic rat would be the size of a large and plumb small rat.

I raise nice soft furs as well...have been for almost a year and haven't been bitten once by the few hundred that have come and gone in that time. I try not to make them a regular food source for any of my snakes, but a few will only eat them and mice...I don't have a single, strictly soft fur snake.

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Originally Posted by Jasonx

The one I got was only 3 dollars.

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$3.00 may not seem like much, but I can get 475-600 gram rats (Rodent Pro triple extra large rats) for $2.19 a piece.

When you start having to feed 2, maybe even 3 at a time that will get nasty.

Well I know rats fill them up a little more and give a little more nutrients and he was actually on very small mice to ASF, I like it and I'm sure he does too.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

$3.00 may not seem like much, but I can get 475-600 gram rats (Rodent Pro triple extra large rats) for $2.19 a piece.

When you start having to feed 2, maybe even 3 at a time that will get nasty.

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Yes I know. My big female eats four soft furs at a time, and sometimes five. Oh trust me I know.

ASFs can make great feeders. I haven't really had a snake prefer ASFs over any other prey item. In fact I had a ball that has eaten ASFs since hatching and she was the easiest to switch to f/t rats. Breeding is a good idea if you want to feed them long term. For one snake a 1.2 group should be good. I pick mine up at the base of the tail and they are relatively calm. If you want to try breeding them, you can select for temperment, as others have suggested. Good luck!