Does anyone have experience feeding their Retics F/T whole chickens?

I want to start off this post by clarifying that I am talking about WHOLE f/t chickens with FEATHERS and everything.

Would it be a good idea to alternate between rabbits and chickens, feeding a chicken every other meal?

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Originally Posted by DerrickRyan

I want to start off this post by clarifying that I am talking about WHOLE f/t chickens with FEATHERS and everything.

Would it be a good idea to alternate between rabbits and chickens, feeding a chicken every other meal?

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I have wondered frim time to time that myself. I have a local supply of live ones that I have to kill for Rainbow but FT would be better.

I have, f/t. I clip the beak and lower legs so there are no sharp points going down the snake's throat, though some people don't bother. Bear in mind though that a four pound chicken is going to be larger than a four pound rabbit because it has thin, hollow bones. So, the food lump may look a little big after the snake eats but it reduces very quickly.

The feathers come out the back end which makes clean-up fun.

Some people also claim that the snake's feces are especially foul after eating fowl but I've not noticed a difference, other than having to remove poop-covered feathers from the walls for the ones that get artistic.

Yup! This is 2 days after eating a 4 lb chicken. She's estimated to be 10'-12' and her last weight was 21 lbs, but she's gaining weight quick now that I'm reliably feeding her larger meals vs multiple rats/GPs.

Her poop wasn't especially revolting smelling, but definitely smelled pretty gross, and there were some undigested feather shafts. She gets chickens, rabbits, multiple rats, multiple Guinea pigs as available. I would also like to eventually get some natal pigs for her as well.

I feed her every 2-4 weeks depending on the size of meal. Something like this, I'd wait at least 3 weeks.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/uFDcSP2.jpg

I keep a flock of about a dozen or so. As a lazy cook, I find chickens to be a pain to actually butcher. Ditto, rabbits (I raise Flemish Giants). But sometimes, you end up with culls. My dogs look at me sideways if I offer them one - even if I cut it apart. Huh??? Yer a Dog!

I need a burm or a mainland retic.

Quail eggs are coming later next month, and I'll be getting a Hovabator to hatch them. The Sonoran Gopher should be able to handle at least a young one. I've always just fed rodents, but the DMExotics guy (Moleri ? - can't spell the name), says variety is the key to getting them in the best condition.

My colubrids, boas, and anaconda also love chickens. I get the culls from a local free-range producer and those vary in size from day-old chicks up to a few pounds.

Variety is good.

I've seldom had chickens to feed off, but I've fed an assortment of fresh killed ringneck doves, pigeons, and other birds to colubrids, boa constrictors, and Burmese pythons. Most of my snakes have loved them.

I find that snakes have a tendency to get hung up at the elbow joint of the wings. Taking the wings off there makes swallowing easier. Cut through the joint to avoid making jagged slivers of bone.

I feed two of mine chickens they love them. I rotate between chickens an rats ....

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