Re: Whats the best way to switch to Rats from Mice?
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Originally Posted by
West Coast Jungle
I have never fed a ball python a large rat ever, live or dead, that's way too big of a meal for a BP. Even my largest girls get small rats that they kill instantly when they hit them, no danger whatsoever.
Sorry, I didn't mean LARGE rats - just something larger than a pup/weanling. ;) My rat-eating girl gets a small rat weekly, and she's a fairly big girl @ over 2000g. So don't worry, I'm not feeding my BPs jumbo rats - LOL.
Re: Whats the best way to switch to Rats from Mice?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dustin Hays
How many adult mice will an adult female eat when she is full grown (on average) ?
My biggest snake usually eats 3-4 per feeding, but would happily take a dozen! And she weighs around 2500g (minimum), so I doubt any snake would need more. She'll also get rats occasionally, and seems fine with small-medium sized adults.
For those who feed live rats, what do you give the larger snakes? I'm assuming a pup/wean isn't enough, so do you offer multiples or go up to small-med?
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Also, I know people usually say to use tongs with the frozen thawed mice. Is this still required after they have been switched over?
Each of my (frozen-feeding) snakes has their preference... some of mine like it dangled, some like the "zombie dance," and others prefer that I drop it & leave. You'll just have to do a little trial & error!
Re: Whats the best way to switch to Rats from Mice?
Definitely use tongs with frozen-thawed and fresh-killed food. You don't want your yummy, living hand to be right next to the meal when you offer or drop it in. :O
I have gotten a few BPs that were feeding on live mice, that I switched to F/T rats. I changed them to live rats first (base your size on it being slightly larger than your BP's girth), and then to F/T rats of the same size. Patience is the key, because they might skip a few meals while you're trying to change them. Missing a few meals won't hurt them, though, so don't give in! My Pied was 300g when I tried to switch her, and it took 6 weeks! When I switched my 150g Calico, though, she was completely converted in two weeks (two live rat pup feedings, and then to F/T).
