fuzzies

I read over all of this, and IMHO I think that you should go to small adult mice. Nutritionally, thats better than rat pups because your growing bp needs calcium amongst other things, and rat pups are mostly fat. A Bp that is over a foot should have no problem taking a small adult mouse, I promise. I was really apprehensive about giving a small rat to Amber for the first time; now she pounds them like its her job. And she's only 7 months old....

ok, thanks for all the input guys . im just tryin to make sure my babie is getting the nutriants he needs :)

What Brad said is SO true! When i got my small rats from Rodentpro.com, I was really worried that Hissy would never be able to take them down. I had only been feedin her small mice before then. But now, she LOVES those rats & won't even look at a mouse & if you read any of my previous posts, you would know that she is gettin HUGE since gettin on the rats!!

So, i would say, get your snake on whatever sized rats are appropraite & it will grow like a weed!!

Oh, & I forgot to add that she is not just gettin big, but i can actually feel a huge difference in her muscle strength & size! THAT is a sure sign that she is gettin healthier too! :)

I'll answer your question about whether or not you should still prekill fuzzies (rats, in this case.) The answer is yes! I have fed live fuzzy rats to my snakes, and once or twice, they'd attempt to swallow the fuzzy while it was still alive. I had to quickly steal the rat away with tongs, whack it against something, and re-toss it into the snake's cage. So I'd definately prekill anything that is being fed to a snake.

ok so ,no more frozen, he hasnt been taking the frozen anyways but i guess ill just start out on pre killed becuase i was having a hard time getting the mice at the right temp and plus they dont selll frozen mice anywhere around here. I live in a super small town and the biggest and closest pet store (although we have a little on here in town) is an hour and a half drive away.

Brandon, how long have you had your BP? I only ask because I'm wondering if you've had him long enough to see any observable growth. If you've had him for 2-3 months and haven't seen any change in size either lengthwise or widthwise, you might want to have him checked for internal parasites by a vet.

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

I'll answer your question about whether or not you should still prekill fuzzies (rats, in this case.) The answer is yes! I have fed live fuzzy rats to my snakes, and once or twice, they'd attempt to swallow the fuzzy while it was still alive. I had to quickly steal the rat away with tongs, whack it against something, and re-toss it into the snake's cage. So I'd definately prekill anything that is being fed to a snake.

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So Gin, does your bp constrict when it goes to eat? My bp always strikes and constricts with p/k and the few f/t mice she's taken in the past, but my friend's bp eats exclusively f/t and just slithers up to the mouse and starts to swallow it w/o constricting. I could see how that habit would be a problem with feeding live rat fuzzies.

I'm feeding big fuzzie rat pups to my girls, but you say small mice are better than rat pups? I don't know I think I am just going to raise my own mice so I can keep them clean and feed them a very nutritious diet, that way I know they are eating good mice. Trying frozen tomorrow wish me luck. :lol:

Basically, it comes down to age of the rodent. Pinkies are nearly all fat, regardless of whether it's a mouse or rat, and as the rodent grows and goes through the stages, it gradually loses fat and provides more calcium and protein. Because of this, a small adult mouse is a better quality food than a rat fuzzy, but once you get to the point where they have a full, thich coat of fur, the only truly important factor is whether it's an appropriate-sized meal (same or slightly larger girth as compared between prey and predator).