How to "safely" feed live rodents? Opinions please.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

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I'm sorry I don't find that funny. There are humane ways to prekill.
I want to say more but will stop myself

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

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If you mean to smack the rat against the wall to kill it, then there are much better ways to pre-kill prey than that method.

I think the biggest three things are.

1.) Feed smaller meals

2.) Watch the snake

3.) Be ready with something to put in the rats mouth.

I think in general if you adhere to rule number 1 correctly then rule number 3 is a moot point. A small enough rat poses no harm (while it is dieing) to your snake unless it is capable of biteing an eye. The only way other then biteing an eye that a small enough feeder can do damage to your animal is if it left alone without supervision. The rat can begin using your snake as a chew toy.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

I think the biggest three things are.

1.) Feed smaller meals

2.) Watch the snake

3.) Be ready with something to put in the rats mouth.

I think in general if you adhere to rule number 1 correctly then rule number 3 is a moot point. A small enough rat poses no harm (while it is dieing) to your snake unless it is capable of biteing an eye. The only way other then biteing an eye that a small enough feeder can do damage to your animal is if it left alone without supervision. The rat can begin using your snake as a chew toy.

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Not to be overly picky or anything, but I don't subscribe to the smaller meals. I feed appropriate sized (you know, the regular rule-of-thumb being a rat is the same size as the widest part of the snake thing). Smaller meals means more often... which means more chances of getting a feeding accident. Ball pythons are efficient at hunting and killing appropriate sized prey.

But, you are correct in that it is not good to feed too big of a prey... if an appropriate size is not available, it's better to go smaller than bigger.

I've been feeding appropriate sized live ASF since 2008 and I've only had to stick a tong in a rat's mouth less than 5 times total.

Pre-scent the room with your live prey. It will get the snake in the mood, and will lead to a near instantaneous strike.

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Originally Posted by MarkieJ

Pre-scent the room with your live prey. It will get the snake in the mood, and will lead to a near instantaneous strike.

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This is what I do

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Originally Posted by Wizard

I would prefer to feed my BP's F/T but if I had a snake(s) that only ate live, what would be the best way to present the food item safely to the snake and do it humanely?

I have read everything from stunning the rodent to spinning them making them dizzy, however, I don't want to cause any undue pain/stress and suffering to the prey.

Thanks for your input!:)

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This actually makes it unsafe, nothing worse than a rodent gaining consciousness after being tease.

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

Smack it against a wall,hold it with tongs,your good to go.

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You sir have no business buying live preys or breeding your own if this is what you do.

And people wonder why snake owners are perceived the way they are? :rolleyes:

Even if you do not like rats or mice (I don’t really care for them) there is such a thing as respecting and killing the prey humanely, if you are not capable of doing that I would encourage you to buy F/T

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Now back to the original question.

How to do it safely?

Feed an appropriate size prey, do not feed over-sized preys.

Make sure the rodents are well hydrated, well fed and do not add unnecessary stress.

Establish a routine feed the same day each each (this will condition your snake(s) to know when feeding day is)

Pre-scent the room by leaving the rodents in your snake room 1 to 2 hours prior to feeding, this will entice your snake(s) to eat.

Remove the prey if not eaten within 15/20 min.

I feed several thousands of live preys each year and have done so for several years and I never had to intervene, I also never had snake with a severe injury.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NYHC4LIFE8899

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

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Do you kill it when you smack it against the wall? If so, that's not live feeding. If it's still alive, then this is a dangerous practice that puts your snake at risk. Your snake is perfectly capable of taking down a rat on its own, no need for you to 'help' incapacitate the rodent.