wow.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ironhead

Now if we could only get all the snakes in the wild to eat f/t the snake world would be so much better. :roll:

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But the snakes we have aren't in the wild anymore. Just because they do it in the wild doesn't mean we have to follow along.....if thats the case, then why feed on a schedule? Why supply them with water on a regular basis? Why keep them safe from predators?

See, the "wild snake" argument doesn't hold up because these animals are now in our care and we have a responsibility to take care of them as best we can......which does NOT include simulating the wild (all of the time).

Never said to simulate the wild all of the time.

What works for one, does not allways work for another.

I agree that feeding f/t, freshly killed etc. is SAFER..... But does not mean that you should not feed live. My Monty Joe is going on 3 year's of age, he has been fed nothing but live his entire life and never has been hurt, not saying that he cannot be bitten. But I as the owner feed live and will continue to do so until I BELIEVE it to be unsafe for him. I monitor the entire feeding process and believe that I could intervene if necessary. And if he is hurt, then I will take appropriate measures. Feeding live does not mean that I do not care for my snake and that I am not being responsible.

As you said earlier, guess we will have to agree to disagree.

My thoughts are exactly as Ironhead said. BUT just because you, David, successfully switched all your bp's to f/t, does not mean that another household with bp's in it will be able to do the same. I have 11 ball pythons, all ages. I have continously fed f/t from the very first feeding; Because I do believe it is MUCH safer on the animal. Unfortunately, there are two hatchlings in that boat that will absolutely NOT eat f/t. Only live adult mice. Now, are you going to tell me that I should try going in their and talking to them about what's safest for them? It's impossible; the choice is completely up to them. That said, do you honestly think I am, or anyone in the same situation (alot of people) are an irresponsible keeper?

Jennifer

I think you guys give up too easily.....anything is possible. I suppose I am willing to put in more effort and time to get my animals on a healthy safe diet than others.......nothing wrong with that......I guess its better than your snake not eating at all, lol.

David,

Just because you want to switch your reptiles from eating live over to frozen/thawed does not mean you care more for your snakes than others.

I keep venomous reptiles, and switching from live to frozen/thawed is kinda tough, especially with members of the Crotalus family. Most of them eat lizards, and if you are lucky, can switch them to live mice (or rats for the larger specimens). But I've also had some wild caught specimens that eat frozen/thawed from the very first feeding.

Look, in the wild, they eat whatever the hell they want. Birds, bats, lizards, rodents and even other snakes; but I guess you already knew that, right? And they even stay alive long enough to reproduce! Amazing!

Yes, frozen/thawed is better in a lot of ways:
1. You can buy in bulk to save money!
2. No harm is done to the snake.
3. You don't have to kill them before feeding (in the case of pre-killed).

However, this also has its downsides:
1. If the snake doesn't eat, you can't re-freeze the frozen/thawed prey (thus wasting money).
2. If you buy lab prey (usually cheaper, but they have been experimented on) you might be hurting the snake (hell, you might even immunize it for herpes).
3. You can't test the quality (you don't know how old it is [which could cause some serious problems]).

What about live?
1. It can cause damage to the snake (with supervision it shouldn't matter).
2. You know how fresh it is.
3. Most reptiles prefer live.
4. Reptiles that won't eat anything should eat live!
5. You don't waste money if the snake doesn't eat (either keep it as a pet for a week, or give it to another member of the family; my monitor loves them)!

Basically, the decision is up to the snake. I suggest trying to switch over to pre-killed and buy in bulk from a reputable source (*cough Big Cheese Rodent Factory *cough). But, even then, me and my fiance have two 100% het albino ball pythons that cost us $900.00 and they only eat live! You think I'm afraid that the snakes don't know how to eat live prey?

Just back off and let the reptiles decide :wink: !

Dustin

fo sheezy.



i like this guy... welcome to the site.

I get my f/t rodents from RodentPro, so I knw they are o the best quality and are fresh. I am not condemning feeding live prey....I have had to do it in the past and probably will have to in the future. I just think that sometimes people will offer f/t once and then say "My snake won't take f/t!"....well its ALOT of work sometimes and I think its well worth the effort. Just my personal opinion.

I agree.

Dustin