Re: Is he getting enough food?
Re: Is he getting enough food?
We fed him a rat fuzzy. It was huge but he downed it without a lot of effort. I did not pre-kill it because he has never eaten pre-killed but I think I will next time.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
In response to the CO2 chamber, the pet store i go to breeds and prekills the f/t that they sell. The owner was telling me that using a CO2 chamber for a pinky or fuzzie isn't really that humane because their lungs are so small it takes a long time for them to die.
For them she put them in the freezer and only uses the CO2 chamber for mice/rats older than pinki /fuzzie.
Can't actually speak from experience regarding the methods, just passing on what i was told. I'm just starting to breed my own feeder rats.
I also was told that feeding rats is healthier for balls because while it takes 2-3 mice per meal (sometimes depending on size of course), the equivelent would only be one larger rat and therefor less energy expended on constricting (once instead of 2-3) and swallowing so more calories stay with the snake.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roswell
I also was told that feeding rats is healthier for balls because while it takes 2-3 mice per meal (sometimes depending on size of course), the equivelent would only be one larger rat and therefor less energy expended on constricting (once instead of 2-3) and swallowing so more calories stay with the snake.
Not true. Snakes' metabolisms are incredibly efficient and feeding mice is just as healthy as feeding rats. The energy expended during constriction is negligible comparing between eating one rat vs multiple mice.
And as far as pinkies lungs being too small for CO2 euthanization, that sounds like a load to me as well. I would get a Vet's opinion on that...
Re: Is he getting enough food?
It certainly took him longer to kill the rat than a fuzzy mouse, that's for sure. He's killed and consumed a fuzzy mouse in under ten minutes, the process with the rat fuzzy took twice that long. I've heard conflicting information on which is more nutritious/better, rats or mice. Frankly, I don't know how much difference there could be. I'd say the difference has more to do with owners rather than the snakes.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
Actually Brad it isn't a load of bull though it's only applicable from what my research told me up to about 10 days of age. Up to that point (basically while they are pinks) all rodents are resistant to hypoxia so CO2 isn't a great way to go for them. Takes them far longer to die than it would an older offspring or a full adult. Most university studies I've read - that being their lab stated rules for euthansia don't recommend rapid freezing, some do, some don't - but most of them don't recommend CO2 euthansia either. It's nothing to do with their "small lungs", probably more likely just due to them being neonatal rodents. All mammals (including human babies) respirate nasally while nursing heavily and breath functionally different than older babies/adults in how deep they breath and how often they breath in and out so I expect that's why the CO2 isn't quickly effective on pinks. On big fuzzies and upwards, it's very effective.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
I've used CO2 and canned air to euthanize pinks/fuzzies. They all go down the same. I'm not one to just put a living creature in the freezer.
One of my teachers did that to a live mouse who was injured. Stuck him in one of our empty refrigerator freezers.. Came back the NEXT DAY and he was still running around and was fine..
Re: Is he getting enough food?
The vet's opinion would be just that, an opinion. Unless the vet has actually used a CO2 chamber. I was told that info about pinkies from a long time breeder who uses one frequently on many different sizes. So i don't believe that its a load of bull.
As far as metabolism goes, ill give you that one. You may very well be right. However it is cheaper. One rat vs 3 mice is less money and if you're feeding more than one or two snakes the money difference adds up.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
On a page talking about how to make a CO2 chamber, I saw that info about the littlest babies being resistant to suffocation so it recommended CO2 was not used for them. I think it said it was based on a study done at UCDavis (a veterinary school).
The person also mentioned that freezing was NOT a humane alternative for the more mature ones, because they can live a surprisingly long time in a typical household freezer so it is a very slow death. However, this person's opinion (I'm pretty sure this was NOT based on any university study) was that since the little ones that are resistant to the CO2 have little to no fur and are too young to effectively regulate their own body temperatures, that freezing was a good option for them.
Sorry, I don't think I could find the page again to post a link.
Re: Is he getting enough food?
On this subject, I have alittle question too. I have a very healthy (now he is without the mites anyway) bp who eats every 7 days. One full sized lab mouse. But sometimes I think its not enough, he is extremely active right after he eats it, to me looks like hes waiting for me to drop in another. He just turned 1 and he is a big boy (in my eyes anyway). Should I bump him up? Does he need more? :)
