Pictures of new girl

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Originally Posted by Leon

I feed both F/T and Live -
To tell you the truth, it's a bit irritating defrosting the rats everytime and it doesn't smell that good inside either.
Dealing with live is much easier, and to tell you the truth, I see better feeding responses with live, but then again that's just me.
Other's might have better feeding responses with Frozen.

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I can't say I notice a smell when defrosting. I leave them in the sink in a piece of tupperware and run hot water continuously for about 10 minutes and theyre ready. As far as live, for me, it would be much more difficult to get it. I would have to go out every week to buy. I dont want to breed or keep any rodents in the house. Too much smell and trouble. As far as feeding response, its spectacular every time. Thats just my opinion and experiences though!

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I can understand the rat vs mouse thing as they are physically different and contain different protein/fat values but how would there be a difference between live and ft?

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Well, contrary to popular belief, I've found that rats and mice really work the same for putting weight on a ball python. I have 2 pairs of sisters that I produced and for each pair raised one on mice and the other on rats and in both cases the sisters are within 30-40 grams of each other.

As far as the difference made by freezing ... It's pretty common knowledge that freezing effects proteins (and other nutrients) on the cellular level. Since cells are mostly water, the freezing/thawing (ie. contraction/expansion) process damages the cellular walls. One common belief is that a F/T piece of meat is signifigantly lower in nutritional content than a fresh piece of meet (I've actually talked to some butchers that dropped some major knowledge on me about the topic). Of course without knowing the nutrional requirements of a ball python, no one can say for certain if a F/T rodent with a lower nutritonal content (even they even do have lower nutritional contents in the first place) than a live rodent would actually have an adverse effect, but it's certainly an interesting question. We still have so much to learn!

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Leon

I feed both F/T and Live -
To tell you the truth, it's a bit irritating defrosting the rats everytime and it doesn't smell that good inside either.
Dealing with live is much easier, and to tell you the truth, I see better feeding responses with live, but then again that's just me.
Other's might have better feeding responses with Frozen.

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Really, lets not start doing this. Maybe if anyone comes along and wants to share they can jump on another thread that deals specifically with live vs. f/t ... This thread is really about ball python growth, and not how we choose to feed.

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Well, contrary to popular belief, I've found that rats and mice really work the same for putting weight on a ball python. I have 2 pairs of sisters that I produced and for each pair raised one on mice and the other on rats and in both cases the sisters are within 30-40 grams of each other.

As far as the difference made by freezing ... It's pretty common knowledge that freezing effects proteins (and other nutrients) on the cellular level. Since cells are mostly water, the freezing/thawing (ie. contraction/expansion) process damages the cellular walls. One common belief is that a F/T piece of meat is signifigantly lower in nutritional content than a fresh piece of meet (I've actually talked to some butchers that dropped some major knowledge on me about the topic). Of course without knowing the nutrional requirements of a ball python, no one can say for certain if a F/T rodent with a lower nutritonal content (even they even do have lower nutritional contents in the first place) than a live rodent would actually have an adverse effect, but it's certainly an interesting question. We still have so much to learn!

-adam

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That is some interesting stuff there!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Really, lets not start doing this. Maybe if anyone comes along and wants to share they can jump on another thread that deals specifically with live vs. f/t ... This thread is really about ball python growth, and not how we choose to feed.

-adam

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Sorry for the thread hijacking. I'll leave it by saying that my balls are a nice size..muahaha...

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I'll leave it by saying that my balls are a nice size..muahaha...

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That's why I get so excited every time you email me! ;)

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

That's why I get so excited every time you email me! ;)

-adam

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Most people are excited by my balls. They are quite normal but still beautiful! Maybe in the future i'll have some more interesting ones to show the world! :)

I am such a two year old..

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Originally Posted by jglass38

I am such a two year old..

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That's why we all talk slow and avoid using big words around you. :D

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

That's why we all talk slow and avoid using big words around you. :D

-adam

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uhhh..mmm..uhh..duuuhhhh...errrrr...

boys......boys......boys

You know this just confirms my theory that the first person who had contact with these snakes and called them "ball" pythons was a guy. And he had a wife somewhere in the background going...

"for gawd's sakes George you can't seriously be thinking of calling them THAT!"

:P


~~Jo~~

P.S. Jamie, I typed this post r e a l l y s l o w l y so it would be easier for you to read dear.