(Semi) newbie here with many, MANY questions!

Not happy. Did a blunder and left a mouse out to thaw last evening, and completely forgot about it until late this morning.

The first rodent to be wasted and it was entirely due to my own incompetence. :rage:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Not happy. Did a blunder and left a mouse out to thaw last evening, and completely forgot about it until late this morning.

The first rodent to be wasted and it was entirely due to my own incompetence. :rage:

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These things happen .... don’t worry !
I leave the tongs out JUST to remind me when I’ve got mice thawing out


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Tried to get a rat to get ready for the first attempt but all the store had were large and medium (both far too big for his age) so I got some large mice which he just got started on instead. Better to have some supply than none at all.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Not happy. Did a blunder and left a mouse out to thaw last evening, and completely forgot about it until late this morning.

The first rodent to be wasted and it was entirely due to my own incompetence. :rage:

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Who hasn't??? :rofl:It happens...

And yes, the meal size is more important, though some snakes can be very picky about the scent difference. Hope it goes well despite that.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Not happy. Did a blunder and left a mouse out to thaw last evening, and completely forgot about it until late this morning.

The first rodent to be wasted and it was entirely due to my own incompetence. :rage:

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It happens. [emoji23]
Just lucky you didn’t leave it for longer [emoji1785]


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Think I've found out why I almost never see Zebes use the other hide. It's his toilet. :rofl:

Twice in a row now that's where his dumps turned up. Is that a common thing for them to use the same place to do their business?

Also a fresh pic. He's pretty close to surpassing the length of my arms already, my boy is growing up. :snake:https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...a550c3fecb.jpg

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Zebes is a pretty fellow, & yes, some snakes do seem to "take aim" with some degree of consistency. Some also like to use their water bowl as if it might actually flush? :rofl:But the idea of a housebroken snake, no, sorry...because in the wild, they just go & move on. They don't have instincts about being tidy, unfortunately. Time will tell as to whether or not Zebes continues this, but mostly I would assume it's because some snakes are shyer, so they like to go where they feel safest, ie. in their hide.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Zebes is a pretty fellow, & yes, some snakes do seem to "take aim" with some degree of consistency. Some also like to use their water bowl as if it might actually flush? :rofl:But the idea of a housebroken snake, no, sorry...because in the wild, they just go & move on. They don't have instincts about being tidy, unfortunately. Time will tell as to whether or not Zebes continues this, but mostly I would assume it's because some snakes are shyer, so they like to go where they feel safest, ie. in their hide.

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Didn't think so since they don't "set up house" and thusly lack the instinct to have a dedicated toiletry area, but it'll be nice if it's a pattern he repeats so I know where to check. :P

Speaking of hides, before I put him back just now I switched out the hide that he was using for a bigger log I had in storage for the exact occasion, as he was clearly outgrowing the previous one. There's snug and then there's being so big that the log constantly moves every time you do and having half your coils sticking out the back end due to the log being pushed away from the wall. :rofl:

I'll monitor him closely to make sure the bigger space isn't stressing him out of course. He went into it right away with no hesitation and resumed his usual relaxed position though, so far so good. But if he shows signs of clearly not liking the change I'll put it back. Would just have both in there but there's no room (can't wait to upgrade to that T8 next year).

No problems with the new hide. If anything he seems to prefer it more as I've noticed he's staying deep inside while sleeping, no doubt liking how the "roof" is longer to make a darker cave.

As an aside, with every feeding I'm growing more and more thankful I'm not actually keeping a colony of mice like I did when I had my corn snake over a decade ago and just not feeding live period. It was feeding day today and I'm pretty sure the mouse was a male (didn't check for certain). The smell was so atrociously bad. :weirdface

These hides you're referring to, are these the open-at-both-end tree bark tunnels? If so, fyi, they're nice cage "furniture" but are lacking when it comes to being "hides", as they're too "open" for a snake (like a BP, especially) to really feel secure. Also, you should provide at least 2 equal hides for all snakes, one in the cool (unheated) area, & one over or under the heat -depending on what kind(s) of heat you're running. Snakes are most happy when their hides are more like these: https://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes With only one "door" that's just big enough for them to fit thru with a meal "on board", & not too tall* either. A snake such as a BP may feel too exposed if their "hides" are lacking adequate security, so you might want to "remodel" when you get a chance. *Snakes like their hides to feel like a secure cave with "back pressure" so they know nothing can sneak up on them.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

These hides you're referring to, are these the open-at-both-end tree bark tunnels? If so, fyi, they're nice cage "furniture" but are lacking when it comes to being "hides", as they're too "open" for a snake (like a BP, especially) to really feel secure. Also, you should provide at least 2 equal hides for all snakes, one in the cool (unheated) area, & one over or under the heat -depending on what kind(s) of heat you're running. Snakes are most happy when their hides are more like these: https://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes With only one "door" that's just big enough for them to fit thru with a meal "on board", & not too tall* either. A snake such as a BP may feel too exposed if their "hides" are lacking adequate security, so you might want to "remodel" when you get a chance. *Snakes like their hides to feel like a secure cave with "back pressure" so they know nothing can sneak up on them.

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They are the "bark tunnel" types, but with both of them one end is wedged tightly against the side of the glass, and the tank itself has the three non-front facing panels covered with black foam board on the outside, so there is only one entrance and it's pitch black inside.

I do already plan to get better ones next year though. His whole enclosure is effectively going to be overhauled when I upgrade from the retrofitted fish tank to an AP enclosure that's actually built with snakes in mind.

He's looking great! Nice job!

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First update in a while. Did have a few family members over for Christmas and it was the first time my nieces and nephews got to really meet Zebes (last time they were here he was in deep blue so I only took him out very briefly). Took him out once a day so he wouldn't get stressed out, and he did wonderfully; never got frightened and the kids loved him, the nieces in particular curiously. It was a great educational time too, while we held him I would tell them as much snake knowledge as my brain could process and they held on to every word. Always warms my heart to share with younger generations the less appreciated of our natural world. :D

As for Zebes himself, he's growing steadily but surely. Weighed him yesterday at 271 grams and just measured him now (well, attempted to anyway :P) and he's pretty much 2 feet long. And today I've finally managed to find small frozen rats (for the life of me I couldn't find any in my regular haunts lately but got lucky this time). Grabbed a couple more mice just in case too, but now what? Should I try to offer one straight out next feeding time to see what happens or should I play it safe and try mixing scents via thawing a mouse and rat together?

Some fresh pics too. :snake:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...fd78cc2614.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...b16e876f57.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f42db24338.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...03c09662f9.jpg
(Yes he willingly crawled onto my hand of his own accord :D).

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

First update in a while. Did have a few family members over for Christmas and it was the first time my nieces and nephews got to really meet Zebes (last time they were here he was in deep blue so I only took him out very briefly). Took him out once a day so he wouldn't get stressed out, and he did wonderfully; never got frightened and the kids loved him, the nieces in particular curiously. It was a great educational time too, while we held him I would tell them as much snake knowledge as my brain could process and they held on to every word. Always warms my heart to share with younger generations the less appreciated of our natural world. :D

As for Zebes himself, he's growing steadily but surely. Weighed him yesterday at 271 grams and just measured him now (well, attempted to anyway :P) and he's pretty much 2 feet long. And today I've finally managed to find small frozen rats (for the life of me I couldn't find any in my regular haunts lately but got lucky this time). Grabbed a couple more mice just in case too, but now what? Should I try to offer one straight out next feeding time to see what happens or should I play it safe and try mixing scents via thawing a mouse and rat together?

Some fresh pics too. :snake:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...fd78cc2614.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...b16e876f57.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...f42db24338.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...03c09662f9.jpg
(Yes he willingly crawled onto my hand of his own accord :D).

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Fabulous !!

If it was me I’d probably thaw the mice / rats together at least the first time ..even I notice the difference in smell between the two so I’m damn sure they will :)

Try the hairdryer method as well ... at least for the first time .. I’ll send it to you by PM now .

Good luck !


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Fabulous !!

If it was me I’d probably thaw the mice / rats together at least the first time ..even I notice the difference in smell between the two so I’m damn sure they will :)

Try the hairdryer method as well ... at least for the first time .. I’ll send it to you by PM now .

Good luck !


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I've always used the hairdryer method after thawing, but thanks regardless. ;)

Well, a couple things.

First Zebes had his second shed and once again it went perfectly. The humid hide is an absolute lifesaver because with the dry indoor heated air due to winter it's become impossible to keep the ambient humidity even halfway at the recommended levels no matter what techniques I attempt. But he's been perfectly healthy regardless and always has access to more moisture so things should be okay until I upgrade his digs in the future. He used the humid hide for a week straight (yet still ate interestingly) and just had his shed sometime this morning. Wish the skins didn't keep getting all crumpled though. [emoji14]

Secondly, I was getting a rat ready for his first try but noticed the ones I bought (2 in a box so I didn't actually see them up till now) are twice the size of the mice he's been feeding on. I did a weighing and they are WAY too big for him. The mice are 20 grams, the rats are 50. Zebes himself is 262 grams (weighed today) which, going by the feeding chart that's oft posted here, is several months off as he needs to put on another 250-300 grams before taking on rodents of that size.

So, once again, I have to go searching around for a store that sells frozen rats at pup/weaned sizes. For whatever reason my regular haunts never carry them in any sizes smaller. Oy vey... :doh:

That aside though, here he is after the fresh shed. :D

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...1132cd54b9.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...de1f518908.jpg

Ho dear... I'm almost at my wit's end trying to find a place that sells frozen rats at an appropriate size. All the regular big box places don't carry anything below 50 grams and I called the closest specialist reptile shop (a 40+ minute drive mind you) and they only carry live rodents that I'd have to kill/freeze myself which idk how to do humanely. And ordering online wouldn't be a viable option considering the big extra shipping cost which wouldn't be close to worth it for one snake.

So, I'm about at a loss as to what to do. The worst case scenario I keep feeding him mice until he gets large enough to tackle the small rats available to me, but idk if that would be too late for him to switch over considering how notorious it is with BPs and switching meal species. :(

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Ho dear... I'm almost at my wit's end trying to find a place that sells frozen rats at an appropriate size. All the regular big box places don't carry anything below 50 grams and I called the closest specialist reptile shop (a 40+ minute drive mind you) and they only carry live rodents that I'd have to kill/freeze myself which idk how to do humanely. And ordering online wouldn't be a viable option considering the big extra shipping cost which wouldn't be close to worth it for one snake.

So, I'm about at a loss as to what to do. The worst case scenario I keep feeding him mice until he gets large enough to tackle the small rats available to me, but idk if that would be too late for him to switch over considering how notorious it is with BPs and switching meal species. :(

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Are you SURE it wouldn't be worth it to buy frozen online & have shipped? Even for just one snake, you can buy at least a year's supply- they won't spoil as long as they stay frozen, & they keep even better if vacuum-sealed. Some sources sell them that way, but otherwise, you can do that yourself too, with a "seal-a-meal" device.

Probably better than confusing him with mice, he might be hard to get back on rats. They're usually cheaper online, but even when you figure in the shipping (& gas & inconvenience of heading to the store all the time), I bet they come close to costing the same? And if you know anyone near you that keeps snakes, maybe you could split the order too?

For what it’s worth some people ( a minority) actually feed a varied diet arguing they are replicating the risk wild ..

I know of one guy who feeds a random diet of all manner of thawed rodents plus thawed chicks ... even mixing up the sizes .


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

For what it’s worth some people ( a minority) actually feed a varied diet arguing they are replicating the risk wild ..

I know of one guy who feeds a random diet of all manner of thawed rodents plus thawed chicks ... even mixing up the sizes .


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I've done that before with other snakes too, but BPs can be so picky...:confusd: I agree that's more "natural" though.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I've done that before with other snakes too, but BPs can be so picky...:confusd: I agree that's more "natural" though.

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I was talking about Royals/Balls :)

I myself feed mice / rats and every 4th or 5th feed they get a thawed chic ... I have 7 Royals ...

I also mix up the days in between.. I go off how interested they are all looking when I change the water (daily) .

Usually between 9 and 14 days ..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

I was talking about Royals/Balls :)

I myself feed mice / rats and every 4th or 5th feed they get a thawed chic ... I have 7 Royals ...

I also mix up the days in between.. I go off how interested they are all looking when I change the water (daily) .

Usually between 9 and 14 days ..


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You're tough & your snakes are well-trained, then...they know you're not a push-over! :rofl: Did you tell them there are "starving snakes in China that would love to have this"...?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Are you SURE it wouldn't be worth it to buy frozen online & have shipped? Even for just one snake, you can buy at least a year's supply- they won't spoil as long as they stay frozen, & they keep even better if vacuum-sealed. Some sources sell them that way, but otherwise, you can do that yourself too, with a "seal-a-meal" device.

Probably better than confusing him with mice, he might be hard to get back on rats. They're usually cheaper online, but even when you figure in the shipping (& gas & inconvenience of heading to the store all the time), I bet they come close to costing the same? And if you know anyone near you that keeps snakes, maybe you could split the order too?

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Seems like rat pups online from most places come in packs of 25. Would that be a good amount to last him until he reaches the "next size" so to speak?

25 should take a while to feed off, but snakes grow at different rates so I can't say for sure. Even once they're on the small side for him, there's no harm done- there are "options". You can double them up & feed at a greater interval, or feed singles that are slightly closer together- remember that snakes don't have regular meals in the wild, nor do they have consistent prey items.

Put in an order for a pack of 25 pups at The Big Cheese. Bit a pricey bullet but hopefully he's transition easily and I'll be good on a food supply for a long while.

:gj: Let's hope he appreciates your efforts. ;)

I sure hope so. And there's still the ever-looming elephant in the room regarding his enclosure upgrade. Though there is a "quicker ship" option for the exact T8 model I'm considering from AP that looks tempting (approx. 30 days to ship instead of half a year or more).

Question is I'm not sure what changes regarding heating elements. I don't think my heat pad will still be compatible and I'd have to figure out how I'm going to "cage" the CHE so he doesn't burn himself on it since it won't be on the outside of the enclosure anymore.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

You're tough & your snakes are well-trained, then...they know you're not a push-over! :rofl: Did you tell them there are "starving snakes in China that would love to have this"...?

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My secret is the hairdryer method :)


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Originally Posted by Snagrio

I sure hope so. And there's still the ever-looming elephant in the room regarding his enclosure upgrade. Though there is a "quicker ship" option for the exact T8 model I'm considering from AP that looks tempting (approx. 30 days to ship instead of half a year or more).

Question is I'm not sure what changes regarding heating elements. I don't think my heat pad will still be compatible and I'd have to figure out how I'm going to "cage" the CHE so he doesn't burn himself on it since it won't be on the outside of the enclosure anymore.

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Might start a separate thread with that question, as I think some here do that exact thing- so they can tell you how or where they got theirs. Have you looked on sites for herp supplies? Like on Bean Farm or Reptile Basics? Or just googled "safety cage for CHE"? I think a lot of members use RHPs, actually. I don't though, so I can't advise you on that. Enclosure upgrades are both welcome & nerve-wracking...;) but you'll get it all figured out.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

I sure hope so. And there's still the ever-looming elephant in the room regarding his enclosure upgrade. Though there is a "quicker ship" option for the exact T8 model I'm considering from AP that looks tempting (approx. 30 days to ship instead of half a year or more).

Question is I'm not sure what changes regarding heating elements. I don't think my heat pad will still be compatible and I'd have to figure out how I'm going to "cage" the CHE so he doesn't burn himself on it since it won't be on the outside of the enclosure anymore.

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You can use a UTH on pvc enclosures, you can also order a screen cutout on your AP enclosure and set your CHE on top, or you can upgrade and go with a RHP for your heat source.

That was fast! ^ ^ ^ :gj:

The "caged lamp" option feels like the best course of action. RHPs look very expensive to upgrade to and having a screen hole cut out of the top of the enclosure would just wrap right back around to my humidity woes that I've already been constantly dealing with.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

The "caged lamp" option feels like the best course of action. RHPs look very expensive to upgrade to and having a screen hole cut out of the top of the enclosure would just wrap right back around to my humidity woes that I've already been constantly dealing with.

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The down-side of having a "caged lamp" within a snake's living space is that many try to climb on it, or manage to splash water on it, & the cage, while cooler than the lamp/CHE itself, will also get hot simply because it's metal, or it may be abrasive. (some are likely way better than others)

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

The down-side of having a "caged lamp" within a snake's living space is that many try to climb on it, or manage to splash water on it, & the cage, while cooler than the lamp/CHE itself, will also get hot simply because it's metal, or it may be abrasive. (some are likely way better than others)

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Did a little more digging and, yeah you have a point. Also there's an option with the T8 to simply have an 8 inch screen circle cut out at the top instead of a large chunk, that'd be far more accommodating and it's cheaper than buying a wire cage from what I've seen online.

Ultimately it's up to you, but I'm glad to see you asking good questions & searching for the best way to go. I've seen posts about snakes climbing & having issues with caged lamps, & even though BPs aren't big climbers, you never know...they don't all "read the manual" on how they're supposed to be.

It's as I've said. The last time I had a snake I wasn't taking care of it to the best of my ability and made a number of mistakes, so this whole experience has been something of a "redemption arc" where I'm doing everything in my power to amass knowledge and do it all by the book to give my new banana boy the best life he deserves.

And it's not just him either. My 125 gallon aquarium project has been a massive labor of passion, a mission to prove to myself that I can do things in a correct manner. Should start a thread on it here now that I think about it. ;)

The rats arrived today, conveniently it was also feeding day. Took a rat pup and ziplocked it with a mouse and did the usual thawing routine to mix their scents.

He grabbed the rat and downed it without hesitation. :D

Had an inkling he would just out of his sheer feeding response, but I'm still quite pleased. The rats are also bigger than the mice (about a inch or two longer and wider) so it's a perfect step up from what he's been feeding. Have a few more mice to mix with and he should transition over completely without issue.

My chickens will eat the mice. They eat almost anything and are surely grateful for a richer snack during this ghastly winter season (tons of snow and ice, eugh). Until the day comes where I have the resources to accommodate more snakes, they're my "garbage disposals." ;)

Hey, that's great news! :gj: I LOVE snakes that have good feeding responses. The ones that are fussy can be so frustrating.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

The rats arrived today, conveniently it was also feeding day. Took a rat pup and ziplocked it with a mouse and did the usual thawing routine to mix their scents.

He grabbed the rat and downed it without hesitation. :D

Had an inkling he would just out of his sheer feeding response, but I'm still quite pleased. The rats are also bigger than the mice (about a inch or two longer and wider) so it's a perfect step up from what he's been feeding. Have a few more mice to mix with and he should transition over completely without issue.

My chickens will eat the mice. They eat almost anything and are surely grateful for a richer snack during this ghastly winter season (tons of snow and ice, eugh). Until the day comes where I have the resources to accommodate more snakes, they're my "garbage disposals." ;)

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Chickens eat mice ??

I always thought they were herbivores !?!
:)

Kinda reminds me of England a while back when we had mad cow disease.. pretty sure the food manufacturers had started adding meat products to the cow’s dried food to keep costs down ..


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Chickens eat mice ??

I always thought they were herbivores !?!
:)

Kinda reminds me of England a while back when we had mad cow disease.. pretty sure the food manufacturers had started adding meat products to the cow’s dried food to keep costs down ..


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I've never raised chickens but my sister used to. Chickens will eat almost anything. Free-range chickens eat insects along with grains & all that- hard to picture them eating mice but apparently they will? I remember "mad cow" disease too, & as I recall, that was how it came about- feeding cows improperly...pretty sad. :(

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Chickens eat mice ??

I always thought they were herbivores !?!
:)

Kinda reminds me of England a while back when we had mad cow disease.. pretty sure the food manufacturers had started adding meat products to the cow’s dried food to keep costs down ..


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Nope, they are obligate omnivores. Grains, leafy greens, fruits and veggies for sure, but they'll also take insects and any animal small enough to tackle (yes, even snakes). In fact, they are also cannibals. Even as day old chicks, if one in a group starts bleeding, there's a more than good chance the others will peck it to death. The sight of blood throws them into a frenzy. To top it off, break one of their own eggs in front of them and they'll consume the entire thing, shell and all. I even on occasion give them carcasses from roast chicken and turkey, they completely pick the bones clean.

In short, chickens ain't the cutesy little things you see in media where they just nibble on grass and pellets, they're surprisingly tenacious creatures.

...Although this time it didn't go according to plan. It was already sundown by the time I threw the mouse in their pen, so it refroze overnight to the point where it didn't garner much interest from them. Ah well.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Nope, they are obligate omnivores. Grains, leafy greens, fruits and veggies for sure, but they'll also take insects and any animal small enough to tackle (yes, even snakes). In fact, they are also cannibals. Even as day old chicks, if one in a group starts bleeding, there's a more than good chance the others will peck it to death. The sight of blood throws them into a frenzy. To top it off, break one of their own eggs in front of them and they'll consume the entire thing, shell and all. I even on occasion give them carcasses from roast chicken and turkey, they completely pick the bones clean.

In short, chickens ain't the cutesy little things you see in media where they just nibble on grass and pellets, they're surprisingly tenacious creatures.

...Although this time it didn't go according to plan. It was already sundown by the time I threw the mouse in their pen, so it refroze overnight to the point where it didn't garner much interest from them. Ah well.

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Interesting... I knew that pigs will eat anything.. I’ve seen documentaries where they’ve said back in the day of a criminal or an ‘insignificant’ died or was killed they just chucked the bodies into the pig pens ..


Guess that meant a few months later they were eating pigs that ate humans !!??


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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Interesting... I knew that pigs will eat anything.. I’ve seen documentaries where they’ve said back in the day of a criminal or an ‘insignificant’ died or was killed they just chucked the bodies into the pig pens ..


Guess that meant a few months later they were eating pigs that ate humans !!??


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Oh yeah, pigs are even more opportunistic. In the wild they'll truly eat anything that suits their fancy, and thanks to their strong yet maneuverable nose, nothing can stop them from getting to it. Also, due to feral hogs (which are very dangerous, more than most people would think), it's more than possible that people have been killed and subsequently eaten by swine before. Not hunted necessarily, but after killing someone they likely wouldn't have let a perfectly good corpse go to waste...

All this to say, the overriding majority of our non-venomous noodle friends are far less scary in reality in terms of what they can do to you compared to most of the "common everyday" critters folks think of.

I mean heck, even in my own household I'd sooner get bitten by my BP than my green cheek conure. With the former it'd be a few pinpricks at worst, with the latter it'd be a gaping, gushing wound if he got a hard enough bite in. And if I had a bigger bird like a macaw or cockatoo, it's be possible they'd outright break a finger if they were angry enough.

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

...In short, chickens ain't the cutesy little things you see in media where they just nibble on grass and pellets, they're surprisingly tenacious creatures...

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Just consider the much larger prehistoric creatures they evolved from....:O...;)

Yet some are wonderful pets too- I know someone (who hasn't been around here much lately) with a pet rooster in the family that loves to be cuddled & that even "purrs". :D

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Just consider the much larger prehistoric creatures they evolved from....:O...;)

Yet some are wonderful pets too- I know someone (who hasn't been around here much lately) with a pet rooster in the family that loves to be cuddled & that even "purrs". :D

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I miss having roosters tbh. I've had several different flocks over the years (have moved a number of times and at some places we couldn't keep chickens). One was an absolute darling, would sit on my shoulder like a parrot and had this special happy crow he would make only when he saw me come outside.

Then with my current flock there were two, and one of them was similar to the previous flock's male. Calmest thing and would ride my shoulder. Unfortunately both had to be rehomed because roosters are both noisier than a rock concert (despite popular depictions they crow ALL DAY LONG and not just at the crack of dawn) and because if you have a small rooster to hen ratio in a closed space, the hens eventually have their backs very messed up due to the males constantly mounting them, often to the point of bleeding.

On the bright side though, they were spared from the fryer and went to someone who wanted roosters for his flock of 100 hens, so they got to live out the high life. :cool:

I think it's a lot like keeping snakes...when you keep an open mind, you find that many kinds of creatures have more personality than what is typically portrayed or believed by most people. It's up to people like us to be "their voice" & their PR (public relations) firm. :cool:

Even at his size (somewhere above 2 feet or so) it's remarkable how much strength lies within his coils. He had his neck wrapped around my thumb while I've been on the computer, and after a little bit I noticed I couldn't feel my thumb anymore. :O

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Even at his size (somewhere above 2 feet or so) it's remarkable how much strength lies within his coils. He had his neck wrapped around my thumb while I've been on the computer, and after a little bit I noticed I couldn't feel my thumb anymore. :O

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I know...it's easy to underestimate how strong these little "noodles" can be. :snake:

Something I've never thought about before was to check out Facebook marketplace (I've only looked through Craigslist up to now). I'm blown away from the selection, like, wow. So many nice PVC enclosures for less than ordering a new one, sometimes even entire stacks of them at a discount, and no waiting half a year for one either. :P

And if I get a stacked setup then that's setting up for the future. :cool:

Going to wait until all my aquarium business is finished (just at the cusp of adding new fish to a quarantine tank I've set up) but definitely going to keep a close eye on the place to see if a good deal pops up within a reasonable driving distance.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Snagrio

Something I've never thought about before was to check out Facebook marketplace (I've only looked through Craigslist up to now). I'm blown away from the selection, like, wow. So many nice PVC enclosures for less than ordering a new one, sometimes even entire stacks of them at a discount, and no waiting half a year for one either. :P

And if I get a stacked setup then that's setting up for the future. :cool:

Going to wait until all my aquarium business is finished (just at the cusp of adding new fish to a quarantine tank I've set up) but definitely going to keep a close eye on the place to see if a good deal pops up within a reasonable driving distance.

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That all sounds fascinating .,

You should start a new thread showing your progress and purchases .. like a visual diary we could all share. ?!?


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