How do you feed your BPs?

I couldn't possibly be the only person on this earth that doesn't really care about the feelings of a soon-to-be-devoured prey item, can I? I mean, I get what you guys are getting at, I really, really do, but...

For clarification:

I've lived w/one of my roommates for over 2 years, we used to live in an apt together with someone else, then we moved into a house with 2 other friends. This guys ex-gf worked in some type of lab somewhere, where they tested whatever it was that they were testing on lab rats that they raised there. He saw me killing some rats and said "Hey man, why don't you kill them the way they do at Christine's job?". When I asked him what way that was, he started describing it, and it had something to do with a container and dry ice and suffocation, which I imagine is somewhat similar to the CO2 chamber method, but while he was describing it, it just sounded like a huge pain in the ass. I always meant to try it for a month or 2, just because it has to be cleaner, but I never got around to it, because in the grand scheme of things, it was just a longer way to the same result, a dead rat that is going to be converted to snake-poo after a week or so.

Am I wrong or sub-human for feeling this way? Cause I'm starting to feel a little bit guilty here.

I see it as everything having its place in the food chain and they all deserve some respect for the function they're performing. Smashing its head against the wall or something that doesn't guarantee an instant death is a little cruel when it could be avoided. If you don't want to waste time with a CO2 chamber there is a method to snap the neck with a ruler against the table. I've never done it so I don't feel right explaining it.

What she was explaining is a CO2 chamber and it is regulated by labratory standards as humane method of euthanizing rodents, that's why it's used there so much. Most research labs have very strict guidelines for this sort of thing.

As far as cervical dislocation it's not easy to do, and it's not recommended for certain sizes of rodents. It really depends very heavily on the person's ability to do it, so tends to go wrong a lot and leave the rodent suffering needlessly.

As far as whether most of us care about the rodents because they end up "snake poo"....it's a respect thing I suppose. The snakes we treasure would end up dead without those rodents, the rodents are themselves living things that should have good care and a humane end, rodents are just a very big part of snakekeeping when you raise your own feeders. You don't have to treat them as pets or whatever, but neither should they, as far as I'm concerned, be treated poorly or euthanized in inhumane ways.

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Whatever the actual reason for them dying by constriction, I don't want any life or death struggles between large rats and snakes to occur in a fish tank in my room, so I cut that part out of the equation, and I don't like the idea of frozen rats thawing out in my house, so I kill them myself, outside, in a bucket. Some of my bigger BPs and my big Coastal all eat Jumbo's. Those things don't look like something I want running around, fully functional, in an enclosed area with any snake that I paid any amount of money for.

I'm not trying to look like Mike Vick out here, but sometimes some small rodents are just dealt a bad hand in life.

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I can understand this perspective partly due to the many different experience levels and common sense approach, or lack of when looking after and feeding snakes as well as the risk that can be involved.

I dont have a problem with people feeding "live" at all but unfortunately you dont always get responsible people doing it which can lead to problems for the snake, also the same can be applied to other forms of feeding such as frozen thawed not being prepared properly thus causing harm to the snake as well.

Its a very fine line I think bordering ultimately on proper knowledge and experience being applied. When things like "live" feeding are done haphazzardly and irresponsibly then logic would suggest something bad is likely to happen. When it is done correctly the risk is pretty minimal and the mouse or rat dies quicker than the average venemous snake victim.

I have seen people feed live offering the live mouse on tongs and others I have seen the mouse or rat just chucked in the enclosure with wreckless abandon.

The problem I see is a trapped rat or mouse which essentially is what it is in an enclosure with no escape may react differently or more aggressively than in a natural surrounding such as in the wild where more ofen than not they dont even see the snake before its too late.

I also think there is a huge difference in a keeper / breeder who has vast experience and knowledge with the particular species of snake feeding live than someone who bought a snake from the pet shop and wants to watch their new pet kill something.

Comes back to experience again. I agree with the comments on what works for your snake as long as it is healthy and eating but I would personally, advise people with little experience offer FT 1st.

This topic is one that will always raise strong opinions and debates and one thing that should be prevelant with any keeper is to ask themselves an important question "what method of feeding they can confidently and correctly apply for their snake that will offer both the snake and owner healthy life overall"

If everyone was responsible and dilligent then I am sure there would be less arguements about it but like anything else when dealing with pets there are all manner of type of owners good and bad.

Whatever your choice examine the proper procedures and methods and where possible seek advice when required or where there is doubt.


I had a very interesting few days of debate on this subject with Jo and Robin about a year ago now on this subject and it comes as no surprise it is alive and kicking now. :)

Excellent post Snakey! I do remember that *cough* debate LOL. What a way to make friends and influence people eh my friend. I think though in the end all of us grew to respect each other's viewpoint and perhaps learn a bit about the other side of the feeding coin...I know I certainly did. That's what proper debate is about though isn't it (even if we did get a tad hot under the collar a time or two....it's that stubborn as the day is long scots blood in me...I know LOL).

Your points made here are excellent and need no further dressing up from me. Well said, well thought out and very balanced view of things. Great post on a sometimes difficult topic! :)

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Excellent post Snakey! I do remember that *cough* debate LOL. (even if we did get a tad hot under the collar a time or two....it's that stubborn as the day is long scots blood in me...I know LOL). :)

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LOL aye I knew from the 1st reply that you had some Scots blood in you.:D

Yes we did set that thread on fire as I remember and I came away with a profound respect for both you and Robins debating skills and knowledge.

Ahh the fond memories :frustratehehe

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Originally Posted by snakey68

LOL aye I knew from the 1st reply that you had some Scots blood in you.:D

Yes we did set that thread on fire as I remember and I came away with a profound respect for both you and Robins debating skills and knowledge.

Ahh the fond memories :frustratehehe

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Scots blood will out as my granny often said LOL. I remember Robin and I going on the big scots themed smiley hunt for you as a sort of thank you for the "great debate".

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Scots blood will out as my granny often said LOL. I remember Robin and I going on the big scots themed smiley hunt for you as a sort of thank you for the "great debate".

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LOL Aye I remember them well in fact I liked them so much I saved them. Made my day that did ..:sunny:

live in the enclosure, but i take all the hides, branches, water dish, etc. out so she can just get it and get it down. i've never had a problem. she can tell when all the furniture is missing and knows it's feeding time.

Ok, I guess we all just won't see eye to eye on this particular part of the thing, which is cool. When I said what I said about feeding live, I didn't mean to sound like I was looking down at people who fed live or anything, and I actually feed my JCP live if she happens to be out on her branch (because reaching down past her with a dead rat will just get me bitten), and I have fed almost all of my snakes live at some point or another throughout the years, even if only until such time that they'd take p/k. I also feed my snapping turtle live rat fuzzies when its red-meat day for her. I was/am just a little suprised to see that I'm the only one on here that kills rats by blunt trauma instead of any other way, CO2 or that cervical dislocation thingy, and the suprise is because everyone I know with snakes does it the same way.

Anyhow, I will give the CO2 thing a *try* at some point, just because it's cleaner, but I'm sure that I'll prolly go back to this method because it's easier and I'm pretty sure it's faster, but we'll see. As for the whole respecting the food chain thing...like I said, I guess we won't all totally be eye to eye on this one. I respect the food chain for what it is, but I don't think that killing a rat that I'm about to feed to snake by hitting it against a hard surface is being particulary disrespectful to anything, I mean, hey, poor rat I guess, but the world keeps on spinning. I'd like a 100% quick and painless death too (actually I'd like to live forever), but I don't know that I'll get one. Maybe I'd feel different if I raised my own rats, but I wouldn't do that. I love my reptiles...but that's as far as it goes. To me, rats/crickets/pinkies/mice/etc are food for my pets. I don't mean to offend anyone that keeps rats as pets or anything, but I'm just being real on how I feel about it, I don't really feel like I'm disrespecting anything, if it comes across that way then I apologize.