Live prey

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Very true i agree lol

On a side note: you dont breed the rats for being docile at all? Like ive heard some people feed off mean or cannabalistic ones and through generations develop nicer ones. Just curious...

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Not answering for JTrott, but in my experience...

Rats are a social animal and what you put into them is what you get out of them. I've not come across a single naturally aggressive rat in the 3+ years I've been breeding them. The bites I have received(very, VERY few) are most likely from individuals that I have not handled as much, which are more nervous and fearful...not mean and aggressive. The reason I feed off rats that bite or cannabalistic rats is simply because I do not want to keep rats that will bit me or eat their babies. For me, it is not breeding for temperament, since they already have such a good disposition naturally.

they will eat live regardless. its food and they know that. but why would you want to? its a lot more expensive, you have to clean and disinfect his tub/cage or your feeding tub (whichever you use) every time after he eats. i say just keep him on frozen thawed.

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Originally Posted by adam_c

they will eat live regardless. its food and they know that. but why would you want to? its a lot more expensive, you have to clean and disinfect his tub/cage or your feeding tub (whichever you use) every time after he eats. i say just keep him on frozen thawed.

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Can you tell us more about why it is necessary to clean and disinfect the tank after live feeding vs ft feeding?

So many things going on in this one thread.

I started Koga on f/t from my local Petsmart, because I was under the impression that feeding live was much more dangerous than it really is. I switched to live a whole two weeks ago because it costs a mere fraction of the price (I only have one snake and he's still growing, so ordering in bulk isn't the best option right now.) No difference in feeding response, I have no preference of f/t vs live, and really the only downsides to live are 1) having to drive out to the small exotic pets store each week and 2) having to hear the squeal of a dying rat each week.

I could go either way. Live is just more convenient for me right now.

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Originally Posted by Smoked Oyster

Can you tell us more about why it is necessary to clean and disinfect the tank after live feeding vs ft feeding?

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I would also like to know why live feeders would be different to frozen as far as germs in the tank. If the snake is eating the mouse, than germs apparently arent a factor. Now i can see if the mouse piddled or poodled in the cage, that should get got, but if its just chilln and then gets swooped, poop and all, is it really that much worse than a frozen?

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Originally Posted by adam_c

they will eat live regardless. its food and they know that. but why would you want to? its a lot more expensive, you have to clean and disinfect his tub/cage or your feeding tub (whichever you use) every time after he eats. i say just keep him on frozen thawed.

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You do? I missed that memo, I guess.

Also, live is less expensive for me than f/t. Literally - live prices are less.

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Originally Posted by ster36

Not where I live in rural Wyoming nobody carries frozen thawed and shipping would put the price higher then a live one would cost me.

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If you buy in bulk isnt that cheaper in the long run? They will keep for a pretty long while in the freezer.
Im trying to convert my Dumeril to F/T.. im tired of spending 3.99 a week on one live mouse, when I have 50 perfectly good dead ones in my freezer (which only cost me 25.00).

In my opinion she is just being picky.. Just a thought :P

I'ma just add to the cost thing of Ft vs Live, FT may be cheaper if your snake actually EATS FT.

I've been trying for a long time to get Kallista to eat FT, but she just doesn't like it. I don't and WON'T buy bulk FT because it's way to bloody expensive with the shipping and all for rats that I'll have an overabundance of that my single growing ball python probably will only eat 20% or LESS of, the rest needing to be thrown out eventually.

Seeing it that way, it's more worth it for me to go out and either spend 2-8$ on 1-4 mice(mice are 2.15$ with tax) At 500 or so grams, Kalli can probably take two larger adult mice. Or 8$ on one rat of almost any size(expensive, yes, I know, but more worth it when she actually eats them.)

I agree though, it's all a personal preference. I was thinking of just asking Petco for some dirty gerbil bedding to thaw my rats in, but it would be easier just to go down to Alley cat(where I buy my feeder mice/rats) and pick up a live one. I'll have to get over my love for rats and just not think too much about it and just on Kallista eating. (Or I could feed her mice since 1) it's a little cheaper 2) I don't care about feeding mice to Kallista and 3) I don't care if she doesn't grow as big or as fast as snakes on rats because I just want her to eat.


Sorry if this sounds somewhat... harsh? It's just stressful to spend 12$ on 3 rats only to have to throw them out after the first or second thawing.

I was expecting this 'fun' though when I got a ball python, fully knowing that they were picky eaters, reading about all the hugner strikes and FT vs Live threads, ect, and it's a lot of work, but worth it for these wonderful reptiles!

I'll just say now though, I probably will just stick with lizards of all sizes and maybe eventually a snake I know will almost always eat anything.


This is just my opinion/view/thought/experience with ft vs live

I work in a shop that has a lot of snakes and feed almost 7/8ths of them f/t. My personal collection, however, is fed mostly live, with a few juvies taking p/k...if its easier for the op to get live, then why berate him for wanting to do so...snakes are good, skilled predators, they can take care of themselves for the most part

The more I think about it.......hey if it's easier for the OP to get live then F/T and that works for him why not? I don't think there is anything you have to do to get a snake on live, they are wired to eat live. It's usually the other way around.