Rat Pups or Mice? Which do you prefer?

So I started off feeding my pastel baby a rat pup every 3 days when I first got her from the breeder. I have now upgraded her feedings to every 5 days. The problem is my local pet store, where I get my feeders do not always have large enough rat pups (sometimes their more like pinkies). So the past few weeks she has been getting mice.

Should I just find another pet store with rat pups or will mice be fine?

She is a huge piggy, should I still keep it on the 5 day cycle?

Thanks!

I prefer to feed rats (more convenient for me) however it is really about what my snake will eat if they will not eat rats then they will have mice, the advantage is that I breed my own rodents so both are always available to me.

In your case you might want to feed whatever is readily available in your area.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by stargazed85

So I started off feeding my pastel baby a rat pup every 3 days when I first got her from the breeder. I have now upgraded her feedings to every 5 days. The problem is my local pet store, where I get my feeders do not always have large enough rat pups (sometimes their more like pinkies). So the past few weeks she has been getting mice.

Should I just find another pet store with rat pups or will mice be fine?

She is a huge piggy, should I still keep it on the 5 day cycle?

Thanks!

---

what area you in?

will she eat frozen?

you know her weight?

might have plan c for ya

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Deborah

I prefer to feed rats (more convenient for me) however it is really about what my snake will eat if they will not eat rats then they will have mice, the advantage is that I breed my own rodents so both are always available to me.

In your case you might want to feed whatever is readily available in your area.

---

She will eat both without hesitation. She's not a picky girl. If mice are fine I will continue since I know those are always available. They always have S, M, L, XL rats also. It's just the pups go from size to size. Maybe give her 2 pups? It just feels like I'm underfeeding her. She always seems hungry still afterward. So should I keep it at every 5 days?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 771subliminal

what area you in?

will she eat frozen?

you know her weight?

might have plan c for ya

---

In Warren off of 14 mile between Dequindre & Ryan.

She eats live. I have never tried frozen with her.

I don't have a current weight, I need a scale.

I primarily feed (live) mice to mine, for a number of reasons - mostly availability, and the fact that one of mine ONLY eats mice. My babies, who range in weight from 170-270g, are now getting 2 adult mice per week if they want. So you could just offer double, and see if she takes them! But yeah, mice are fine... they can eat mice forever, really, as my 700g girl Delilah has proven. :cool:

I like to feed rats. I find that rats have a little more nutrition than mice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by abuja

I like to feed rats. I find that rats have a little more nutrition than mice.

---

Agreed.

I fed mice to my babies until this past season, when I was able to find a local rat breeder in my area. You'd be amazed at the difference in growth. I have 4-month old babies that are almost on weaned rats. And I feed once per week--no power-feeding here! The growth rate on rat pups is much higher than with mice. Rat pups have larger bones and internal organs, which equals better nutrition to the snake IMHO.

i would stick with rats cause it just gets more and more expensive with mice cause you gotta feed larger amounts.. and try not to switch between them to much..cause they might not go back to eating one or the other

Rats offer a better nutrition value, and please realize you will need to feed a number of mice once the snake is full grown.

If larger rats sizes are availible, I would do my best to at least keep her on a rat/mouse diet untill you can secure a good reliable source for rats. and stick with them.

There are charts somewhere showing the work needed compared to the nutrition value. ASF are the best. but rats to beat out mice.

Shawn

I would love to keep her on rat pups. A small rat is still yet to big for her. It's just that the rat pups are fairly small majority of the time.

Could I offer her 2 rat pups per feeding? Or is that to much? She has a huge appetite. That way I don't have to keep her on mice.

rats grow pretty quickly, you can always buy a small tank and feed the rats until they get to the right size.. you can offer her 2 smaller ones, thats not a big deal either

Mine is currently on mice and seems to be doing fine. I may eventually try to switch over to rats...we'll see how it goes.

Found this info on rodent pro:
Pro% Fat Ash Gross engery
55.8 23.6 11.8 5.25 Adult Mouse

56.1 27.5 14.8 5.55 Juvie Rat

Hope this helps. I feed a rat pup avg weight of 10% of the body weight of my snake or a little more 1 per snake a week.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by adam_degel

rats grow pretty quickly, you can always buy a small tank and feed the rats until they get to the right size.. you can offer her 2 smaller ones, thats not a big deal either

---

Her next feeding is on Friday. I will offer her 2 rat pups. Thanks

Since you say that she eats live I would definitely feed the one with the least ability to bite. I'd think that would be the rat pup. I'd really try to get her on prekilled if not frozen thawed. It doesn't take a very big mouse or especially rat to put a bite on your ball python. Of course you NEVER feed anything live without watching it continuously.

I prefer rats if you feed rats all the time you don't have to worry about swapping over when they get big and need 4 or more mice each week. I have had snakes that ate both then decided they didn't want rats for a little while but they are all back on rats now and I'm sticking with it. The fact that I breed rats and not mice kinda sways my opinion though.

Rat fed snakes grow a lot faster than mouse fed snakes! Even if fed the same size rodents.

why feed them mice when you will have to start feeding them rats at some point when they get too big for mice. It's easier to do the switch at a younger age then when they get older with my experience. Plus rat fed snakes grow faster ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike@OutbackReptiles

Rat fed snakes grow a lot faster than mouse fed snakes! Even if fed the same size rodents.

---

depends on the snake i have a 08 that grows like a weed and a 06 that will do anything but gain weight and they are eating the exact same thing

I feed mice, they seem to do well. have been trying to switch some of the bigger ones over to rats but not going to good..mice it is I think :)
Patiently sitting here waiting to see if the pewter is actually going to eat the rat..struck coiled but not done much else lol! my ghost doesnt care he eats any thing, wish they were all like him

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruceweb

I feed mice, they seem to do well. have been trying to switch some of the bigger ones over to rats but not going to good..mice it is I think :)
Patiently sitting here waiting to see if the pewter is actually going to eat the rat..struck coiled but not done much else lol! my ghost doesnt care he eats any thing, wish they were all like him

---

Try pre scenting the rat with mouse?

Just cause your stuck on mice doesn't mean it's the best choice :)


Balls are horrible imprint feeders. Once they get used to one type Some will never switch over, Most are stubborn and you only get lucky sometimes.

Shawn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by takagari

Try pre scenting the rat with mouse?

Just cause your stuck on mice doesn't mean it's the best choice :)


Balls are horrible imprint feeders. Once they get used to one type Some will never switch over, Most are stubborn and you only get lucky sometimes.

Shawn

---

Lol! tried that, the result is they wont touch the mice if I put them near the rats..not a big deal as will just have to feed more, mine are all growing well so cant complain ;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruceweb

I feed mice, they seem to do well. have been trying to switch some of the bigger ones over to rats but not going to good..mice it is I think :)
Patiently sitting here waiting to see if the pewter is actually going to eat the rat..struck coiled but not done much else lol! my ghost doesnt care he eats any thing, wish they were all like him

---

If any of those snakes you're trying to switch are females, and you're breeding them, the best time to try to switch them is right after they lay a clutch of eggs--they are hungry and will take most anything you offer. I'm hoping to use this trick to get my het albino female on f/t . . . if she ever gets to breeding size (the picky girl LOL). Right now she will only take pre-killed (but hey, at least it's not live ;)), and she is more stubborn than me, especially since I'm trying to get her up to weight for breeding. I tried f/t for a while and she outlasted me. But I'm hoping the "right after egg lay" thing will do the trick if she ever gets there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SnakeGirl3

If any of those snakes you're trying to switch are females, and you're breeding them, the best time to try to switch them is right after they lay a clutch of eggs--they are hungry and will take most anything you offer. I'm hoping to use this trick to get my het albino female on f/t . . . if she ever gets to breeding size (the picky girl LOL). Right now she will only take pre-killed (but hey, at least it's not live ;)), and she is more stubborn than me, especially since I'm trying to get her up to weight for breeding. I tried f/t for a while and she outlasted me. But I'm hoping the "right after egg lay" thing will do the trick if she ever gets there.

---

Thanks for that will keep it in mind..pewter ate the rat lol! :)

Rats. I'm a rat guy and my friend only feed mice (he has no access to app. sized rats). My bps are younger but literally twice the thickness and considerably longer. We're both on a once a week schedule.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 771subliminal

depends on the snake i have a 08 that grows like a weed and a 06 that will do anything but gain weight and they are eating the exact same thing

---

And if they were both eating mice they would both be smaller I bet :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mike@OutbackReptiles

And if they were both eating mice they would both be smaller I bet :gj:

---

Dont bknow about that Mike..I have a pied female, vpi axanthic, a couple of pastels, goblin, ghost all 08's & over 1000g, a couple of 09 lessers,pewter, albinos all around the 700g mark..agree that rats would probably be better but most of mine are growing well on ex breeder mice..got acouple of albino babies last month, 100g mark..now over 300g.
Trying to get some of the larger females over to rats but they arent keen ;)