Best Feeder for ball pythons

Ok so i was just wondering out of all of the listed prey items above which would make the Best food source for a pet ball python? I currently feed mice but i will be switching over to rats soon. I saw Gerbils in the pet store today and wondered if those would make good feeders so then i thought of making this thread to find out. I would like to know why a certain prey item would make a better choice of food for a ball python and what you feed your Ball pythons?

Thanks,

Definately rats. They are pretty easy to come by. I would say ASF's, but they can be hard to find. Balls would love gerbils too, but (always a butt around) I've heard they can get stuck on them and not want to eat anything else. Mice are too darn small for an adult bp. I've fed up to 4 at a time. Yep definately rats.

I chose rats because of size and availability.

Freshly shaven rats would be best...

I would say ASFs......working on my own colony but I also have someone close by that I can get then from. Finishing out my stock of f/t mice and rats then switching them to live and f/t ASFs.

The best prey is the one that work and can be commonly found generally rats, mice, asf ( in that order)

I do not recommend gerbils for several reasons:

1: they are more aggressive tan you average rat or mice and have larger teeth making them potentially more dangerous.

2: When BP start eating them they will imprint on them and not likely switch back, it's almost impossible to switch a BP back from Gerbils.

3: Their price and availability, they will not always be available and the cost will be outrageous when you will have to feed 2 of them a week to a full grown BP.

4: Because of all the previous reasons it could make your BP impossible to re-home should you have too one day.

The most cost efficient and convenient prey should your BP accept it is rat.

Just remember you do not need variety in their diet they can become picky enough as it is so stick to what works.

Try switching to rat an adult BP does not need anything larger than 125/150 grams weekly to thrive (female even less if it is a male)

Prefer rats, cheap and easy to get. gerbils are 12 bucks for live, I can get 8 medium rats for that price.

Rats are the all around perfect prey item out of the big three for these reasons.

Size.
Availability
price
one rat per week. No multiples;)

I like rats for the same reasons above. The are readily available, they grow fast and no matter how big your bp gets you can feed ONE appropriately sized rat per week no need to feed multiple.

I voted rats because I feel they're more valuable and make a more complete diet.

However some balls are picky and will only take either mice (I know of breeder females who eat exclusively mice and they're just fine, popping out great clutches and all) or just ASF's, in which case that would obviously be the better prey item. Either way, all three are good food sources in my opinion.

I wouldn't go for bird, and as stated gerbils are addictive and expensive, and hamsters are pretty pricey too.

For me there are two answers and two questions, the perfect prey, best food source, for the snake I'd say ASFs that is the natural food source (gerbils are from mongolia and not natural at all there is no point to feed them). But when you ask the best choice it has to be rats, they are easily available and reasonably priced, and the considerations of how hard it would be to place the animal with a new home cannot ever be discounted. Ball pythons can live almost 50 years (47) Certainly into the 20s and you never know what acne happen between now and then. AFS are harder to find and typically that means more costly.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

The best prey is the one that work and can be commonly found generally rats, mice, asf ( in that order)

I do not recommend gerbils for several reasons:

1: they are more aggressive tan you average rat or mice and have larger teeth making them potentially more dangerous.

2: When BP start eating them they will imprint on them and not likely switch back, it's almost impossible to switch a BP back from Gerbils.

3: Their price and availability, they will not always be available and the cost will be outrageous when you will have to feed 2 of them a week to a full grown BP.

4: Because of all the previous reasons it could make your BP impossible to re-home should you have too one day.

The most cost efficient and convenient prey should your BP accept it is rat.

Just remember you do not need variety in their diet they can become picky enough as it is so stick to what works.

Try switching to rat an adult BP does not need anything larger than 125/150 grams weekly to thrive (female even less if it is a male)

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Thanks, i'll go with rats, i put the parakeet and hamster option because i am sure many people wondered if they could feed there Bp Hamsters or small birds and this poll answers all of that,

Thanks!

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Originally Posted by sho220

Freshly shaven rats would be best...

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Huh?

Actually in the wild in many norther areas of the ball pythons range they (young sub 40cm) to eat small birds. So parakeet isn't really that far fetched at all. But again it is a supply issue and convenience issue and it simply isn't practical at all, Rats are easy, cheap and great nutritional values, it is the best all rounder. ASFs to my mind fall second only due to sporadic supply as they become more common perhaps they will take over but is some places in the USA they are not legal to own or breed so that is a real drawback.

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Originally Posted by sho220

Freshly shaven rats would be best...

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lol

Don't shave your rats.

Definitely rats because of their price, size and availability. It is important that you train your BP to eat on what is always available and of course, at the same time affordable:).

I got one of my lg norm female and the previous owner was exclusivly feeding gerbils. She has scars all over her from the gerbils biting the crap out of her. I immediatly tried switching to rats and for months couldnt get her to even look at them. I get my rats from a private breeder friend of mine and at the time he was just starting his hairless rat project. So he threw me a couple of those and said try this. They are the closest thing to asf's. Put one in and she snatched it right up ate the second as well. We did that for a couple of months and then every other feed I went to a norm rat and then the nxt a hairless. And then stopped doing the hairless shes never had any other problems with feeding. Point is I suppose is switching can be done. But it's so stressfull! For both parties. Now even my hatchlings get rats from the start. Pinkies of course but I hate the whole back and forth thing. I do have other norm rescues that are full adults and have never had a rat yet anyways. Feed appropriate sized prey. One good meal is always better than snacking, and it's cheaper and easier.

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

I got one of my lg norm female and the previous owner was exclusivly feeding gerbils. She has scars all over her from the gerbils biting the crap out of her. I immediatly tried switching to rats and for months couldnt get her to even look at them. I get my rats from a private breeder friend of mine and at the time he was just starting his hairless rat project. So he threw me a couple of those and said try this. They are the closest thing to asf's. Put one in and she snatched it right up ate the second as well. We did that for a couple of months and then every other feed I went to a norm rat and then the nxt a hairless. And then stopped doing the hairless shes never had any other problems with feeding. Point is I suppose is switching can be done. But it's so stressfull! For both parties. Now even my hatchlings get rats from the start. Pinkies of course but I hate the whole back and forth thing. I do have other norm rescues that are full adults and have never had a rat yet anyways. Feed appropriate sized prey. One good meal is always better than snacking, and it's cheaper and easier.

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Good point! And how would it look if i were to go to the pet store and buy a "pet" gerbil every week lol, The store i get mines from breeds feeder mice and rats so i will have a good supply of rats.

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Originally Posted by Homegrownscales

One good meal is always better than snacking, and it's cheaper and easier.

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It's cheaper if you have to buy your own rats.
I can get better weight gain feeding 2-3 smaller meals each week over feeding one meal.....snack snack snack ;)

Feed What works for you and what you have a endless supply of.

I Breed Mice, ASF and Rats so im prepared for anything.

Most adults need nothing more that 3 Breeder mice which totals 60-100g or one small rat weekly.

If the snake is eating weekly consistently no need to change things up. I have snakes that are just picky eaters on mice but still eat 2 adults every 2 weeks give or take.

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Originally Posted by snakesRkewl

It's cheaper if you have to buy your own rats.
I can get better weight gain feeding 2-3 smaller meals each week over feeding one meal.....snack snack snack ;)

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I feed 5 days so if they miss one or two feeds I dont worry too much. I also weigh them before a feed so I have a pretty close tab on them.
Yes, eating something is better than nothing at all.
I have met some people here in SA that only feed every 2 weeks to a month:O Dont know if I could go that long:confused:

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

I feed 5 days so if they miss one or two feeds I dont worry too much. I also weigh them before a feed so I have a pretty close tab on them.
Yes, eating something is better than nothing at all.
I have met some people here in SA that only feed every 2 weeks to a month:O Dont know if I could go that long:confused:

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Keep in mind not EVERY snake will accept food weekly. Some have a set schedule when their ready to eat.

i have a few that are bi weekly and others every 3 days, 4 days or 5 days. I go by what they want

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Keep in mind not EVER snake will accept food weekly. Some have a set schedule when their ready to eat.

i have a few that are bi weekly and others every 3 days, 4 days or 5 days. I go by what they want

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Not to :hijackd: but yeah, all of mine start roaming the night before feed day. I keep them all on the same schedule just so I am not screwing with them too much. Plus it gives me time to do a cleaning of their tanks while they are out in the feeding tanks;)(yes I do spot clean but I still like to mix the bedding and check for anything I might have missed)

What is a schedule?...:P

Like Rich says some will and some won't eat more than once weekly and some won't eat any more often than 2-3 weeks.(luckily I have none of those)

I would not feed gerbils unless they are dead. Gerbils can be quite nasty and have a very hard bite.

I feed mines a mouse every 6days,But if i offered it she would take one every 3days, she loves eating! But i am not a fan of power feeding so i stay on schedule and give appropriate sized prey items.

i use the K.I.S.S. method
Keep
It
Simple
Stupid


so in other words i just use rats haha easy to get cheap and gets the job done!

I feed 99% rats..but the best food for them is the one they will eat..I've got animals that are ASF's and have been from day one they will run and hide from a rat..

Feed them what they will eat..

Well guess this marks the end of the poll,wish i would have kept it open longer though. But thanks to all who voted and post,it was a big help for me and i am sure for many other wondering the same thing.