umm bad or ok?

ok so i feed my python live rats and for the second time he missed and got a bad strike he still is able to coil but the rats head is free and he keeps getting bit this last one bit her side i stuck a gloved hand in to the box to stop it from tearing him up is that a risk to the snake eatting once its dead or should i always interfire if nessasary

I'm no expert, but for the snakes safety you may want to quit feeding live if this is something that happens often.. Hopefully others who knows more will chime in shortly and give you advice..

If you really love your snake don't feed it live... yes its cool to watch for some people but its even cooler if you don't have to visit the vet because of a rodent bite... Feed pre-killed I'm pretty sure it will take it or just feed frozen thawed... & if you're still going to keep feeding live by all means yes interfere when it doesn't grab the rodent by the head... another trick you can try when feeding live is to grab the rodent by the tail & dangle it in front of the snake & I can almost guarantee that it will grab it by the head... Good luck & make the right choice

Try fresh killed rat next time? or FT?

Hi,

There's nothing wrong with feeding live.

You just have to take a few precautions and be ready to deal with any problems.

Instead of having to use your gloved hands you could try using tongs or chopsticks to stop the rat biting. They should be less intrusive and quicker to use with less risk of both of you getting bitten.

What size/ weight is the snake and what size/ weight is the rat?

Do you have any idea why he keeps having bad strikes? Is it simply because he is a young snake or is the cage decor getting in the way or something?


dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by psycho

grab the rodent by the tail & dangle it in front of the snake

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Use a hemostat for that! :-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Abaddon91

ok so i feed my python live rats and for the second time he missed and got a bad strike he still is able to coil but the rats head is free and he keeps getting bit this last one bit her side i stuck a gloved hand in to the box to stop it from tearing him up is that a risk to the snake eatting once its dead or should i always interfire if nessasary

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May sound cruel but when it comes to our snakes we have to look out for their well being so:
Before you offer live rats give the rat a knock on the head with a stick or whatever you have sitting around. Stun it good then it will still be alive but still kicking. that will give your bp an upper hand.
If this for some odd reason does not work, flat out kill the rat then offer it.
Good luck!

Ok. There are some ridiculous accusations in this thread. I do love my snakes, and it has nothing to do with feeding live. Are you serious? Please, all snakes have a natural instinct to hunt live prey. That is why they have scales.

I have been feeding live every week for three years, and have never had a serious injury. A few scratches and maybe one or two bites, but nothing seriously dangerous. That was highly offensive to me.

To the op, is his cage size big enough for him to get a good strike? Feeding ft/pk is safer, but not necessary. I have tried both, and it's difficult to get them to switch. Heating up the prey just right, and i can't stand to watch a rat in a gas chamber. What if they don't eat it? You can only refreeze so much. At least with live, I just put it back in the cage for next week, and if they get too big I give them to a Burmese who loves my extras.

The people who are trying to give advice that feeding live is bad and dangerous, is REALLY sad to me.

I don't think feeding live is ALWAYS bad, so I hope nothing I said came off like that.. I'm not sure to what extent his snake is getting bit, but if it is A LOT, then maybe switching to FT or PK is best. I agree that they have the natural instinct to hunt, and I plan on trying it when I am able to get my first one. I think it all depends on the snake and what's best and safest for him/her. I was just clarifying what I said, because I was hoping what I said wasn't misunderstood. I'm not bashing anyone for feeding live.

To dr del I move him to a empty bin like one you pack stuff to move and I think the main reason for the bad strikes is he gets really excited I put him (he's about 600g ) in the tub and let him get ready drop the rat (a bit bigger then wiend ) and the rat takes maybe two steps before it get hit but the last feed went very well actully hit right on the nose so I was pleased hopefully he will do better and I will continue to watch him but I really don't c the major problem with live I do love my snake and would be quick to act if a problem came up

Most of my bp have been switched to f/t, but I do have a woma ball that refused to eat anything but live. She is very shy and if I am standing to close she won't even come out of her hide. I have tried everything to get her to eat pre killed and it just won't work for her. Some snakes will refuse no matter what you try....

Do you have some long hemostats? I like these for my live feeders, they are great for getting in there and moving rodent teeth away from snake. Or you can use them to keep the rat's mouth open so it can't bite hard. Yeah it might be kind of cruel, but once the snake has it in it's coils, I really just worry about keeping them safe... You can also SCRUFF a rat to offer it. I don't like grabbing their tail, since it leaves their head swinging around and able to bite. ASt least with the scruff, it is slightly more limited by the tongs.

Use long feeding tongs.
Hold live food by the tail (close to the butt butt)
I dangle them a little (front feet on the ground and back feet just off)
Make sure they are facing hungry _________
99.9% head strike every time:gj:
0.1% miss all together

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 8-Ball

May sound cruel but when it comes to our snakes we have to look out for their well being so:
Before you offer live rats give the rat a knock on the head with a stick or whatever you have sitting around. Stun it good then it will still be alive but still kicking. that will give your bp an upper hand.
If this for some odd reason does not work, flat out kill the rat then offer it.
Good luck!

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^^ this works for us :)
we grab the tail with hemostats, and stun it by flicking its head or any other way, but not to hard. Our BP wont eat it unless she kills it.

I feed live and what I do when a rat is trying to bite I flick the rat in the back of the head hard a couple times that stops them. I have been feeding live for 20 years every snake I have ever owned was fed live from hopper mice to adult rabbits and I have never had any serious injury to a snake from feeding live.

I feed live to all my ball pythons. If the rat is to big for the snake, the rat might win. :O
Occasionally a snake gets bit. It has never been anything serious. A bit of neosporin if it's a nasty one.
If I only had to feed one or two snakes, I would probably feed frozen.
Each snake keeper must make their own decision as to what method works best for them.
Some people feed F/T to most, while some of the picky eaters will get live.