Whats the best way to switch to Rats from Mice?

My snakes are all under a year and still feeding on live mice. Should I switch to live Rats first and then try pre-killed/frozen thawed rats? I always wanted to switch to frozen thawed mice but thought it would be a waste of time if I had to do it all over again with Rats.. Thanks in advance!

I have the opposite problem, since I prefer feeding mice (for a variety of reasons) - and I have ONE stubborn gal who only likes rats. Sometimes if I pre-scent the mouse with rat bedding, she'll totally go for it... other times she turns up her nose. Might be worth a shot, though! Some snakes also don't care, so they'll take whatever you offer. Either way, you probably should start with live rats first. Since they've only had live thus far, it might be too much to pull a "double-switch" (rats & f/t) at once.

Oh, and I don't think it matters which change comes first - the introduction of rats vs frozen mice. They'll either accept the new diet or not, and I bet each snake will react differently. That's a ball python for ya! :P As for your corns, they usually don't care one way or another... my corns would eat dead cats if I offered, LOL.

I'd get them on f/t first then switch them over to rats. Live rats are pretty dangerous, so I just don't even want them in the same space as my ball pythons.

When switching from anything to anything I usually start by skipping a feeding. Hungry snakes are happier to make a switch. If they still don't like it, I give them their usual meal the 2nd week, but then I skip another week and try the new food again after that. And so on. Older snakes generally take longer than younger snakes.

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Originally Posted by loonunit

I'd get them on f/t first then switch them over to rats. Live rats are pretty dangerous, so I just don't even want them in the same space as my ball pythons.

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That's a good point, and one of the reasons I prefer not to feed rats... since most of my BPs are live-only feeders, they just scare me too much! :weirdface I'd rather feed a (large) ball 4 mice, rather than risk injury with a live full-grown rat. Guess I was thinking of smaller rats, when I first read the OP's question.

The mice IMO are more dangerous than rats. An adult mouse can be very defensive/aggressive but a small weanling rat the same size is still rather helpless and naive. I would feel much safer leaving that smaller rat in a tub with a snake than a mouse of the same size and I feed 100 snakes a week, mostly live.

I would start with live small rats and then when you feel they are eating them without hesitation then try feeding pre-killed.

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

That's a good point, and one of the reasons I prefer not to feed rats... since most of my BPs are live-only feeders, they just scare me too much! :weirdface I'd rather feed a (large) ball 4 mice, rather than risk injury with a live full-grown rat. Guess I was thinking of smaller rats, when I first read the OP's question.

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I have never fed a ball python a large rat ever, live or dead, that's way too big of a meal for a BP. Even my largest girls get small rats that they kill instantly when they hit them, no danger whatsoever.

Agreed I'd rather feed small rats than mice . Mice will be the first to chew up a snake given the time to do so. I have never seen aggression from my rats but mice can get mean.

X3 I've never fed a large or jumbo rat. They are the ones that pose a significant risk. Any rat or mouse can but I assume your are feeding adult mice? Guess what I had an adult mouse literally go after a juvy baby that I hadn't switched yet. Guess what I killed it 2 seconds after I saw it going after the snake. I feed smaller rats. Usually weanlings or small mediums they are like 8 weeks old at that stage. The mostly have no idea what a snake is and haven't built up their predator awareness. A jumbo adult not to mention is just way to big a meal even for the largest ball, bur they have a much higher sense of predator in the mist plus they are big so when the snake strikes they can do some serious damage before they are completely killed. Just because they can stuff it in their mouths doesn't mean they should.

So basically ill be fine if I just stick to mice and switch them to frozen thawed? Sounds much easier than switching to rats and then doing the whole thing over again. How many adult mice will an adult female eat when she is full grown (on average) ?

Also, I know people usually say to use tongs with the frozen thawed mice. Is this still required after they have been switched over?

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

I have never fed a ball python a large rat ever, live or dead, that's way too big of a meal for a BP. Even my largest girls get small rats that they kill instantly when they hit them, no danger whatsoever.

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Sorry, I didn't mean LARGE rats - just something larger than a pup/weanling. ;) My rat-eating girl gets a small rat weekly, and she's a fairly big girl @ over 2000g. So don't worry, I'm not feeding my BPs jumbo rats - LOL.

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Originally Posted by Dustin Hays

How many adult mice will an adult female eat when she is full grown (on average) ?

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My biggest snake usually eats 3-4 per feeding, but would happily take a dozen! And she weighs around 2500g (minimum), so I doubt any snake would need more. She'll also get rats occasionally, and seems fine with small-medium sized adults.

For those who feed live rats, what do you give the larger snakes? I'm assuming a pup/wean isn't enough, so do you offer multiples or go up to small-med?

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Also, I know people usually say to use tongs with the frozen thawed mice. Is this still required after they have been switched over?

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Each of my (frozen-feeding) snakes has their preference... some of mine like it dangled, some like the "zombie dance," and others prefer that I drop it & leave. You'll just have to do a little trial & error!

Definitely use tongs with frozen-thawed and fresh-killed food. You don't want your yummy, living hand to be right next to the meal when you offer or drop it in. :O

I have gotten a few BPs that were feeding on live mice, that I switched to F/T rats. I changed them to live rats first (base your size on it being slightly larger than your BP's girth), and then to F/T rats of the same size. Patience is the key, because they might skip a few meals while you're trying to change them. Missing a few meals won't hurt them, though, so don't give in! My Pied was 300g when I tried to switch her, and it took 6 weeks! When I switched my 150g Calico, though, she was completely converted in two weeks (two live rat pup feedings, and then to F/T).