f/t vs. live

i have to do a persuasive essay in english. woohoo. well i got to choose my own topic and i decided to persuade people to feed their reptiles f/t instead of live. im gonna touch on danger of the rodent biting the snake, parasites/disease on live rodents, and that its a less humane way for the rodent to die. im going to be using this sight as a source, (that o.k. john?), so id like to hear everyones thoughts in this thread. hopefully somebody has something to add. :)

Well, for one...f/t is definitely cheaper, lol. You also don't have to care for the live prey items if you feed f/t. Other than that, you've mentioned all the other reasons I feel f/t is the best way to go.

And f/t has no maintenance costs except electricity for your freezer and doesn't smell bad if it sits in its place ignored for a week or two.

this is good...these things hadnt even entered my mind! just the stuff i need, keep it coming! thanks.

Well, hope you can persuade your class, because so far I have not been persuaded to feed f/t, though I have to admit, I have been seriously thinking about trying to switch Monty Joe over. Just have not convinced myself yet to do it.

Good luck on your essay.

well maybe ill email you a copy of the essay to try to persuade you. :) feeding live may be so much easier but it will be real difficult when you have to take care of a nasty bite. thanks for the luck...im gonna need it, haha.

nasty bites don't sound fun to care for....

If you're LUCKY, all it will be is a nasty bite....worse case scenario: you end up with a dead snake. A couple of years agao, a friend of mine had a 6 foot Burmese Python....he fed it live large rats......well one day the rat decided to bite back, which resulted in a severed spinal column and a dead Burm :(.......if you ask me, there is no persuasion needed....dead prey is the best way to go, end of story.

Hi Mike,
That's a great idea for an essay,
If you would like help, let me know.
I have had many dealings with rat bite rescued snakes, Worst one was eyecap the ball python, approx. 78% of his spine was exposed and had about 17 layers of eyecaps when I first rescued him! Our vet and I worked diligently around the clock for approx. 6 months for his wounds to close (not fully heal, that took about 2 years) but luckily our vet is wonderful and did a great job.
I have experienced many cases including the transfer of certain parasitic colonies to different snakes also.
Please let me know if I can be of any help
Thanks
Rusty

wow this guy sounds like a friggen scientist...nice

I hope after all the hard work on your paper is done that you'll post it in it's entirety here in the forums. Can't wait to read it.

K

its too late for the essay i'm guessing but here's another reason
that feeding frozen thawed is better
once a mouse/rat has been frozen then thawed the flesh has been broken down by the thawing process so it is easier for your snake to digest the prey item

that is a good point pimp_n....is that really true?

and rusty....you are my idol. lol. ill probably email you and count you as a source if thats ok? man i hate writing (but only when im required to):)

as far as i know it is true
the freezing and thawing process breaks down the flesh
If you've ever poked a f/t mouse you'll notice its a lot more "mushy" than a fresh killed
I don't really know exactly what occurs and why it occurs but i'll try and find out for you

thanks...actually yestarday i tried to defrost a mouse in water on top of the stove as low as it would go...i tried to pick it up with tong and a chunk of flesh came right off...i through that one away and went with the good old fashioned sink to thaw another mouse. so id believe that their skin breaks down. just need a place to cite.

pimp_n, you sure caused a stir (elsewhere)! Collagen vs. cells, microbacteria vs. ice crystals, etc. At least it's educational ... ;)

That was me ^. I got logged out between starting the post and hitting submit.

Mike,
Please feel free to contact me on the issue.
Oh, and thanks for your compliments.
Rusty
Oh PS I am a chick (tricky name huh?)

did you think i was calling you a guy cuz i said "man i hate writing"?.... if that it, thats not what i ment. :) but ya the name used to get me...lol. if i did accidently call you a guy...oh geezz, im sorry! :oops: :oops: :oops:

I don't even think it was on this forum..lol
I have had a long day at work, so excuse my mis printing,,lol
Anyhow, I get it all the time. (I wonder why?)
Rusty

wait im confused...i called you a dude on anothe forum? oh and your name is awesome. haha. maybe you should have a big pic of you as your avatar. and make sure it says "ME". lol.

i think i might know why a f/t mouse is more mushy than a freshly killed one.

when the mouse freezes the water in the cells expands. when it is thawed the cells are streched.

this is just a guess. im not positve but it makes sense