Uneaten rats.

Not really sure where this question should be posted, but just a quick one that I'm not sure about.

If you leave a f/t rat with the snake and it doesn't eat it and the rat sits there over night, throw it out or can you freeze it again? I personally was thinking it'd be better to chuck it after it sat there all night after being thawed out, but what do you guys do?

Thanks!

I have re-frozen prey items that were left out for a few hours but very anything left out overnight. Will on of your other snakes eat the leftovers?

When I used to feed F/T I would Chuck them. I feel that after heating them up, then letting them sit out all that time, that parasites would start growing.

I wouldn't eat old left over food, because I wouldn't want to get sick. I would want that for my snakes either.

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Did you leave it in the hot or cold side of the cage? I usually throw it out, as they usually smell pretty bad after a day. In the wild snakes will forage and eat previously dead items, but they have an enhanced immune system that our domestic animals don't. To be safe I would toss it.

Overnight?? Trash it.
Safe to refreeze once after a couple house but I never did.
My reason for feeding live, no wasted life.

Toss it. I feed refused meals to my youngest dog, she'll eat anything.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Toss it. I feed refused meals to my youngest dog, she'll eat anything.

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Uh what? Tell me you're joking...

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Uh what? Tell me you're joking...

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Why? I have a rodent patrol. Should a rat make a run it usually doesnt get far.

Thanks everyone! Like you guys, I'll freeze them again if it's been an hour, maaaaybe two, but I imagine bacteria and nasty things forming inside a warm, dead rat if left too long... gross. I hate throwing out rats, though, so I was wanting to see what everyone else does.

She is my biggest snake so any leftovers from her can't go to another snake, unfortunately. She sort of hid it behind her hide, I thought she had ate it because she struck and constricted it! This was her second rat, so maybe she was just wanting a little fun but was feeling full from the first one. [emoji14] I'm not complaining too much, eating one after she's been sick has made me very happy.

The rate of decomposition is dramatically higher with whole prey compared to a chicken breast or a ground beef patty. I don't refreeze after an hour or so of being thawed. I have noticed snakes refuse those previously frozen rats at a much higher rate as well. I believe the snake can tell when it has gone bad.

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Toss it. I feed refused meals to my youngest dog, she'll eat anything.

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You're not from around here are you?

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Originally Posted by MrLang

The rate of decomposition is dramatically higher with whole prey compared to a chicken breast or a ground beef patty. I don't refreeze after an hour or so of being thawed. I have noticed snakes refuse those previously frozen rats at a much higher rate as well. I believe the snake can tell when it has gone bad.

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I've had them refuse them too if they've been thawed out a second time. Those ones get thrown out for sure.

If a snake refuses on me, it usually goes to another but if no others will take it, it gets thrown out.

I treat their food like I do my own, I wouldn't defrost food then refreeze it, so it doesn't happen to theirs either


0.1 Spotnose, 0.1 Fire 0.1 het pied, 1.0 het pied, 1.0 Lesser, 1.0 Pastel, 1.0 Normal

I throw out any thing that gets left in over night. I hate wasting but afterits sat in tub overnite i can't see how it be good anymore. I do know that they will eat dead food in the wild but i guess thats cause there really hungry at that point. They have a amazing digestive system so im sure it could handle it but to me not worth the risk of getting any of my snakes sick cause i wanted to save a couple dollars.

I throw it out. I feed right before dark, so either the owls get it, or one of the stray cats in the area. The rat is gone by the next morning.

I throw it out, even if it means my snake might go hungry next week before I can get more.

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Originally Posted by JoshSloane

Uh what? Tell me you're joking...

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Why? This may shock you, but rats are made of meat and dogs are also carnivores. Unfortunately my cat and ferret seem to think rats are inedible or I would give it to them. Don't see any reason to waste it. If I can't find a place to take them I feed my retired breeders to my dogs as well since I don't have any snakes large enough to eat ones that big.

That is why I have a boa! He will eat anything. I only give 30 minutes max to eat. In my experience if they don't take it in 15-20 minutes they won't over all. I don't like to leave them overnight. I would rather try again another night. If they don't eat it, the rat is reheated and fed to my boa.

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Originally Posted by HVani

That is why I have a boa! He will eat anything. I only give 30 minutes max to eat. In my experience if they don't take it in 15-20 minutes they won't over all. I don't like to leave them overnight. I would rather try again another night. If they don't eat it, the rat is reheated and fed to my boa.

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Works every time. As well as Carpets.


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Originally Posted by Reinz

Works every time. As well as Carpets.


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I wish my boa ate f/t for that reason, haha. She's the only one I have that eats live! Got her at 2 weeks old and I couldn't switch her over and neither could a friend of the breeder I bought her from. So live it is. [emoji14] It switches it up for feeding time, I don't mind watching the action instead of making the action while making rats zombie dance.

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Originally Posted by ratchet

I wish my boa ate f/t for that reason, haha. She's the only one I have that eats live! Got her at 2 weeks old and I couldn't switch her over and neither could a friend of the breeder I bought her from. So live it is. [emoji14] It switches it up for feeding time, I don't mind watching the action instead of making the action while making rats zombie dance.

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I understand. I only recently got my 13 yr old BP and 4 yr old Boa to switch.

Deep fry your rat then use it to sue KFC.

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Originally Posted by ratchet

She is my biggest snake so any leftovers from her can't go to another snake, unfortunately.

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I just had to deal with this problem this morning with an overnighter. I just took the rat and threw it on an ant pile, and now the ants are busy picking the bones clean. Should have some nice rat bones soon!

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Originally Posted by GoingPostal

Why? This may shock you, but rats are made of meat and dogs are also carnivores. Unfortunately my cat and ferret seem to think rats are inedible or I would give it to them. Don't see any reason to waste it. If I can't find a place to take them I feed my retired breeders to my dogs as well since I don't have any snakes large enough to eat ones that big.

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This sounds messy

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I'm gradually switching to live for this very same reason. With 17 snakes, someone is born to take a second rat if someone refuses. However, thawing out 17-20 rats a week is a bit arduous for me.


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Originally Posted by IsmQui718

I'm gradually switching to live for this very same reason. With 17 snakes, someone is born to take a second rat if someone refuses. However, thawing out 17-20 rats a week is a bit arduous for me.


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Oh man, I could only imagine! I spend all evening making sure my four are all fed and looked after. [emoji14] Although, that won't keep me from getting more snakes... haha.

I meant "bound!" Not "born" thank you iPhone auto correct. Blah!


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Originally Posted by Tsanford

This sounds messy

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Not really, small rodents go right down the gullet no chewing much like a snake and big rats get fed in frozen form. I feed a raw diet and my dogs are used to getting whole prey items.

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Originally Posted by IsmQui718

I'm gradually switching to live for this very same reason. With 17 snakes, someone is born to take a second rat if someone refuses. However, thawing out 17-20 rats a week is a bit arduous for me.


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I thaw out that many not too hard, just pull the bag out, 2-3 hours before feed and float on warm water, for picky ones i leave the rat ontop of the ARS holes, so they get all hungry

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Originally Posted by CORBIN911

I thaw out that many not too hard, just pull the bag out, 2-3 hours before feed and float on warm water, for picky ones i leave the rat ontop of the ARS holes, so they get all hungry

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I actually like that idea!

The issue I have is that some of the rats get cooled too quickly, as the warm water gets cold. It's not difficult, just very time consuming. I have a few lucky ones that won't anything if it's not warm enough on first attempt to feed.


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I only referee because I know my spuder will eat anything. When I thaw it again I make sure that I offer the refrozen one to the spider and fresh ones to my other snakes

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Originally Posted by Izzys Keeper

I only referee because I know my spuder will eat anything. When I thaw it again I make sure that I offer the refrozen one to the spider and fresh ones to my other snakes

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I don't do spiders, haha! I think they're so cool, but I don't think I could ever own one. [emoji14] They give me goose bumps. My husband is also scared of them, so it'd be over his dead body if we ever had one in the house. That's pretty cool, though, I never thought they'd eat rats!

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Originally Posted by ratchet

I don't do spiders, haha! I think they're so cool, but I don't think I could ever own one. [emoji14] They give me goose bumps. My husband is also scared of them, so it'd be over his dead body if we ever had one in the house. That's pretty cool, though, I never thought they'd eat rats!

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Spider is a ball python morph...........

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Spider is a ball python morph...........

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Oh geez. I knew that. It's early morning for me, please forgive me. I OWN A SPIDER BALL... haha. Ugh.

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Originally Posted by IsmQui718

I actually like that idea!

The issue I have is that some of the rats get cooled too quickly, as the warm water gets cold. It's not difficult, just very time consuming. I have a few lucky ones that won't anything if it's not warm enough on first attempt to feed.


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Yea, for my picky ones, i just keep a hot bowl of water, (they wont eat soaking wet rats) so i just kinda put all their heads in the hot water. It looks like a Shrimp coctkail but for snakes :P:P

You can always use your dead rats for vulture watching too. Hell, put one or two out and set up a camera nearby or something.
Speaking of which, the aforementioned rat I set out for the ants to consume was stolen by a vulture, and now I have a low flying turkey vulture that lurks around my house.

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Originally Posted by IsmQui718

I actually like that idea!

The issue I have is that some of the rats get cooled too quickly, as the warm water gets cold. It's not difficult, just very time consuming. I have a few lucky ones that won't anything if it's not warm enough on first attempt to feed.

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I recently started using a hair dryer for this exact reason (one purchased just for this... a whole $8 [emoji3] ). It actually works great. Even a couple of longer term hold outs grabbed the rat immediately. Just make sure the rat isn't too hot.

... and you don't have to heat it for very long at all.

I've been using the hair dryer for a few weeks with f/t rats, and it's helped wonders. I still have a few that will not take anything other than live. I have a pastel vanilla who's been a mouser for the past few months, who's finally taking small rats. She's been my most picky rather so far. I'm glad to see she's finally eating like a boa.


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