Frozen Thawed 1st Order - Size Question

I'm looking to make my 1st order of F/T mice for my BP. From what I've been reading, it sounds like you can't go wrong w/ Perfect Prey or Big Cheese. I was looking at feeder weights and there seems to be quite the range in sizes. For instance, adult mice are listed as 18-32 grams so using the 10% rule, they would satisfy a snake anywhere from 180 - 320 grams. Would I need to feed more then one of these to make up for the difference or am I makeing this too complicated. Meaning should I just sort them from smallest to largest and feed the smallest ones 1st?

As info, my BP is 260 grams and has rejected rats so I'm either going to stay on mice or try the switch again once he puts on some weight.

Well since you are stuck on mice for the near future I would just say weigh out those adults and feed as needed to size. The great thing about perfect prey is you cna order small quantities of a larger sie with your larger quantity order. The shipping is more than big cheese but that makes it great to test out a larger size or swapping to say rats.

Too bad ex breeders are so much bigger or you could just try those once or twice but it seems like you are at that awkward weight with your snake where you are between prey size.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Well since you are stuck on mice for the near future I would just say weigh out those adults and feed as needed to size. The great thing about perfect prey is you cna order small quantities of a larger sie with your larger quantity order. The shipping is more than big cheese but that makes it great to test out a larger size or swapping to say rats.

Too bad ex breeders are so much bigger or you could just try those once or twice but it seems like you are at that awkward weight with your snake where you are between prey size.

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Stuck on mice?? :confusd: I hope it's not that bad for a snake to be stuck on mice ;)

So if I understand what you're saying, I should buy both small and large and pair the combo together to get to that ideal weight? And offer one after another on the same night.

Oh LOL I did not mean it like that OOPS!

Nah just get adult mice. Weigh them and if two make up the weight you want to hit feeding, feed two. If one has packed on the pounds when alive and close to 10% of they weight then you cna just feed one.

What I meant is if and when you are ready to upsize perfect prey has small quantities so you can try larger prey.

Don't rule out Reptilinks for frozen feeders - very clean and awesome customer service.

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Originally Posted by BR8080

Don't rule out Reptilinks for frozen feeders - very clean and awesome customer service.

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Thanks, I'll take a look at Reptilinks. They were not in my original search.

So back to the feeding size, and maybe I'm over analyzing, but if my feeder is 26 grams and my BP is 300 grams, do I need to figure out out how to make up those extra grams or should that prey be sufficient for that week? I've never fed my BP more then one prey at a time so I'm curious if he'll come back out of his hide for another.

I ran into the same issue with Tyson with the Lg adult mice before switching him to rats. I would shoot for the 10-15% rule, but if it's a little under 10% I just rolled with it and he was fine.

I would weigh and sort the mice when they came in. I would put 3 or 4 in a zip lock bag and label them. Then put all the ziplocks into a zip lock gallon size freezer bag and then into some grocery or Wal-Mart bags. This helps to keep them fresh and easy to find the size I needed.

When it came time to double up I would start using the 18-24gram mice and it worked out fine.

I found with perfect prey I got a LOT of mice in the 18-24 range and VERY few bigger than 27 grams. In two orders with them I only received one mouse bigger than 29 grams. I wasn't too happy with that, but they do deliver a great product, beautifully packaged for a great price.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Thanks, I'll take a look at Reptilinks. They were not in my original search.

So back to the feeding size, and maybe I'm over analyzing, but if my feeder is 26 grams and my BP is 300 grams, do I need to figure out out how to make up those extra grams or should that prey be sufficient for that week? I've never fed my BP more then one prey at a time so I'm curious if he'll come back out of his hide for another.

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Maybe over analyzing a bit but that is good, you are wanting the best for your BP.

In the wild, snakes are rarely given the prefect choice and if the opportunity is there, they will eat two prey items to fulfill their needs. Just give your BP the choice if the first prey item you feed is on the small side. If the prey item is close to being of the appropriate size I would just feed the one. Your snake will be just fine and a lot healthier if fed a bit on the smaller side. You can see what super size meals at McDonald's has done to our society. :)

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Originally Posted by Momokahn

Maybe over analyzing a bit but that is good, you are wanting the best for your BP.

In the wild, snakes are rarely given the prefect choice and if the opportunity is there, they will eat two prey items to fulfill their needs. Just give your BP the choice if the first prey item you feed is on the small side. If the prey item is close to being of the appropriate size I would just feed the one. Your snake will be just fine and a lot healthier if fed a bit on the smaller side. You can see what super size meals at McDonald's has done to our society. :)

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YES!
Snakes will eat whatever they can to survive in the wild. We over-obsess as owners, and though when it comes to climate-control, it is good, since the large majority of us must replicate a foreign climate, which requires precision. When it comes to feeding however, the size and numbers of prey can be much varied and doesn't really matter.

One winter I stumbled into a little field mouse and her litter of tiny pinks, bedded in insulation, under a well-cover deep in the Appalachian forest on a remote property. I was repairing broken water pipes, and I went to the van to get some tools and grab my camera. When I got back within minutes, the mouse and her babies were gone! I looked all around thinking they must have moved, since I uncovered them. They could not have gone far, considering the pinks were helpless and the tiny mom would have to drag them. As I looked around, I heard a subtle noise in the brush, and upon investigation, spied the dark brown scales of a juvenile Timber Rattler slithering away. He must have been nearby, and when I uncovered the mice, the Timber Rattler caught the scent immediately.

The point of the story is prey size and number. The rattler ate the little mouse mother and all the babies, all in one or two gulps. Perfectly HEALTHY and normal for the snake to eat a whole pile of smaller prey. I am sure it would have been just as healthy and fine for the rattler to eat a much bigger rodent, had the opportunity presented itself. And don't give me some nonsense about, "well, in the wild, they are not as healthy, blah, blah, blah." Snakes can eat all kinds of prey and flourish.

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Originally Posted by Godzilla78

YES!
Snakes will eat whatever they can to survive in the wild. We over-obsess as owners, and though when it comes to climate-control, it is good, since the large majority of us must replicate a foreign climate, which requires precision. When it comes to feeding however, the size and numbers of prey can be much varied and doesn't really matter.

One winter I stumbled into a little field mouse and her litter of tiny pinks, bedded in insulation, under a well-cover deep in the Appalachian forest on a remote property. I was repairing broken water pipes, and I went to the van to get some tools and grab my camera. When I got back within minutes, the mouse and her babies were gone! I looked all around thinking they must have moved, since I uncovered them. They could not have gone far, considering the pinks were helpless and the tiny mom would have to drag them. As I looked around, I heard a subtle noise in the brush, and upon investigation, spied the dark brown scales of a juvenile Timber Rattler slithering away. He must have been nearby, and when I uncovered the mice, the Timber Rattler caught the scent immediately.

The point of the story is prey size and number. The rattler ate the little mouse mother and all the babies, all in one or two gulps. Perfectly HEALTHY and normal for the snake to eat a whole pile of smaller prey. I am sure it would have been just as healthy and fine for the rattler to eat a much bigger rodent, had the opportunity presented itself. And don't give me some nonsense about, "well, in the wild, they are not as healthy, blah, blah, blah." Snakes can eat all kinds of prey and flourish.

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Great story Godzilla! These are stories that beginners like myself like to hear to understand what areas are important in the care of our animals and others that we may just be overthinking.

I"m glade I stumbled onto this topic, I'll have to be making an order soon haha, much easier and I think a lot cheaper then driving an hour to a pet store that sells there food. I also think I'm going to try chicks as a little special treat for my bigger girl Paradox.

As someone who has now bought from both big cheese and perfect prey and will continue to buy from both, perfect prey has been just that much better in quality. That is not to say big cheese is poor quality, they are amazing but perfect prey seems to go that extra mile to have top quality prey items. The large pinkies I have for my rosy boa are still in perfect shape.

If you don't mind a few extra bucks for shipping, perfect prey with their small quantity options is the way to go of the two. I can't say anything about reptilinks simply because I never used them. I do have to say customer service with the two I have used have been really good for me so I flip flop between the two depending on in stock and the quantities I need.

I will have to make an order soon too. My local supplier has been ignoring me, as he owes me $25 of rats and is being a dodgy scum. There is one more local supplier to try, and then perfect prey will be my choice based on reviews


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i agree with perfect prey, i havn't ordered from any of them but i like there prices and what they have.

I'm not sure how old/large your snake is, but myself, I wouldn't ever feed mice. I've heard a lot of stories about snakes acquiring a taste for mice and becoming very difficult to get switched over to rats. Mice won't be large enough food items for very long and you'll have to switch to rats, anyway. So, why not just start off with rats? Just my opinion...

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I'm not sure how old/large your snake is, but myself, I wouldn't ever feed mice. I've heard a lot of stories about snakes acquiring a taste for mice and becoming very difficult to get switched over to rats. Mice won't be large enough food items for very long and you'll have to switch to rats, anyway. So, why not just start off with rats? Just my opinion...

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I am so glad my snakes have never listened to the "story's" or read the "rule book" on what they can and can't eat. If they had they never could survive in the wild. "Darn, I can't eat that because I read once I may become addicted.....guess I will just starve".:)

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

I'm not sure how old/large your snake is, but myself, I wouldn't ever feed mice. I've heard a lot of stories about snakes acquiring a taste for mice and becoming very difficult to get switched over to rats. Mice won't be large enough food items for very long and you'll have to switch to rats, anyway. So, why not just start off with rats? Just my opinion...

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Appreciate the response. This very subject was raised in another post of mine where I tried to make the switch but it involved both a regurgitation of the 1st rat pup and several refusals once I was able to build him back from the incident. In an effort to get him feeding again and put on some weight, I decided to go back on mice (possibly forever or until he's added some weight). He's currently around 260ish. The breeder (and many others on here) have said, while not ideal, males can get away w/ being life long mouse eaters. I'll try once gain when he's put on some weight but if it doesn't work, I may stick to mice and just feed jumbo mice. Thanks again for your insight.

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Originally Posted by Momokahn

I am so glad my snakes have never listened to the "story's" or read the "rule book" on what they can and can't eat. If they had they never could survive in the wild. "Darn, I can't eat that because I read once I may become addicted.....guess I will just starve".:)

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How about instead of leaving a useless troll comment you actually share your vast wisdom with the OP? *smh*

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Originally Posted by Aedryan Methyus

How about instead of leaving a useless troll comment you actually share your vast wisdom with the OP? *smh*

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Sorry not a troll, I even smiled. I don't quote story's I have heard over the years on how to keep reptiles. I base my comments on what I have witnessed with my snakes in captivity and documented facts how they live in the wild. If you have witnessed a snake on a complete hunger strike due to not getting it's fix of mice, I say post it. To retell story's you have heard that was your call and I responded. In this hobby of keeping snakes, we all want the best for our pets. I can remember the story 30 years ago to never feed a snake in it's cage. That story has come full circle to now never feed a snake outside it's cage....and the battle still rages. I didn't listen then and to darn old to listen now where to feed my snakes. My snakes over the years have been fed almost everywhere except in a church. Now if someone told me that story not to feed in a church I might listen.

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Originally Posted by ckuhn003

Thanks, I'll take a look at Reptilinks. They were not in my original search.

So back to the feeding size, and maybe I'm over analyzing, but if my feeder is 26 grams and my BP is 300 grams, do I need to figure out out how to make up those extra grams or should that prey be sufficient for that week? I've never fed my BP more then one prey at a time so I'm curious if he'll come back out of his hide for another.

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I too like the 10-15% range when feeding but sometime you just can't just ca't hit it perfect and that's nature I guess. I've fed x2 before when all I had available was a smaller feeder and it went without issue. Heck - when I'm done feeding and if someone doesn't want their second, my carpet and BCI are always waiting for more LOL

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

I ran into the same issue with Tyson with the Lg adult mice before switching him to rats. I would shoot for the 10-15% rule, but if it's a little under 10% I just rolled with it and he was fine.

I would weigh and sort the mice when they came in. I would put 3 or 4 in a zip lock bag and label them. Then put all the ziplocks into a zip lock gallon size freezer bag and then into some grocery or Wal-Mart bags. This helps to keep them fresh and easy to find the size I needed.

When it came time to double up I would start using the 18-24gram mice and it worked out fine.

I found with perfect prey I got a LOT of mice in the 18-24 range and VERY few bigger than 27 grams. In two orders with them I only received one mouse bigger than 29 grams. I wasn't too happy with that, but they do deliver a great product, beautifully packaged for a great price.

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Glad I'm not the only "crazy OCD" snake owner out there that weighs the feeders to feed in increased increments as the snakes grow LOL It's time consuming but works...just food save them, label, and stack in the chest freezer. Then there isn't any digging around and/or being stuck with small feeders at the bottom.

The 1 order I've placed with Reptilinks I was extremely pleased when I weighed everything (yes - all 300 mice/rats) and had a very slight deviation - 3 total were out of the advertised weight range and on the heavy side.

Very clean - no odor - prey stacked nicely in zip lock bags then vacuum sealed - no frozen blocks of feeders - no parts and pieces either like I've seen with Rodent Pro

Good luck with your ordering and feeding process, it can seem a bit overwhelming but you'll figure it out.

I've also heard, it's better and healthier for the snake to have it slightly hungry rather then to have it be overweight.