chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
so my local "bomgars" has baby chicks. They are only like $1.50 a piece which is super cheap compared to rats. I have heard of pleanty of people who feed their retics chicks and chickens.... what do you all think? would it be okay to feed my retic chicks? I guess i would be worried that they had some sort of bird flu or something. I would never want anything baby to happen to my dude marvin. I'm way to invest lol. Thanks for your hyelp!
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dylan815
so my local "bomgars" has baby chicks. They are only like $1.50 a piece which is super cheap compared to rats. I have heard of pleanty of people who feed their retics chicks and chickens.... what do you all think? would it be okay to feed my retic chicks? I guess i would be worried that they had some sort of bird flu or something. I would never want anything baby to happen to my dude marvin. I'm way to invest lol. Thanks for your hyelp!
Nothing wrong with chicks. I use quail.
Bird Flu is not a concern. Variety in the diet is quite healthy.
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bcr229
Snakes can certainly eat baby chickens, quail, etc. Retics can eat whole adult chickens, I have a friend who sells eggs and who raises free-range chickens for human consumption and I get her adult culls as snake food.
I wouldn't put your snake solely on a diet of chicks to prevent him from getting stuck on them.
Also if you can find rabbit kits or fuzzies you should start offering those when your snake is big enough to take them. While it's rare some retics get stuck on rats and would rather eat 4-5 jumbo rats than one big rabbit.
while i have heard of them getting stuck on rats or something i don't think it will be an issue with my guy, he will take a swing at literally anything when he's in food mode.
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dylan815
also, how would you humanely kill chicks? My guy hasn't ate anything that was alive in a few months.
CO2 chamber. A lot of places will sell them frozen though if you want to buy online, but they're not that cheap.
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bcr229
CO2 chamber. A lot of places will sell them frozen though if you want to buy online, but they're not that cheap.
they are only like $1 a piece at bomgars here (kinda a farm store).
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Salmonella is a concern when feeding fowl. And I'm not sure about the US but here in the UK all chickens must be immunised by law if they're sold. If you guys have that too it should be ok.
I've also read that chicks don't contain as many nutrients as rodents of the same size and that they produce runny foul smelling feces. So that may be a factor too.
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Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Sauzo
Like mentioned, variety is the spice of life. I feed my guy chicks, quails, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs. He is too big for chicks now though. It's true, poultry isnt going to pack the punch of a rabbit or guinea pig but it still is good for a change of pace.
Right on!
Variety and different sizes and feeding intervals.
It's not rocket science if you look into the biology of your animal.
I wouldn't be concerned about Salmonella in the slightest. Snakes will sometimes eat dead and rotting prey if they are in a bind.
The amount of acids in the digestive system of a snake will overcome almost anything.
I've fed my dogs RAW food and bones for nearly 20 years and have never had any situation with chicken to warrant concern with them.
Mix it up and enjoy!
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Just because no one has mentioned it....expect the worst smelling poo EVER from chicks.
Carpet pythons love them....and I mean LOVE them, if my girl get's a whiff of a chick defrosting she comes flying out of her hide. It's the equivalent of a prime grade ribeye for humans...I don't feed them all the time because the smell makes my stomch turn (and Im a person who guts a few deer each year mind you lol).
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KevinK
Just because no one has mentioned it....expect the worst smelling poo EVER from chicks.
Carpet pythons love them....and I mean LOVE them, if my girl get's a whiff of a chick defrosting she comes flying out of her hide. It's the equivalent of a prime grade ribeye for humans...I don't feed them all the time because the smell makes my stomch turn (and Im a person who guts a few deer each year mind you lol).
Actually a lot of people say that but you know, when i fed Caesar and both my big boas chicks and quails, their poops actually were less smelly than from rats. And they werent all runny like i hear. They were solid, dark poops that smelled like poop lol.
Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
KevinK
Just because no one has mentioned it....expect the worst smelling poo EVER from chicks.
Carpet pythons love them....and I mean LOVE them, if my girl get's a whiff of a chick defrosting she comes flying out of her hide. It's the equivalent of a prime grade ribeye for humans...I don't feed them all the time because the smell makes my stomch turn (and Im a person who guts a few deer each year mind you lol).
I actually mentioned that above too. I've never experienced it but I've heard stories ha ha.
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Re: chicks for retics (baby chickens lol)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
dylan815
How often do you guys think would be okay to supplement chicks instead of rats? once a month? once every two months???? thanks everyone!
Once every 3-4 feedings.
