Feeding snakes live prey?

[mues155]

I was just wondering if you have your snakes converted to f/t and you fed them a live rat...I wonder if they would have a problem taking f/t the next feeding?
Just a thought I had and was curious if anyone has ever had a problem.

[Annarose15]

I have been warned against feeding live to my F/T converts, but have done it successfully a few times without having trouble on the next F/T feedings. I just make sure they never get more than one live in a row (next feeding is always F/T). Just a note, but my experience was with younger balls - I haven't tried this with any that were breeding age.

[snakesRkewl]

I have a few snakes that will eat anything anyway you offer it and some that are very picky and need to be fed certain prey a certain way or they refuse to eat.
I've learned over time which snakes feed in what manner and I go with it.
I feed asf's to previous mouse eaters that won't touch rats otherwise I feed live rats.
Typically I would warn against live feeding if you want you snake to stay on F/T

[Simple Man]

I'm on the opposite end. I ended up switching 7 out of my 10 to F/T and one of the other three eats F/T every couple times. I am now breeding and raising my own rats. I have two that won't touch F/T. Of the ones that do eat both, they will readily eat one or the other. I haven't had a problem with them refusing F/T after eating live. I do make sure to feed rats even though it is F/T. I have a few bags of mice but once they eat rats, I don't offer mice again. I did that with one of my converts and now she wants mice again. Just my experience

Regards,

B

[mues155]

interesting.
And I do have those snakes that will eat anything you throw at them. I swear I could throw a balled up piece of garbage at my female corn and she would eat it.
But as far as my balls go, some of the younger ones are bullheaded eaters and some arent.
I wonder how pre killed would play into this subject?
Because I know for me, all my friends and such know im the snake lady and if they get rats from time to time to just give them to me. I would be giving p/k personally.

[CatandDiallo]

My boys both eat F/T. I've never had a problem with my ball, except for the fact that he sometimes takes 30 mins to eat his rat, especially if he decides to eat feet first. He's such a silly.

The breeder that I got my W. hognose from said that he was eating live pinkies, but I went ahead and got frozen pinkies instead. He ate a F/T pinkie today, with no hesitation! After feeding a ball python for a year, it was a relief this animal could get that F/T pinkie down in a couple bites!

[Evenstar]

Here's an interesting twist. My female BP, Ella is 2 1/2 years old now. She was adopted from a rescue group last year. She had been fed LIVE rodents while with her original owner the whole time they had her. The rescue group switched her to F/T when she was turned in to them (and they said she switched easily). When I adopted her, she was slamming f/t and never missed a meal. She was a real piggy!

Then in October, she began refusing periodically until December when she went off feed altogether (gotta love sexual maturity, lol). Mid January, I began offering her LIVE to pique her interest in eating again. She occasionally would take one, but not consistantly. She ate live off and on through the end of April when she shed. The next night I decided to offer F/T on a whim. She positively SLAMMED it. She ate 2 f/t that night. And she's eaten f/t every week since, slamming each feeding. I have my piggy back.

So, I personally have not had any trouble switching from f/t to live and back again.....

[ogdentrece]

I would prekill any live unless it refuses to eat really..

[mues155]

I would prekill any live unless it refuses to eat really..

Yes of course i agree. The thread isnt whether or not its a good idea to feed live.
Its just interesting to me to see if anyone has had a problem with a snake that is on f/t and for whatever reason had to feed it a live or p/k. How that would effect the next feeding of f/t.
Because i know I come across some people around here giving away free rats as feeders or whatever and I will always p/k them. But again just to see how the snake does with the next feeding of f/t is all.
Thanks for all the input guys!

[Jay_Bunny]

For my f/t converts I've never had much of an issue getting them to take f/t after having had a live meal. I have one female that only eats live. Everyone else will take either willingly. Every now and then one of my males gets a stick up his butt and will hold out for something that moves, but 90% of the time, he's a good boy and eats his f/t.