What do you pay for live feeders?

[elevatethis]

Just looking to get a comparison.

I pay $1.68 for an adult mouse from the pet shop; they specialize in exotic reptiles and have a great supplier for feeders. All the the mice always are alert are very healthy.

I'm wondering what you all pay. I know going f/t is MUCH cheaper, but my bp has been taking live (stunned) mice VERY enthusiastically and I don't want to lose out on a good thing going.

Feeding stunned mice can be very dangerous. Many snakes will not constrict their prey and just swallow it without making sure its dead yet. If the prey itme decides to wake up during the feeding, you can imagine the disaster that would follow. If your snake will eat "stunned" prey, chances are it will eat dead prey as well.

[iceman25]

Just exactly how do you stun prey? I mean other than beat it on top of the head with a blunt object that is. Stupic question, I know.

Actually, the best way to kill a feeder rodent is to place the mouse/rat into a sock or pillow case and bash the rodent against a wall or another hard surface. Brutal but quick and easy.

[elevatethis]

Feeding stunned mice can be very dangerous. Many snakes will not constrict their prey and just swallow it without making sure its dead yet. If the prey itme decides to wake up during the feeding, you can imagine the disaster that would follow. If your snake will eat "stunned" prey, chances are it will eat dead prey as well.

Yeah let me elaborate on that, you've misunderstood. I basically just take the mouse by the tail and whip them on the end of a desk or countertop. It breaks their neck instantly, very quick. The mouse is left kind of twitching; at the point, Amber strikes it and constricts it, so it is definitly totally dead before being swallowed.

I saw that thread about the bp that was attacked by a rodent, that picture broke my heart. I stun the mice every time now.

[JLC]

David...does that ever get messy? I'd be really afraid of either not doing it hard enough and therefore be terribly cruel to the critter...or doing it too hard and have splattered mouse/rat brains to deal with. :?

[elevatethis]

You basically just have to go for it, being "merciful" and not using as much muscle is actually more cruel. Just do it in one quick snap and the mouse won't even know what hit it.

[iceman25]

David...does that ever get messy? I'd be really afraid of either not doing it hard enough and therefore be terribly cruel to the critter...or doing it too hard and have splattered mouse/rat brains to deal with. :?

Yah I'd like to know to please. I would hate to hurt any living animal but It wouldnt be a problem if I know that a mouse would hurt my snake. I've been feeding live so far strictly supervised of course, But once I get to larger food items like a Rat I would defenitely like to, gulp, stun the hec out of it before offering it to my baby.

[Marla]

Someone ought to be able to work out a device for doing this, humanely and quickly killing prey items without a mess. Maybe a mouse-a-pult in a closed box or something.

[elevatethis]

Alright well this thread is hijacked, lol. How much do you all pay for live feeders?