ASF footprint

[Mike Cavanaugh]

Many people say that the reason for not feeding ASF's is because they are a natural food for the ball python, and once a python is eating ASF's, they will not go back to normal rats.

I wonder tho how true this is. I have read on here from several different sources that they were able to switch from ASF's to rats, and some even regularly switch back and forth.

Even with snakes that wouldn't eat anything... and finally ate ASF's... I haven't heard of any that did not later switch to rats when the keeper stuck to their guns.

So, lets find out if this is a wives tale or not. Is there anyone on here that has been unable (within a reasonable amount of time, and reasonable amount of effort) to switch an ASF eater back to rats? If so, please share the details with us.

thanks.

Mike

[lord jackel]

My personal experience is that I have ZERO issues feeing ASF, Rats or Mice to my balls. Most will readily eat whatever is placed in their tub and I routinely switch back and forth (based on what I have the current size of). I lost all my rats several months ago to a food issue and had to feed mice and ASF exclusively for about 5 months to my entire collection. I have since switched all of them back to rats without issue. So I have been feeding ASF, rats and mice back and forth for over a year (and had switched snakes eating only ASF for almost 5 months back to rats without a problem)

However, like everything about BP there are exceptions...and some will imprint on one food item and eat nothing else - weather that be ASF, Rats, Mice, Gerbils, etc.

As an example, my breeder male Pastel goes off feed ever year for about 6 months and when he comes back on will ONLY take ASF for the first 2 months then he switches to eat anything ...strange but that is how he rolls.

From my experience it is a wives tale.

Hope this helps.

[OhBalls]

I usually feed mice to my little BP's and switch off with asf and mice for the larger BPs.
I have found that I cannot keep up with the ASF's as they grow slower than a regular rat.
Every once in awhile I spurge for gerbils, but they get pretty pricey.

Normally, if I have a problem feeder, the ASF or gerbils do the trick. I've never had a problem switching.

[PigsnPythons]

I bought a snake that had been raised on only ASF rats, and there was no hesitation when I offered him a regular rat.

[littleindiangirl]

I've never heard that they have a problem switching... it was more or less the availability of asf on a regular basis.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I've never heard that they have a problem switching... it was more or less the availability of asf on a regular basis.

Many have said in the past that they don't recomend ASF's because once a snake is on them, it could be very difficult to re-home them.... because the new keeper may not have access to asf's. Well from what I have heard so far, in that situation, switching them to normal rats should not be an issue.

I have done a lot of reading on ASF's. The number one reason people don't use / don't recomend using them is this. I think it is in fact, for the most part, a wives tale.

[littleindiangirl]

Well, it is not a wives tale that BP's are finicky eaters and many times will not just switch back and forth from mice to rats... I have heard many success stories where people get a non-eating snake to begin eating on ASF, and later switch to regular rats.

Like everything with snakes, it takes time and patience. Some BP's will refuse till they die to eat rats... it's up to the keeper to be accepting and patient in those cases. Because sometimes, BP's just will not switch. Fortunately, I have never had to deal with that.

I have heard that it is easier to switch young BP's as opposed to older ones, and I also believe any seller should make sure that his snakes will take what ever is readily available before he sells the snake. ASF are still not that available, even here where I know there are breeders.

But again, I don't think your going to prove or disprove the rumor until ASF are readily available for everyone.

[Freakie_frog]

I have use bedding from my ASF to scent rat to get two of my stubborn feeders to just start slamming rats. and had no problem getting slowly switched back to none scented rats.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

But again, I don't think your going to prove or disprove the rumor until ASF are readily available for everyone.

Why not? either people have been unable to change from asf's, or not... So far, 100% of the respondents have been able to change from ASF's to rats with little effort.

Mike

[littleindiangirl]

Lol, this isn't a drop in the bucket on the full spectrum of the hobby. That's all I meant