Alternetive food for ballpython

[rabernet]

Adam Wysocki contributed these posts in this thread:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...hlight=gerbils

Hamsters are not going to be the easiest prey item to come by weekly for the next 20 - 30+ years and once hamsters get to be adults they have a ton of fur and some very long sharp teeth which aren't always agreeable with ball pythons.

-adam

Live adult hamsters are particularly nasty because their teeth tend to be much longer and sharper than adult rats or mice ... And even if pre-killed, their longer than normal teeth still could pose a problem during swallowing and digestion ... I've treated more than a couple abcesses in the back of the throats of rescues that were previously fed hamster and gerbils.

I know the hamster thing "seems" like a good idea ... But I assure you it's not.

-adam

[Simpson Balls]

You could feed Approx sized rabbit?

May that help you

Daniel

[Andreass]

You could feed Approx sized rabbit?

May that help you

Daniel

Isn't that hard to get?

[Muze]

Your best bet IMO is ASF rats. They do not grow as large as domestic rats, are not as difficult (or expensive) to come across as gerbils, hamsters, rabbits (I would really not consider a rabbit for a BP, regardless of size), etc.

[Muze]

If you do decide to feed mice, the Jumbo (retired breeders) are sometimes the same size as a small rat. 1-2 should suffice.

[littleindiangirl]

Sounds like you're choices are going to be mice or African soft furred rats. Raising Norway rats is a chore, and they do grow too big quickly, and if you don't have animals that eat frozen thawed, it's pretty much a waste to raise Norway rats unless you have a source to sell them too every week.

I would have you seriously consider African soft furred.

[Denial]

My balls eat rats,asf,mice and rabbits. I wouldnt feed a gerbil Ive also heard that if they switch to gerbils they dont want anything else.

[Andreass]

I know this topic has been down for a time but i couldn't decide.
But now i did, most people advice me to go for ASF. So thats what i wil do.
If i look at the wheight of an ASF than it seems that i still have to feed multiple preys at once for an adult or am i rong.
Plz tell me that i am rong so that i don't have to be thinking any more about what would be best

gr

[cobweb2000]

I know this topic has been down for a time but i couldn't decide.
But now i did, most people advice me to go for ASF. So thats what i wil do.
If i look at the wheight of an ASF than it seems that i still have to feed multiple preys at once for an adult or am i rong.
Plz tell me that i am rong so that i don't have to be thinking any more about what would be best

gr

One large ASF is fine for an adult ball python. I only feed my very largest females (all over 2000g) a single large ASF a week, my large ASF's are usually between 100-130g. An adult bp doesn't need anything more than 100-150g of food a week to maintain a healthy weight. I believe there are several other people on this forum who will tell you the same thing.

Good luck, I hope you can find a food source that will work out for you.

[Andreass]

Ok it will be ASF

Now i'm going to look for a nice and tame line what will be quite hard.

gr