New Member, Old Question

[BigByrd47119]

Hello,

I currently own a year and a half old male Pueblan Milk Snake and I am looking to expand my collection to include a either normal or pastel BP.

My issue is this. If at all avoidable, I really would rather not feed live or fresh killed mice/rats. Obviously as I have been conducting research its become apparent to me that this is a area of concern with BP's.

Is it possible to find a breeder which sells either normal or pastels which were raised on F/T or am I basically out of luck? I'm not sure if BHB Enterprises does F/T (doesn't look like it from their videos) but I plan on calling them in the morning to find out.

Any suggestions for alternative breeders fitting this description would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
BigByrd47119

[KatStoverReptiles]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but i think a bp that's been raised on pre-killed would have little trouble switching over to ft. The folks at BHB will surely be able to answer all of your questions.

[Kymberli]

You can typically switch them over, just may take patience.. and possibly a few live feeds. I've just picked up another rescue who I'm told has been fed live for years, I plan on switching him/her to f/t beginning Sunday. I anticipate a little difficulty, but I know it can be done. Also depends on the individual snake. Some have difficulty switching from mice to rats, mine had no problem after scenting the first rat with a mouse.

[Vypyrz]

I think it varies by breeder. Some will convert them to F/T and some won't.

[BigByrd47119]

Thanks for the quick replies!

This gives me some hope then. I'm not completely against feeding live, its just a preference of mine especially considering there is a 6 month old and a 6 year old who find my milk snake highly interesting. I wonder if its Petsmart's protocol to feed their BP's f/t or if they will resort to other forms?

I know, I know, but the Petsmart nearest me is actually quite good with reptiles! Their cage conditions have always been spot on, except for the one time that they had some poor corns in a cage that read almost 100 degrees! Needless to say I took the liberty of informing them of their "over sight" as they called it. Aside from this however, their reptiles in general look and feel very healthy.

*Edit*
There isnt by chance some "standard procedure" that is used to convert is there? If not across the board perhaps someone with personal experience doing so could describe the process in some depth? This will of course be a new process for me.

Thanks again for your time, patience, and help!
BigByrd47119

[Skittles1101]

I would NOT get it from Petsmart or Petco, as they will tell you it's eating f/t and I can almost guarantee you'll have issues with feeding. WHERE you get your bp is just as important as the type. Finding a reputable or trusted breeder is your best route for a successful purchase. If you ask the breeder what they are eating, chances are they won't lie. Even if they don't have what you are looking for they can give you other options to look into. I have gotten both (almost 3) of my ball pythons from trusted places where I was told they eat f/t, and only one has not eaten for me (it's only been 3 weeks, and I know why he's stressed). Save yourself the hassel and find a good breeder either in your area, or on this forum. Just my 2 cents, good luck.

[dragonboy4578]

BHB does not feed its bp's f/t. They just don't have the time or help to be able to accomplish it. All of their bp's are fed live.... With that every bp that I have bought from them switched to f/t with little effort.....

[BigByrd47119]

Thanks again for the replies!

BHB feeds live, but are known to make the switch with little effort. This is great news as far as I am concerned!

I'll ask again since I was warned against Petsmart (knew it was coming but oh well) if anyone can recommend a good breeder who switches their BP's over to f/t? We have a large reptile expo here in central Ohio, but I can honestly say that I don't feel comfortable with purchasing from any of those dealers/breeders. They simply don't present their reptiles nearly as well as the Petsmart near me does. The snakes at the show always look, well, depressed .

[mc5guy]

Most big breeder do not feed F/T because too time consuming. They have 1000s to feed. It will take forever. You can buy from smaller breeder most of them do F /T.

[angllady2]

Well, you can't take the impression of snakes at a show you see for maybe 15 minutes as a way to judge how the breeder keeps the snakes all the time.

By the same token, have you ever been to a cat or dog adoption event ? The animals are crammed into tiny cages or crates and usually look pretty depressed and unhappy. Do you think those cats and dogs are kept that way all the time ? Of course not. But it would be impossible to have 20 cats and 15 dogs running around playing and hiding instead of being adopted.

Same thing with snake shows. I mean, you'd be less than thrilled if you were taken from your nice, warm familiar tub at home, plopped into a cramped, unheated box with no hide under bright lights with all these things picking you up and poking at you all day too. Cut the breeders some slack. No one is going to buy a snake they cannot see, and no show has the room for every vendor to bring 8 or 10 full sized racks, not to mention how to heat said racks.

I've bought many snakes from shows, and I've also made some very knowledgeable friends at shows.

As to making the switch, most snakes will change over given some time and if you make the effort.

Gale