Mice to rats

[ShelbyCraig]

how hard is the switch? and whats the rat equivalent to an adult mouse.

[Slim]

How hard the switch is almost always depends on the snake. Personally, I've never had an issue with it, but I always make the switch when the snake is young and is programed to eat anything in order to put on size and weight.

Some people want to feed mice until a snake is into adulthood then get tired of having to give multiple mice per feeding. When they try to switch them over as adults, it can be a much bigger probelm. Some BPs can be pickey and the best tip I've heard is to get some mouse bedding from a pet store and rub it on the rat before presenting it. Before you mess around with that, though, you should first try a straight switch.

As for the size question, that's kind of hard to answer because everyone seems to have a different size scale. Off the top of my cranium I would say that any snake that can eat a large mouse can probably handle a small rat in the 50 gram range. This is another reason a digital scale is an essential piece of gear for any snake keeper to have. Weighing the prey before feeding takes out all the guess work.

[RichsBallPythons]

Depends on the snake, Most wont take to rats when their hatchlings. I work on switching them once their able to take rat pups. Mot switch , but some dont, and ones that dont will be fed ASF

[ShelbyCraig]

well the biggest ball i have is right around 400 grams and my others are in the 180-230 range.

[RichsBallPythons]

Try switching, buy each a live rat pup(eyes still closed) and put in the cage over night and check back in morning.

The pups either be gone(good feeder) or still there(stubborn Feeder)

[pigfat]

X 7? that it depends on the snakes. Mine are all at or under 250 grams and I had no problem switching. My largest one would only eat live mice because the guy I bought him from fed live rats, but as soon as I offered a frozen rat he took it no problem.