Feeding frustrations

[moonlightgdess]

So my normal got bit tonight by her small rat. I'm cleaning it up, but I'm so frustrated with feeding. Some of my snakes eat like champs, spot on every time. Two will only eat soft furs or mice. And my normal and two het pieds eat maybe once every other week.

My questions are these: how long do you put a rat in and leave it before saying too bad and removing it for next time? Am I just stressing out for nothing? I know they can go off feed, I just want them to eat (mainly so I don't have to house the leftovers). All of my snakes were on live before I got them, and I worry that if this is frustrating, switching to f/t will drive me insane. Suggestions?

[carlson]

With my ball I leave a rat in there for twenty mins tops he's in my living room so I can easily see him and make sure nothing is wrong. My carpet is a different story tho she's in my room that's becoming the snake/rat room so with her I remove her hide (if she's in it) then once that's gone if she's not already there shell go onto her perches then I drop in her rat once she's up there and from what I've seen she'll just strike and hunt from above so I check on her on and off for up to 45 mins if she's on the perch over the rat and the rat hasn't gotten on the perches. Now the carpet I've had for three or four months and she's only ate three times and I have a new breeding rat named lucky cuz of her. Soon as I get my rat stuff off and running good everyone including future pick ups will be on ft tho I find it easier to stock up on food that way.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I give anywhere from 10 to 20 mins depending on where I am at on the cleaning

[TheSnakeGuy]

One method I've employed twice before is if you have live leftovers you can put them in a plastic container and put them in the freezer. Call me inhumane if you want, but it's the simplest way to preserve them for another feeding day. They will get cold, their fast heart rate will decrease, they'll go to sleep, and finally die and be preserved at their freshest for later. That or you have a whole other cage for rodents complete with bedding, food, and water. I couldn't do that without other household members getting attached to it, and I didn't need another pet.

[PitOnTheProwl]

One method I've employed twice before is if you have live leftovers you can put them in a plastic container and put them in the freezer. Call me inhumane if you want, but it's the simplest way to preserve them for another feeding day. They will get cold, their fast heart rate will decrease, they'll go to sleep, and finally die and be preserved at their freshest for later. That or you have a whole other cage for rodents complete with bedding, food, and water. I couldn't do that without other household members getting attached to it, and I didn't need another pet.

That is just plain STUPID and IGNORANT
Food or not, no animal deserves a slow painful death.
You wouldnt do it to your puppies would you?

[TheSnakeGuy]

It's no different than a person buying extra rodents and putting them in a CO2 kill box and freezing them. It is snake food, not a pet.

[Capray]

For me the amount of time depends on whether the snake is actually interested…if it is lazily watching the prey then I'll give it like 20 minutes. And if the snake is completely avoiding the prey it gets 10 minutes.

Live freezing is pretty harsh..why not at least whack the rat against the wall before hand? And I'm pretty sure CO2 boxes are "nicer" in that sense than being stuck in a box and slowly freezing.

[PitOnTheProwl]

It's no different than a person buying extra rodents and putting them in a CO2 kill box and freezing them. It is snake food, not a pet.

My CO2 box kills in less than 30 seconds AND they are a living animal.
I dont care if you want them as a pet or not, learn to kill them quickly rather than let them suffer to death.
Also what do you think breeders do with deformed puppies that wont be able to live a happy/useful life?
If I want/need it to die it is not going to suffer reguardless if it was a puppy born with no legs, a rat I need to freeze OR Bambie I want to eat.
Even Wilbur the hog gets a quick death.
Its plain human compassion

[MrLang]

It's no different than a person buying extra rodents and putting them in a CO2 kill box and freezing them. It is snake food, not a pet.

Wrong. Again, stupid and ignorant.

One is humane, where the rodent actually goes to sleep before death. It's recognized by science as humane. The other is questionably the most painful and horrible death a mammal can endure. You can potentially receive legal ramifications for doing so.

What makes a pets life more valuable than 'snake food'?

What makes YOUR life more valuable than 'snake food'?

How about your children? Your mother?

Your brain activity is not the center of the universe. Take a step back and think about it rationally, assuming you possess the ability to do those 2 things.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Your brain activity is not the center of the universe. Take a step back and think about it rationally, assuming you possess the ability to do those 2 things.

That right there is funny, I dont care who you are