Is F/T worth the trouble?

[Mettle]

its nice to know your animals will eat a f/t but i like watching the hunt and im sure they like it too.

Snakes do not "like" things the same way people do. You are anthropromorphizing. The snakes are operating off of instinct.

As for those who say feeding live is safe. Obviously not as safe as frozen/thawed feedings. If anyone has ever been bitten by an adult rat (my my had 10+ stictches in her hand from a large male once that she had as a pet) then you know the damage they can do. Regardless of how proficient your snake is with hunting, it only takes one missed strike or misplaced hit for the rat (or mouse) to severely injure your animal and cause damage. Know the risks if feeding live.

Having said that, if the animal will eat nothing but live you have no choice. All of my ball pythons eat f/t and I am thankful for this as for me it is both cheaper and more convenient. My emerald tree boa eats nothing but live and I have to go out of my way every feeding to get a live hopper mouse for her. Being allergic to rodents keeping them on hand is not an option for me and I have no desire to tend to or take care of my snake's food. That is an even larger inconvenience than getting the one hopper every couple of weeks. (Lucky for me etb metabolisms are much slower and they require far fewer feedings.)

I'm not advocating one way or the other and I think whatever works best in getting meals into the snakes is probably the best course. I just think that sometimes the risks when feeding live are severely downplayed and we shouldn't lose sight of the damage that can be inflicted when feeding live. Personally, I prefer my collection without scars and with all their eyes in tact. But again, like I said, lucky for me, every one here eats f/t except one snake.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

If you can’t convert them now (it requires tough love (of course given your BP are healthy and have a good body weight)

I convert mine back and forth each year……………………..let me explain.

I produce my own feeder rats and mice and prefer to feed live (with over 50 snakes it is just more convenient for me) however during the winter months I always end up producing more then I need as my snake slowly go off feed for months, so I euthanize the feeders, freeze them and once my snake resume feeding they are offered F/T first while supply last and then back to live.

I am doing that every year and trust me when a snake comes out of several months of fast (especially females that have laid) they will eat about anything.

So is it worth it well F/T has it's advantages and inconvenience what matters is that you feed what works for your snake and is convenient to you (one is no better then the other)

[Repsrul]

My opinion on F/T. I believe it is easier, cheaper and a lot safer.
Easier because I don't have to go to the pet store every week and get a hundred rats to feed to my snakes (even though I have a few that will not take F/T so I need to pick a hand full). It is so easy to go down stairs to the freezer and pick out what I need and if one does not eat another will just get an extra one or I just toss it. If I have to get all live and some did not eat then I would have to house them and I do not want that.
Cheaper because F/T is around $1 a rat and live is more then that even at friend prices. Well at least where I get them from. He has shown me his invoice so I know what he pays for the feeder.
Safer for the obvious reasons. The snake will not get bit. I will not get bit. I do not have to worry about any of them escaping.

I just prefer F/T or live and P/K. As much as I dislike the little buggers I still don't like to be the one to kill them. But a snake has to eat!

[cinderbird]

Btw, you're lucky that you have a good local supplier, because around here it's slim pickings... which might be surprising since I live in a major metro (SF Bay Area), but reptiles really aren't that popular here. Not to mention, we have too many "hippies" who would probably protest even the F/T suppliers. Our craigslist users are constantly flagging rodent dealers, not to mention anyone trying to sell a snake - whether it's a rescue or high-end CB morph. Oy vey.

I even caught slack from the local Petco manager, when I bought a male & female mouse with one cage. He was like "you know, we aren't supposed to sell mice for breeding, or feeding for that matter." My response was "Okay... then I'm buying them as beloved pets, and I already have a second cage at home." I mean, really? Like Petco is soooooo good with live animals, LOLOL.

Our best local supplier is probably East Bay Vivarium in Berkeley, but that's across the bridge from me - which means a $4 toll, and minimum of 30 minutes in heavy traffic (any time of day). I used to go there when I worked in the East Bay, but now it simply doesn't make any sense.

It may be worth the time now if you buy in bulk, if its something you want to do. Honestly, its all about what works best for you and your animals.

One of my 2 cats is super predatory, and I'm quite thankful for that. When I've had ASF's "boing" out of a tub - she's right there to catch them for me.

I call the ASF breeder tank "Lexi TV".

Its Ollie and Fatty TV for me, my BF is allergic to rodents so its really not the best idea for us to keep them in the house, but he does enjoy when i bring them home (until its snakey dinner time...)

If you can’t convert them now (it requires tough love (of course given your BP are healthy and have a good body weight)

I convert mine back and forth each year……………………..let me explain.

I produce my own feeder rats and mice and prefer to feed live (with over 50 snakes it is just more convenient for me) however during the winter months I always end up producing more then I need as my snake slowly go off feed for months, so I euthanize the feeders, freeze them and once my snake resume feeding they are offered F/T first while supply last and then back to live.

I am doing that every year and trust me when a snake comes out of several months of fast (especially females that have laid) they will eat about anything.

So is it worth it well F/T has it's advantages and inconvenience what matters is that you feed what works for your snake and is convenient to you (one is no better then the other)

That is an awesome idea!

[Clear]

I prefer feeding F/T just because its easier. I was breeding my own feeders and that became to much work! Some of the bp's will eat f/t with no problem. others will skip a few meals then take one. All the morelia snap them up like they have never been feed so what I do is feed the left overs to them.

[Lolo76]

Thanks to everyone for the opinions... gave me a lot to think about! Tonight was feeding night, and I went with live b/c I'm not ready to deal with the conversion quite yet. I bought 10 adult mice (as I explained earlier, I don't often feed rats), and here's what the results were:

Toby - ate 3
Delilah - ate 2
Pedro - ate 2
Vinnie - ate 2
Orlando - ate 1
Rosalind - refused (I think she prefers rat pups)
Mona - refused (she's been on a breeding fast since mid-Aug, but I always offer)

I think that's a pretty good ratio, and when Ros & Mona refused I was able to feed the extras to Pedro & Vinnie... for me that is best, and so far I'm the only one who's been bitten by a rodent. I will try converting them over time, since F/T will be easier and cheaper as my collection grows. For now I'll probably stick with live, though, since I like how consistently they feed. Thanks again for the input!

[Montie Python]

If you can’t convert them now (it requires tough love (of course given your BP are healthy and have a good body weight)

I convert mine back and forth each year……………………..let me explain.

I produce my own feeder rats and mice and prefer to feed live (with over 50 snakes it is just more convenient for me) however during the winter months I always end up producing more then I need as my snake slowly go off feed for months, so I euthanize the feeders, freeze them and once my snake resume feeding they are offered F/T first while supply last and then back to live.

I am doing that every year and trust me when a snake comes out of several months of fast (especially females that have laid) they will eat about anything.

So is it worth it well F/T has it's advantages and inconvenience what matters is that you feed what works for your snake and is convenient to you (one is no better then the other)

Thats a smart economical way of doing things...I like it..

[omnibus2]

Snakes do not "like" things the same way people do. You are anthropromorphizing. The snakes are operating off of instinct.

Snakes can certainly have preference between live or f/t. Whether or not that is considered "liking" is subjective.


Anyway, I know many breeders that successfully keep dozens of bp on live forever, but personally I believe that if you can wean them to f/t, it is so much better. Not only is it cheaper and more economical, but you no longer run the risk of spreading disease or injury to your bp.

[Lolo76]

Snakes can certainly have preference between live or f/t. Whether or not that is considered "liking" is subjective.

Yes, they can certainly have "preferences" - and strong ones at that! Just ask Delilah, my girl who's never eaten a rat in the 9 months I've had her (and we did try)... or Mona, who looks visibly insulted when I offer anything P/K or F/T. "You expect me to eat what now??"

[seeya205]

Thanks to everyone for the opinions... gave me a lot to think about! Tonight was feeding night, and I went with live b/c I'm not ready to deal with the conversion quite yet. I bought 10 adult mice (as I explained earlier, I don't often feed rats), and here's what the results were:

Toby - ate 3
Delilah - ate 2
Pedro - ate 2
Vinnie - ate 2
Orlando - ate 1
Rosalind - refused (I think she prefers rat pups)
Mona - refused (she's been on a breeding fast since mid-Aug, but I always offer)

I think that's a pretty good ratio, and when Ros & Mona refused I was able to feed the extras to Pedro & Vinnie... for me that is best, and so far I'm the only one who's been bitten by a rodent. I will try converting them over time, since F/T will be easier and cheaper as my collection grows. For now I'll probably stick with live, though, since I like how consistently they feed. Thanks again for the input!

Do whatever works best for you and your snakes!