Quote Originally Posted by EchoPet View Post
Before you buy in bulk online, make sure your snake will eat F/T. If none of the stores near you sell F/T, you can do it yourself. When I was switching my snakes over, first I tried pre-killed. The easiest way I found was just putting the rats in a cooler and then putting some dry-ice in a container with holes and putting that in the cooler with the rats.. they just go to sleep. You can also get a CO2 tank from a paintball gun store and do it that way. Anyway, once your snake will eat P/K, then freeze one or two and next time thaw those out and see if your snake will take them. Make sure you thaw them out slowly (do NOT put in the microwave.. trust me.. LOL), and get them pretty warm, especially around the head. I use a hairdryer. Most of my snakes prefer when I make the rat "walk" past their hides. Then they just come out the opening of the hide and strike, then drag it back inside with them. I think it makes them feel more secure. But it'd be a waste to buy a bunch of frozen rats only to find out that your snake won't eat them.

If Big Cheese is still out, try RodentPro. I buy from them online and their shopping cart tells you how much space is left in the box so you can maximize your order for the shipping you pay.
I'm definately going to try and find one local before I buy bulk.

To me freshly killing is just as bad as live. I may feel worse putting it to sleep versus giving it a "fighting" chance.

I've read the horror stories of stomaches exploding and such with improper heating techniques and I certainly don't want that to happen. I also saw a video of a breeder here feeding F/T to his snakes. He'd hold them in the tongs and wiggle them around and after the snake coiled around it, he'd shake it a little bit more to simulate a struggle. I think I'll do it that way assuming he'll actually eat them.

I've checked RodentPro and for me maximizing the shipping box is not the best way to go with one snake. I could fit 160 small rats in one box which would be 3-1/2 to 7 years worth of food. I've read that you shouldn't keep them stored for more than six months so if he continues to eat one every two weeks that's less than 15 rats but I think I will start offering him one per week. If you thaw one out and offer it but he doesn't want it, can you refreeze it? Or is it better to toss it?

There's one obvious solution to this problem I may have with ordering food in bulk... Get more snakes.