Live feeding ASFs = Irresponsible?

[WingedWolfPsion]

I have a little breeder group of ASFs. They have not proven to be difficult to handle, but I always remember that they are not domesticated animals. I tail them, I never try to pick them up in a way that would allow one to bite me.

I had a male first, and it was quite docile--then I got a pair of females for him. Within a day of introduction, his attitude changed. Instead of retreating to the back of the bin when I opened it, he came forward, toward me. His attitude was rather aggressive, so I did not give him the chance to bite me. I presume he was defending the females.

So, when a group is set up, I do not trust the male at all, either. With rats, the male is usually docile, but the females can nip if you go near their pups (I cull the bitey ones, but it happens occasionally).

As for my snakes...I tried ASFs on my picky eaters, and did not have success. One of my mousers did eat the ASF, the other did not. On the next feeding, the ASF was rejected by both.

ASFs do simply freeze when confronted with a snake, so I don't think they are more dangerous to live-feed, but I always supervise closely.

I can think of reasons why a person would want to feed ASFs exclusively, but I personally do much better with rats.

ASFs get to the size of a small rat--they're suitable prey for most adult ball pythons, though larger individuals may have to eat a couple to make a meal.

ASFs have a reputation for being very prolific--they can have very large litters. ASFs grow slowly--this can be both a detriment and a benefit. If you're feeding baby snakes, the ASFs babies will be an acceptable size for longer.
Probably the BIGGEST reason I can think of is if you have to keep the rodents in your home and do not have a shed, barn, or facility. ASFs have a mild, overripe-fruity, zoo odor that is MUCH less strong than the gamey, pungent odor rats and mice have. ASFs also take twice as long to get stinky.

If I had to choose between having a snake on mice, and having one on ASFs, I would choose the ASFs for sure. But, if a snake will take domestic rats, those really work best.