Why do people feed boas mice?

[jjmitchell]

I raise rats just to get babies to start on them.. I hate starting my bps off on mice especially females, it can be hard to get them to change over, but my boas usually eat anything and everything....I do start them on rats because it is what I have. I think it has more to do with availability

[JimiSnakes]

I've raised baby boas up on rats from birth and mice to a year old, so this is from my personal experience with 100's and 100's of baby Boas. When they are started and raised on rat pinks, they usually end up looking like fat little sausages and develop muscle tone slower and at a much older age. When raised on mice until around a year old, they develop muscle tone at a younger age and seem to be much healthier adults. It's not a question of money or availability, but what seems to me to be a healthier food source.

I hope this helps.

[purplemuffin]

I've been raising ours on mice But she's also had a rat or two when Maru wouldn't eat it. She's looking good too!




I think there are definitely nutritional differences between mice and rats, and I have seen rat-raised boas become little fatties, but some seem to do okay on them, you just have to feed rats on a different schedule than if you were feeding mice I think. Mice go right through her! Rats even of the same size seem to take longer, plus they have all that extra protein and all that. I'm sure they're great for putting on weight though!

I think it seems to be SOME people over feed them rats, and then SOME people underfeed them on mice. If the snake is healthy, that's what matters!

[JimiSnakes]

I think it seems to be SOME people over feed them rats, and then SOME people underfeed them on mice. If the snake is healthy, that's what matters!

Very well put.