Wild mice

[mr.spooky]

I'm not if its been ask or not, but what is your method of feeding this snake?
do you offer the food and set there with the lights on watching it? Do you leave the food in over night?
with my babies, I had some that hit F\T the first time I offered, and some that didn't, but regardless, after I I feed them, I turn out the lights, pull a towel over the hatchling rack and leave them alone! I fed lazt night, and I had one that didn't eat (this one has been picky). This morning, I checked them and it was the only one that didn't eat, so I got the F/T out, put it in a sandwich bag and held it under HOT HOT water, and offered it again. It struck it, so I immediately pulled the towel ovev the rack to make it dark again. About 30 min. Later, I peeked in and it had ate.. So back to the question,, how are you feeding?
spooky

[evan385]

Ivan has only ever eaten live, but i'm going to try to get him on F/T. Captain Hook will eat anything live, P/K, F/T, rats, mice, gerbils she doesn't care what it is she's never refused a meal as long as she's not in blue. But I prefer to feed her live if I have it because I know that she'll eat anything. Once I get Ivan on F/T he'll be on that for a long time because one live mouse could reset it. And I breed rats. But when I get a car I will be switching back to F/T from Critter Barn because it's just too nasty and my mother complains about having to care for three rat tanks while i'm gone. Unless I can come across the ASFs I will not be breeding rats anymore. Then again it only cost me $15 for food and bedding for three rat tanks (two mothers and babies, the male, the feeders) to produce little over 20 babies. Anyways I turn the lights out, the light from the bulb is enough for me to see. With Ivan, while he may have a taste for mice he has eaten a small rat. But this rat was at least twice his girth and he took forever before he struck it so maybe a smaller one would work. I think it just has to be very alert and moving a lot for him to be interested. Should be another week or less before the rat pups are hopping. If all else fails i'll use (not feed) one of the wild mice (after freezing to kill off external parasites) to scent a rat pup. If that doesn't work and he starts losing weight because there's no way for me to get a live mouse, I will assist feed.

[akjadlnfkjfdkladf]

by the way evan i like your coming soons, bees are my favorite ball pythons.

and lol you feed them gerbils sometimes? i have no problems with it but i was wondering why...

[evan385]

That was when I had mice and couldn't get them to breed. I found gerbils on craigslist bought the fourteen that were left. Guy didn't care if they were snake food. Traded the twelve I had left for two adult female rats, a male, and 8 small rats for feeders almost two months ago and now I have 20+ nineteen day old rat pups. Also yeah I love bumble bees, i'm getting a make your own combo from Don for what will be $280 after shipping. Well after I get a car. But I may get impatient and say forget the car I want them and I can ride my bike to work! Cause I have enough for them right now. But...it will only take me about a month before I have enough for a cheap car and my snakes

[AK907]

Unless I can come across the ASFs I will not be breeding rats anymore.

If all else fails i'll use (not feed) one of the wild mice (after freezing to kill off external parasites) to scent a rat pup. If that doesn't work and he starts losing weight because there's no way for me to get a live mouse, I will assist feed.

We breed ASF as well. To warn you they are far nastier than rats if you're going to breed them. I think they smell even worse than mice. They also have quite a bit of attitude. They are definitely better than mice as feeders, but they really don't get very big. A large retired breeder ASF will be about the same size of a weanling/small rat. Great for picky eaters or getting hatchlings started, but I really hate these nasty things.

I have to strongly recommend you don't even use the wild mouse for scenting purposes. I wouldn't risk it. If it absolutely comes to assist feeding, I would take it to someone experienced with assist feeding. This is very stressful on them and you can easily harm your snake if you do it wrong.

[evan385]

We breed ASF as well. To warn you they are far nastier than rats if you're going to breed them. I think they smell even worse than mice. They also have quite a bit of attitude. They are definitely better than mice as feeders, but they really don't get very big. A large retired breeder ASF will be about the same size of a weanling/small rat. Great for picky eaters or getting hatchlings started, but I really hate these nasty things.

I have to strongly recommend you don't even use the wild mouse for scenting purposes. I wouldn't risk it. If it absolutely comes to assist feeding, I would take it to someone experienced with assist feeding. This is very stressful on them and you can easily harm your snake if you do it wrong.

If I could take him to someone for assist feeding I could get a live mouse. Even if they are more nasty than mice i've heard they're a lot less nasty/smelly than domestic rats. I've watched several videos from youtube and snakebytestv and I think I could try it if I had to. The only problem with ASFs is that they grow so slow and my female would eat an adult ASF. Guess I could feed more than one, they do have larger litters. Maybe i'll just build a rat rack. What kind of tubs should I use for this? Anyone have details on how to build one? My mother complains about too many rat tanks to clean. With ASFs I have a 75 gallon (4x2x2) that I could keep them all in, I had 14 gerbils (about same size) in it with plenty of extra space.

[AK907]

If I could take him to someone for assist feeding I could get a live mouse. Even if they are more nasty than mice i've heard they're a lot less nasty/smelly than domestic rats. I've watched several videos from youtube and snakebytestv and I think I could try it if I had to. The only problem with ASFs is that they grow so slow and my female would eat an adult ASF. Guess I could feed more than one, they do have larger litters. Maybe i'll just build a rat rack. What kind of tubs should I use for this? Anyone have details on how to build one? My mother complains about too many rat tanks to clean. With ASFs I have a 75 gallon (4x2x2) that I could keep them all in, I had 14 gerbils (about same size) in it with plenty of extra space.

You walk into our rat room and what you smell isn't the domestic/norway rats. You smell the ASF! They are VERY smelly compared to rats. We have to clean their tubs twice as often as the rats. Mice smell horrible too. Litter size varies. Sometimes you will get 17 in a litter. Sometimes you might only get 5. Our ASF's average about 12, which is on par with our normal rats. They do grow rather slow.

Racks are the only way to go if you're keeping large numbers of rats, but seeing as you only have a couple snakes, it might not be worthwhile. You'll be overrun with feeders. Tubs are a LOT easier to clean than tanks, though. I can give ya some measurements/parts list on ours if you need. A 4 tub rack takes about an hour or so to build and costs about $50.

Might I ask why feeders are so hard to come by? Where in the world do you live? I've lived in some pretty remote places and there was always somewhere within driving distance that carried mice. Every pet store I've ever been to carried mice.

[mues155]

I've caught a few before, I fed my female a few of the same wild mice that get into the feed without any problems whatsoever. No parasites. Since i've had my scale and been weighing her she seems to gain about 20 grams every week. But then again the ones I fed her were frozen first. So should I try F/T then? At the least I could feed it to her if he won't take it along with two more rat pups.

I wouldnt...its just not worth the risk.

Just because you cant SEE a parasite doesnt mean its not there...think of all the worm species that live in digestion tracts to just name one...