mice/rats alternatives....

[FrankieCarbone]

If you're dead set on feeding them poultry, I don't see any real issue. Just make sure you know and trust your source and I think you'll be all set.

im not dead set on it, i mean im basically just trying to get you guys input on it. Like i said i can continue to go the mice/rat route, i will do anything for my BP, but if i can make my life more simply, then i will take it. If somebody out there can tell me "yes its perfectly fine to have him on a bird diet because i have done so for years" or "no, your better off on mice/rats, i tired chics, and your better of on mice/rats" etc etc...

[Clint Bundy]

I guess I should have thought before I signed on the dotted line in 1991. Have you tried frozen rodents yet? I know many breeders and can't think of any of them that have kept snakes on birds. None of them have ever posed the problem though that you have with rodents. If the nutritional factor is the same then there should be no reason why you can't keep the snake on chic's. I would make sure I knew who I was getting the chic's from. I raise or a friend of mine raises all of the food that I feed to my reptiles. I want to know what conditions the rodents were kept in and I know that none of them have diseases.

[satomi325]

And chics being dirtier than rats/mice? i mean come on, seriously, not trying to be offensive, but can u really sit there and say that a baby chicken is dirtier than a rat?

From someone who has fed all 3 animals to my ferrets, I would like to say mice are filthy smelly creatures. They are by far more messy and dirty than chicks and rats. However, I do agree with others that rats are very clean. They groom themselves frequently and can be litter trained. They don't have a strong nasty odor as mice.

Chicks themselves aren't physically that dirty, but they make a huge mess. Liquid goopy poo everywhere! I would choose a rat over a chick any day.

However for you, a chick may be better. They're sitting ducks for any predator. My ferrets love chasing mice and rats. And the mice and rats run for their lives. The chicks just sit there all stupid and peep. They're just asking for something to eat them. (meaning they won't scare your snake or freak out)

Edit: I only feed rats to my snakes BTW.

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[FrankieCarbone]

then you understand, nobody forced you to join up. I dont know what branch you enlisted in, but i used that as a comparison. Im not sure if you had a combat MOS or not, but hurting others is not the best feeling in the world, but sometimes its something that must be done. I hate mice/rats, but love my BP, so if i have to deal with a rat once a week but get to enjoy my BP every day after that, its a sacrifice im willing to make, voluntarily Hopefully that answers your question as to why i bought a animal that i knew i have to feed/deal with another animal im afraid of. Why did i join the army if i dont like hurting others??? because i wanted to be in the military since i was a child, and having to do hurt others is part of the job, its one of the sacrifices you have to put up with to be able to be in the military, or atleast my MOS.

Why do i feel like this is turning into a pi___ng contest now? man this has gotten way of subject, i just wanted to know if there is anybody out there that has had there BP on a bird diet with no problems besides runny poop.....

[FrankieCarbone]

there are LOTS of these places in NY, so i would have to find that one "right one" there alot of halal spots too.

@satomi325 yes, thats what im saying, i mean i bring home a mouse/rat from a petstore in the boxes they come in, and in the 15 minute ride home and after i throw the rat/mouse in the tank, if you smell the box the rat came it the smell is horrific, and it even smells after its in the garbage bag and its a couple of feet away from me, i can still smell it!! I lived in dominican republic where roosters and chicks, and chickens run all over the place, and IMO they dont have that stinky strong odor as mice/rats do...

[carlisleishere]

I know a guy near me who feeds his ball chicks and they do well. They breed while on the chicks, so I can't imagine it would be that bad. You have to think about your snake's future as well. If you ever had to rehome it and if it was eating exclusively on chicks, it would be difficult finding a buyer for it. Just my two cents.

[FrankieCarbone]

also i noticed nobody has stated the obvious on which of the 2 are filthier animals, lets not forget one of these we eat! unless anybody on here eats rat sandwiches, or kentucky fried rats....

[satomi325]

also i noticed nobody has stated the obvious on which of the 2 are filthier animals, lets not forget one of these we eat! unless anybody on here eats rat sandwiches, or kentucky fried rats....

I think they're both physically clean. Chicks are more messy. And we don't eat rats because they don't provide enough substantial meat. 1 chicken can feed a family and have left overs. 1 person would have to eat a few rats to be full. It's just economically better to raise chickens.

Cows are super filthy. They sit in their own feces. People eat beef no problem. So I don't think it's a matter of cleanliness when it comes to food animals in your example.

If you want to feed chicks, I don't see a problem.

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[GHOST_584]

It' s not really off topic since you included your phobia of rodents in your original post.

Anyway, I have not used chicks on the long term basis, but did feed f/t periodically with my first bp. She took them without a problem. Of course it took several at each feeding to satisfy her. She also had no problem going from f/t rats to chicks back to rats.

[FrankieCarbone]

You have to think about your snake's future as well. If you ever had to rehome it and if it was eating exclusively on chicks, it would be difficult finding a buyer for it. Just my two cents.

no way. dont see that happening, im a pretty organized person, and i know what lies in my future. And i dont see me selling, or giving away my BP under any circumstance. Some thing seriously of track has to happen for me to do so. I have a pretty secure union job, a well laid out plan for my future, and nothing in those plans include me having to get rid of my BP. I would have never bought a animal that lives 20-30 years without having some assurance to me being able to keep him that long, me and Vic and staying together until the end!