What added risk? In my own personal experience feeding off well over 15K live prey, I've not had any significant injuries to my animals. I've got animals in my collection that are $1500 to $2000 each. If I felt there was a true risk, I wouldn't be feeding THEM live for sure.Originally Posted by Rob
There's a difference in real hands on experience when "judging" feeding live prey versus making a judgement based on emotion, and the feeding live debate is often based upon emotion.
But for giggles, let's suppose that even IF I had let's say - 5 injuries in over 15K live feedings - the "risk" that you mention would be .00033% chance of injury. Far less than a 1% risk of injury.
Let's caveat that with - if one chooses to feed live - do so responsibly. Make sure that your prey is well fed and well hydrated. Drop it in at the opposite end of the enclosure as your snake. Remove it after 30 minutes if not eaten.
Simple "rules" that result in a successful live feeding. I don't stun prey - never, ever - it's not necessary and results in a scared and defensive prey item if not consumed immediately. I also have never interfered in a kill (other than to move the coiled snake out of a water dish if they happen to have their heads under water as a result of how their strike landed). I don't stand by with tongs at the ready. In my experience, it's not necessary.
My snakes get a bad shot? They quickly adjust and squeeze even tighter resulting in the prey more concerned with getting a breath than biting.
I'm not advocating that feeding live is the best choice for everyone. But it's certainly not the worst choice that many try scare people away from.
Feed whatever method works best for you and that your snake will eat.
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