switching from f/t to live?

[craigj1187]

I have been feeding my ball python small f/t mice but i went to the pet shop today to get more mice and they only had adult live mice. My question is do yall think it will hurt by feeding live or if he will even take it? not sure if it works the same as switching from live to f/t or not. im not sure how much he weighs because i dont have a scale yet but his biggest part is probably about 1 inch around. but any suggestions because ive never fed him live mice. and i dont mind switching to live if he will take them.

[Ashleigh91]

Not sure why you'd want to switch to live if your snake is willing to eat f/t. It's much safer to feed f/t, and cheaper as well. If you want you could prekill the mice, that way you wouldn't have to worry about him taking to live and not be willing to switch back.

I'm sure someone else with more experience than me will chime in.

[RobNJ]

Put a live mouse in and see if your snake will eat it. Odds are it will...I feed live to all of my snakes, several which will also take f/t without issue. And I've converted a few f/t feeders to live feeders without a hitch.

[craigj1187]

well the only reason is because they havent had any frozen ones for the past 2 weeks and he ate last week so im sure he is hungry. But another reason i like this idea better is because my g/f is totally grossed out by the mice in the freezer lol. and this way i can just go to the pet shop and get a mouse "its only 10 minutes away". but i like the pre-killed idea any suggestions how to do it without making a mess?

[Daybreaker]

Feeding live is fine, just supervise the feedings: no leaving a live mouse/rat in with the snake unattended. I wouldn't think the snake would refuse a live feeder if it takes f/t fine.

Personally though, all but two of my snakes eat f/t and it's my preferred feeding method (those two just WON'T take f/t). Just a lot easier for me: I can buy in bulk and just just de-thaw, warm up, and offer. I've read some snakes get "stuck" on live and have a hard time going back to f/t so if your preference is f/t I'd stay with f/t.

[rikerHFFH]

I feed mine live..... Most ppl say ft is the best... Its a freakn snake let it do its job as nature intended plus more fun to watch. So yes feed it live ft w.e just feed it lol

[RobNJ]

There really is no pretty way to prekill rodents. Building a little gas chamber is the best method...Co2 canister, tubing, and a rubbermaid container will do it. Cervical dislocation is considered a humane way to kill them, but if not done swiftly and with conviction, you're just going to bring a world of pain to the rodent. In your case, with what I'm assuming is just a single snake, live may be the way to go. Buying f/t in small quantities isn't necessarily a money saver, and buying in large quantities will leave you with a bunch of stale, freezer burned rodents.

[craigj1187]

well i just fed him and he took it fine, but he grabbed it on the side of the neck and wrapped up so i couldnt tell if the mouse could bite him. how long does it take to kill the mouse? because he only constricted it about a minute before he started eating it.

[BHReptiles]

It varies on how hard they constrict and the manner in which they constrict. I've had some who constrict just the belly and it takes several minutes. I have some who constrict in a manner that snaps the neck and the rat dies instantly. I also have some who will constrict so tightly the rat never had a chance. This also varies between feedings. Your snake will know when it's dead because the snake will stop moving. Any movement usually causes them to constrict faster and harder while no movement tells them it's time to eat.

[craigj1187]

well he just finished it with no problems, but ive read live/pre-killed is better for the snake. i was just worried because the live mouse was alot bigger than the f/t ive been feeding but apparently those were to small because he scarfed it right down. but thanks for all the info!!! maybe now he will grow faster