I agree with you - I wish there was a clear cut answer. I just go with what I've found has worked for me personally and it seems to go along with information I've recieved from some very well-respected and long-term breeders (Vin Russo and Gus Rentfro primarily regarding this particular topic). I start with mice and feed mice until the boa is large enough to take weanling rats. Once they are on rats, they stay on rats for their entire lives. If I have an exceptionally large individual, I'll feed 2-3 jumbos or offer a guinea pig or rabbit for one meal a month (and they get a couple jumbo rats for the other meal in the month). This way, they are never over fed, but still getting proper nutrition. They are lean, active, strong, and extremely healthy. I've never had a feeding issue doing it this way.
But that doesn't make it wrong to feed rat pinks/pups from the start. In the end, it is a personal choice. It's just not what I would do and not what I recommend. Mainly because its just too easy to overfeed a baby boa when they are on rats right away. And mice seem to be easier to digest overall. So why fix something that isn't broken? Just my thoughts.....![]()