Feeding live to BPs opinion

[BHReptiles]

I recently switched from F/T to live back in January and I love it. I noticed that my snakes readily eat better than with F/T. I also found a local breeder who sells the rats to me cheap. I also don't have freezer space to keep a bunch of F/T mice and rats (I feed my corns F/T mice). I'm getting ready to start breeding my own rats in the next year or so to help with feeding all the babies I'm going to start getting.

[Coopers Constrictors]

Live and f/t here. It all depends on the snake.

[Andybill]

I feed live and have never had an issue. I prefer it because for me its cheaper and much more convenient and I enjoy breeding my own rats and knowing that my rats are eating quality feed and in quality care.

[buddha1200]

I switched back to live last year (when I found a breeder whos rats sre very healthy) plus thawing out food for 30 snakes is a headache.
Live is much more conveinant.

[Maddumpling]

We're transitioning all of the snakes to f/t because the only place near us that sells live isn't open on Sunday, the day we prefer to feed, and it's not really all that close.

We also have some boas and kings that will happily gobble down f/t rodents if the picky BP's decide they aren't hungry.

How has the converting to f/t been so far? What's your technique (s)? Thats another reason about f/t converting is that some won't take it f/t no matter how many techniques you try.

[zeion97]

Live is much easier. You just have to be responsible is how you feed and you should never have a provlem.

[Gpoop]

My snake doesn't eat F/T so I have to feed live. Also I agree with the people that say live is more convenient.

[Dracoluna]

I started my snake collection with corns so I've only ever fed F/T. However, after reading many threads on this forum, I agree that live is safe when done properly, quicker, and cheaper when you have a large collection and breed your own rats. It's a matter of personal preference. F/T takes more time and can be more difficult but at the same time, there is no chance of a F/T rat getting a hold of my babies (my albino has scars from where a rat got a hold of her at the breeders so...). Even my '10 male pastave who'd never had anything but live switched to F/T as an adult so I have yet to have any issues with feeding. That being said, my routine is I put the rats in the fridge before I go to work. They go under a heat lamp around 7 so they are warmed up by the time it's dark and then the feeding starts. I only offer one rat per snake so that if someone isn't hungry that night, one of my growing girls will take a second one, keeping me from having leftovers. The whole process takes about an hour and a half with only 7 bps. As my collection grows, it is very likely that I will be switching to live in order to make things go a little faster.

Honestly, it depends on how many you have and how much time you have to feed. To make things faster, I may split up the feedings in the future so that I don't have to do this with 10+ animals in one night. It will still take more time than live, but it may take me longer to feel truly comfortable with feeding live than it will to grow my collection.

[Peoples]

I feed live, but of course for me there's the reduced risk since I feed live chicks...

[python baller]

feeding live is my only option. my wife wouldn't let a bag full of dead rats within 10 feet of our freezer. I toss a rat in, wait for my bp to pounce and use a plastic rod to keep the rat's mouth away.