Feeding live to BPs opinion

[python baller]

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

wait a minute...chickens don't have teeth???

[Region Reptiles]

I always feed live it's much easier when you have 150 snakes. The only snakes I give FT is the bloods and the retics I keep.

[Marrissa]

So from what I've read about feeding live is you have to sit and watch them because they can really mess your snake up. So how many of you sit and watch them? Do you just throw them in there and keep going down the row and check back if you hear a strike? Seems like that would save time but I'd be really worried about not being able to watch them all. The pics of rat bites that have been posted are burned into my brain.

[satomi325]

So from what I've read about feeding live is you have to sit and watch them because they can really mess your snake up. So how many of you sit and watch them? Do you just throw them in there and keep going down the row and check back if you hear a strike? Seems like that would save time but I'd be really worried about not being able to watch them all. The pics of rat bites that have been posted are burned into my brain.

I recommend watching live feeding for inexperienced keepers.
However, I never sit and watch unless the snake has the rat in a poor position.

This is what I personally do:

With live, I just place the feeder in the tub, and move onto the next one. If I hear a strike, I check out that tub to see if the snake has a good hold and then leave them be. If the snake has a poor grip, I just stick something in the rat's mouth to prevent bites. But otherwise, not usually an issue anyway.

This is on top of the other responsible live feeding methods that I practice, such as feeding the appropriate size feeder, keep the feeder well fed and watered, and do not leave feeder in with the snake for longer than 30 minutes.

The pictures you have seen are feeders that have been left with snakes for extended periods of time and have gone hungry. Hungry rats will eat whatever else is in the tub with them. AKA the snake.
These are irresponsible feeding incidents.



Some responsible live feeding tips:

1) Feed the appropriate size food. I like smaller and more frequent meals than larger and less often. Weanlings and small rats are safe and harmless(to some extent). They're also not as conscious to danger as an adult would be. Adult rats can pack a nasty bite and are much stronger at fighting back, which is why "smaller and more frequent" is the way to go. I feed all of my adults weaned/small rats once a week. And multiple smalls for the big girls. A live medium size would be the max appropriate size for a ball python.

2) Keep the feeder well fed and hydrated. They're less likely to see your snake as food. Hungry rats are dangerous rats. They will eat your snake if left unattended for extended periods of time. This is the reason for most snake killing incidences.

3) Don't dangle the live feeder. This puts them in panic mode. A freaked out feeder is a dangerous feeder. Gently place the feeder into your enclosure. Calm feeders are good.

4) Keep a tool, such as tongs, on hand to assist your snake in case the feeder tries to bite down. I use a chop stick to stick in the feeder's mouth if its in a bad position.

5) Don't keep the feeder in with your snake longer than 30 mins max or so. Some people have a shorter time frame. If he doesn't eat within that time frame, take out the feeder and save it for next week.

[Marrissa]

Ok cool. I may just breed rats for my snakes when I eventually breed and get up a good size collection. Thank you for all the tips/rules and information.

[satomi325]

Ok cool. I may just breed rats for my snakes when I eventually breed and get up a good size collection. Thank you for all the tips/rules and information.

You're welcome.

And another thing that I noticed is that when breeding my own rats, they're much more tame and calm compared to unsocialized rats from stores. So that will help ease personal fears of a rat attack on a snake.
And breeding calm easy going rats will help since aggression is heritable in rodents.

[gsarchie]

With 9 snakes that all eat live I get a bite once a month or so, however they are all small and minor, never deep or very damaging. You don't have to watch the whole time, but check within 15 to ensure that the prey has been eaten. If not I remove the prey item and will try again next feeding day.

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