clutch has shed

[MarkS]

Mice, hopper mice. I don't know why people are so against feeding mice. They're just as nutritious and in my experience the hatchling snakes take them a LOT easier then rats. I feed all of my hatchlings mice for their first year and rarely have any trouble switching to small rats when they get big enough.

[sho220]

Mice, hopper mice. I don't know why people are so against feeding mice.

My reasons...

#1 - They stink
#2 - After a few months mice are too small and multiple prey items are required at each feeding

I usually try rat pups first, but have no problem offering hopper mice to get them going. I usually only do that for a month or so to get their feeding response going...after that it's back to rat pups. If they don't take the rat pups, it's back to hopper mice for a few meals and back to rat pups again. They usually give in...eventually...

And I agree about the nutrition content...the difference is negligible imo...although the internet says otherwise... I think rats are just more convenient for most people...

[MarkS]

My reasons...

#1 - They stink
#2 - After a few months mice are too small and multiple prey items are required at each feeding

I usually try rat pups first, but have no problem offering hopper mice to get them going. I usually only do that for a month or so to get their feeding response going...after that it's back to rat pups. If they don't take the rat pups, it's back to hopper mice for a few meals and back to rat pups again. They usually give in...eventually...

And I agree about the nutrition content...the difference is negligible imo...although the internet says otherwise... I think rats are just more convenient for most people...

Personally since cutting back on my rats they're much too valuable to feed off as pups, I don't feed any rat until it's at least weaned. I know breeders who feed mice for the entire life of the snake, even full grown adults.