How to "safely" feed live rodents? Opinions please.

[Crazymonkee]

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

I'm sorry I don't find that funny. There are humane ways to prekill.
I want to say more but will stop myself

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[anatess]

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

If you mean to smack the rat against the wall to kill it, then there are much better ways to pre-kill prey than that method.

[OctagonGecko729]

I think the biggest three things are.

1.) Feed smaller meals

2.) Watch the snake

3.) Be ready with something to put in the rats mouth.

I think in general if you adhere to rule number 1 correctly then rule number 3 is a moot point. A small enough rat poses no harm (while it is dieing) to your snake unless it is capable of biteing an eye. The only way other then biteing an eye that a small enough feeder can do damage to your animal is if it left alone without supervision. The rat can begin using your snake as a chew toy.

[anatess]

I think the biggest three things are.

1.) Feed smaller meals

2.) Watch the snake

3.) Be ready with something to put in the rats mouth.

I think in general if you adhere to rule number 1 correctly then rule number 3 is a moot point. A small enough rat poses no harm (while it is dieing) to your snake unless it is capable of biteing an eye. The only way other then biteing an eye that a small enough feeder can do damage to your animal is if it left alone without supervision. The rat can begin using your snake as a chew toy.

Not to be overly picky or anything, but I don't subscribe to the smaller meals. I feed appropriate sized (you know, the regular rule-of-thumb being a rat is the same size as the widest part of the snake thing). Smaller meals means more often... which means more chances of getting a feeding accident. Ball pythons are efficient at hunting and killing appropriate sized prey.

But, you are correct in that it is not good to feed too big of a prey... if an appropriate size is not available, it's better to go smaller than bigger.

I've been feeding appropriate sized live ASF since 2008 and I've only had to stick a tong in a rat's mouth less than 5 times total.

[MarkieJ]

Pre-scent the room with your live prey. It will get the snake in the mood, and will lead to a near instantaneous strike.

[Crazymonkee]

Pre-scent the room with your live prey. It will get the snake in the mood, and will lead to a near instantaneous strike.

This is what I do

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[Stewart_Reptiles]

I would prefer to feed my BP's F/T but if I had a snake(s) that only ate live, what would be the best way to present the food item safely to the snake and do it humanely?

I have read everything from stunning the rodent to spinning them making them dizzy, however, I don't want to cause any undue pain/stress and suffering to the prey.

Thanks for your input!

This actually makes it unsafe, nothing worse than a rodent gaining consciousness after being tease.

Smack it against a wall,hold it with tongs,your good to go.

You sir have no business buying live preys or breeding your own if this is what you do.

And people wonder why snake owners are perceived the way they are?

Even if you do not like rats or mice (I don’t really care for them) there is such a thing as respecting and killing the prey humanely, if you are not capable of doing that I would encourage you to buy F/T

******

Now back to the original question.

How to do it safely?

Feed an appropriate size prey, do not feed over-sized preys.

Make sure the rodents are well hydrated, well fed and do not add unnecessary stress.

Establish a routine feed the same day each each (this will condition your snake(s) to know when feeding day is)

Pre-scent the room by leaving the rodents in your snake room 1 to 2 hours prior to feeding, this will entice your snake(s) to eat.

Remove the prey if not eaten within 15/20 min.

I feed several thousands of live preys each year and have done so for several years and I never had to intervene, I also never had snake with a severe injury.

[MootWorm]

If I smack a rat against the wall and knock the crap out of It the last thing its going to be is mad,its going to be in a whole other world,lol...

Do you kill it when you smack it against the wall? If so, that's not live feeding. If it's still alive, then this is a dangerous practice that puts your snake at risk. Your snake is perfectly capable of taking down a rat on its own, no need for you to 'help' incapacitate the rodent.