F/t or live?

[SDA]

I use f/t for the simple reason that I can keep a bulk amount of dead rodents in the freezer instead of having to keep a live rodent around to feed my snake. Convenience for me with the added bonus that my snake feed from them without issue.

So in other words, I feed f/t because I can and I hate live rodents.

[PythonBabes]

hmmm i wonder what Zincubus thinks.

I don't

Anyways, I see what you mean Deborah! That does seem to make more sense.

I got lucky. When I moved, I discovered a very small mom and pop pet shop only about 3 minutes away from my home. Not only do they have excellent care for all of their animals, reptiles included, they also sell live rats. And for some reason live is cheaper than f/t, yay. Only $3 every two weeks.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

What is the maximum time you leave a live rodent in with your ball python? Is 20 minutes too long before checking on them?

I was against feeding live until three of my female breeders stopped eating for six months at a time using fresh killed rats and mice. They all started immediately after I started feeding live. It's actually easier for me to feed live since I breed my own rodents, it's quick, just move a rat from the rat breeding rack right into the snake tub. They are in the same room, super easy. And now all my females are eating.

That's only for my ball pythons though, I feed my King snakes and retics fresh killed, no problem getting them to eat every time. I also have some small Arizona Mountain King snakes, I feed them live mouse pinkies.

By the way, I raise rats in mice in an ARS rodent breeding rack, super easy to feed and clean in a rack system, takes me about an hour a week to clean them and it feeds 26+ snakes. And I usually have an excess of rats and freeze them and trade them for snakes and such with local breeders.

I would think that on a large scale feeding live to ball pythons would be the easiest.

They have 10 minutes max before I re-check if even, in my experience if they don't eat soon as I drop the rat, they probably won't (at least for adults) and if it is the case the rat just go in it's corner and groom itself.

Hatchling well it depends but than again when you feed and hatchling the prey can stay longer without posing a risk, fuzzy rats have never hurt anything.

The key to really get a strong feeding response is consistency (feeding the same day every week) and pre-scenting the room by leaving the feeders near the enclosure an hour prior to feed, if you do that the rat will rarely have the time to touch the floor of the enclosure.

[cletus]

I feed f/t because it's convenient for me and my snakes don't mind.

[AbsoluteApril]

We care for approx 60 or so snakes of various species, all get f/t. I will do a few live feedings if I absolutely have to to get a new addition established before switching but I try to avoid live as much as possible.
I prefer f/t because I can buy in bulk and store, easy to thaw out as needed plus I feel it's safer for the snakes and more humane for the rodents.

[Pezz]

F/T for pretty much all the reasons listed above. Convenience, safety, cost. I do switch back and forth from rats and mice if one of my royals refuses feed.

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[omglolchrisss]

F/t For the snakes benefit of not getting clawed or bit and for my sanity of not having to put the rodent in there knowing what's gonna happen to it... Not saying I wouldn't in a dire situation as a last resort I just wouldn't watch or stay in the room! Lol

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[PythonBabes]

F/t For the snakes benefit of not getting clawed or bit and for my sanity of not having to put the rodent in there knowing what's gonna happen to it... Not saying I wouldn't in a dire situation as a last resort I just wouldn't watch or stay in the room! Lol

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That's kinda irresponsible to not watch when you feed live. It doesn't bother me. Not gonna say 'that's what would happen in nature' because my snake is in captivity but it takes a lot to faze me.

[omglolchrisss]

That's kinda irresponsible to not watch when you feed live. It doesn't bother me. Not gonna say 'that's what would happen in nature' because my snake is in captivity but it takes a lot to faze me.

I don't really know the protocols for feeding live I've never looked into it because I have never had to hopefully I won't... If I had to i would post on here to find out what's "responsible" or what's not I was speaking hypothetically. I'm easily fazed!

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[Joci]

I feed f/t for a lot of the reasons mentioned above, and also because I would definitely find it hard to second-handedly kill an animal that I once kept as a pet lol. Not throwing any shade on people who feed live, its just for me, f/t is the easiest way to keep my beep full and happy