F/t or live?

[Joci]

Ok people, it looks like there is a need for some "agree to disagree" action around here.

While it is true that not supervising a live feeding is irresponsible, that doesn't mean that someone can't feel uncomfortable while doing it! On the other hand, just because it may seem easier and more comfortable to feed f/t doesn't mean that someone who feeds live is doing the wrong thing.
Just because you disagree with someone doesn't mean that their opinions and feeling are nullified.

It is not wrong to feed live, or to feed f/t, it just comes down to the needs of the snake and the personal preference of the owner.

[cchardwick]

HA! I was the same way when I first started with one snake and a rat that the snake wouldn't eat, ended up with a pet rat. Even had a rat pinky that I tried to feed with infant formula LOL. Now I have a rat rack with 20 tubs and about a hundred rats in there at any one time. It automatically feeds and waters the whole rack, don't even have to mess with it for days and the rats are all happy. If I don't feed my old breeders off to my retics after a year or so they die of old age, and the mice are too old to breed after 8 months and rarely live past a year since their life span is so short. And when I first started out I decided to go with all albino mice since it was hard to feed off the fancy colorful mice, I would get attached. Not so with all albinos. And the albinos can have up to 16 babies, not bad for a mouse! I found the fancy mice would only have 6-8 babies max.

I was in the same dilemma, feeding F/T seems so much more humane. But then which is worse, feeding live or having a snake that won't eat for half a year? I prefer to feed fresh kill, gassed with CO2. But if the snakes won't eat I'll go for the live option, especially if I can get them all to eat prior to breeding season.

I was actually dropping in the live rats and waiting 20 minutes yesterday and today, seems like that's way too long. I'm going to cut back to 10 minutes. My female pieds didn't eat for six months and then I switched to live and fed one snake three medium rats in two days! And the other one took two rats! It's good to see my snakes finally eating again. If I knew they would eat live I would have beefed them up months ago, they have been at 1200 grams for almost a year now, just shy of the minimum 1500 grams. I'm sure in the next month or two they will be up to the proper weight for breeding.

I just bought a female normal het caramel albino ball python that's about 3500 grams, she was actually about 300 grams less than the posted weight, I figured that the breeder just didn't feed her for a long time. That monster of a snake ate five medium rats in just two days! I'm going to pack some weight on her and have some exciting breeding plans for her this year with one of my high end males, should be an exciting project!! She is going to be my 'garbage disposal' for medium rats since my retics outgrew the job. I'll try to feed my other ball pythons a fresh kill and if they don't take it I'll feed it to this monster normal girl. Then I'll backfill with a live feeding.

[PythonBabes]

It is okay to feel uncomfortable while feeding live, I never said it wasn't. Just that personal matters shouldn't get in the way of your snake's well-being.

When I first fed live I did feel uncomfortable and even more unsure and in the minute that it took Khaa to actually get the rat pup, I had to stop myself from reaching in and grabbing it out. Now, almost two years later(can't even believe I've had him that long!!), he still won't touch a f/t rat(I try occasionally), so if its live he wants, that's what he's going to get...

[Godzilla78]

I must be demented a little, because it doesn't bother me at all to feed live. Ive actually laughed a little before, when the kill is particularly dramatic for some reason. Ragnarok once constricted two small rats simultaneously and killed them both at the same time! He also likes to smash them into the side of the enclosure and it is very brutal at times. Violence doesn't bother me and I have hunted animals.. etc.
NATURE.

[hollowlaughter]

I prefer F/T for "humane" reasons, since CO2 or pithing is a less painful and terrifying way for the rodents to go then being bitten/constricted. I've owned both (rats/mice & snakes), I completely understand why its hard for some to be there for the actual process of watching their snake kill a rodent. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that, as long as it's not putting the snake in a position to be injured by the prey item.

That said, I came into mine knowing he had a bad feeding response/regimen, and knew having to feed live might prove to be something I'd need to consider. Knock on wood, I haven't had to yet. Hope that continues, but will cope if it doesn't.

[PythonBabes]

I must be demented a little, because it doesn't bother me at all to feed live. Ive actually laughed a little before, when the kill is particularly dramatic for some reason. Ragnarok once constricted two small rats simultaneously and killed them both at the same time! He also likes to smash them into the side of the enclosure and it is very brutal at times. Violence doesn't bother me and I have hunted animals.. etc.
NATURE.

Meh, I don't really care anymore either, honestly. My little sisters say I'm horrible for feeding a live rat and then taking Wendi and Bluey(my rats) out for playtime, but beg to go out with me during deer season lol. They claim rats are much cuter and friendlier than deer haha.

[cchardwick]

I think it's easier to feed live with a rack system. Just open the tub, drop it in, close it up... all you hear is a thump and a squeak. You don't really see anything LOL.

[Jus1More]

I feed F/T to all my snakes. Like others have stated, it's simply easier to feed and less expensive. Plus it's definitely the way to go if you have more than one snake to feed as you can buy in bulk.

And if you just have the one snake... give it time you will have another very soon!!! LOL