My First BP.... Please Help

[missi182]

Also the breeders in my area (Ontario, Toronto) stress to every customer they have not to feed live. Around here it is highly frowned upon. I have noticed opinions on this are very different on this forum, and there is nothing wrong with that! It is actually quite amazing to see the differences in what people will suggest when it comes to care and husbandry between local breeders and the online community. Like I said, I did not mean to be rude and I SHOULD have said it was my opinion, not fact. I was not aware that it was indeed safe to feed small mice (fuzzys) without supervision as I had been told continously never to feed live. I learn so much everyday and enjoy everyones opinion on this forum.

[West Coast Jungle]

OK well i will agree to disagree I don't think leaving live mice regardless of size overnight is intelligent but I can understand why you would say it is o.k. Im just saying this to be sure that people who are new to ball-pythons are better off safe than sorry.
I apologize if I seemed rude but like I said, safer than sorry, its better to teach good habits right from the start than introduce bad ones(not that feeding live is a bad habit, I just don't agree with it, but no argument needed, my snake is not fussy and if he was Im sure I would need live eventually)

I have started many non eating hatchlings this way and have learned this technique from other larger breeders. I don't not give out information that is unsafe or unproven by experienced keepers. The purpose of this thread is to help the OP with the problem at hand and I am providing her with proven methods that I have used sucessfully many times. The only bad habit I see is giving advice to people when you have no experience with the problem and give info based on your opinion not experience.

[littleindiangirl]

missi182,
a hopper mouse or rat fuzzy does not have the jaw strength or teeth hardness to hurt a BP of any age. Their teeth are still soft, and the chances of breaking the skin are non-existant. Also rat fuzzies eyes aren't even open yet, they are only a week old.

Check out this site before you bring on the disagreements with veteran BP keepers and breeders about the safety involved with young mice and rats.
http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp...el=frozen_rats

[GirDance]

Also the breeders in my area (Ontario, Toronto) stress to every customer they have not to feed live. Around here it is highly frowned upon. I have noticed opinions on this are very different on this forum, and there is nothing wrong with that! It is actually quite amazing to see the differences in what people will suggest when it comes to care and husbandry between local breeders and the online community. Like I said, I did not mean to be rude and I SHOULD have said it was my opinion, not fact. I was not aware that it was indeed safe to feed small mice (fuzzys) without supervision as I had been told continously never to feed live. I learn so much everyday and enjoy everyones opinion on this forum.

I live about an hour from you and I've got no clue who you're talking to but it's certainly not frowned upon feeding live. Most of the people I've spoke with feed live and breed their own rats because it's more cost effective, and they sell of the excess that they don't use personally as frozen rats to pet owners.

[spix14]

Wow guys, let's not start another f/t vs. live arguement. The point of this thread is supposed to be helping this person with their snake, not bickering. Pretty please?

Not trying to sound all bossy or anything, I know I'm not a mod, but it seems like this happens a lot on here and then the whole thread goes off track.

Ariesearth, what kind of heat source are you using? Do you have a thermometer/hydrometer? What kind of bedding are you using? Just trying to get an overall picture so we know if your setup is ok or not. Good luck with your baby!

[littleindiangirl]

I think it's important to let others know their experiences and facts about non-eating snakes, and the above comments are in no way derailing it, but instead making this thread more valuable because of the broad range of issues related to live feeding. One being if it is ok or not to leave a hopper mouse or rat fuzzie in with the OP's non-eating snake. Which for many keepers is OK.

[spix14]

Well yea, I understand that. it just seems every time someone mentions something about live feeders being dangerous all the keepers that feed live jump on them in masse.

[GirDance]

I only commented because I take great issue with some generalizing a very large area saying that everyone in it would tell you not to feed live when I know for a FACT that they breed their own rats and sell off the surplus as frozen... While I do appologize to the poster if it interferred with the topic of their thread, I just felt the need to point out that this geographic local is not biased against live.

If you're having issues with a baby eatting, leaving a live hopper or fuzzy over night and adding extra security to the enclosure - often crumpled newspaper - is a great way to get them started. If you want to switch over to frozen later you can do that once started, or try right from the get go, also leaving them over night.

[JASBALLS]

Also the breeders in my area (Ontario, Toronto) stress to every customer they have not to feed live. Around here it is highly frowned upon. I have noticed opinions on this are very different on this forum, and there is nothing wrong with that! It is actually quite amazing to see the differences in what people will suggest when it comes to care and husbandry between local breeders and the online community. Like I said, I did not mean to be rude and I SHOULD have said it was my opinion, not fact. I was not aware that it was indeed safe to feed small mice (fuzzys) without supervision as I had been told continously never to feed live. I learn so much everyday and enjoy everyones opinion on this forum.

Isnt it illegal to feed live where your from? I may be wrong, or maybe its the uk.. I know it is one or the other though.

[missi182]

Im seriously fed up with this forum. I appreciate EVERYONES opinion!!! and when a question is posted answers are OPINIONS! I give up, everytime I make a mistake I get ripped out. I am learning as well but at the same time I believe I have some knowlege that could help but I guess I dont. And for the record, every breeder I have spoken with in the peterborough, cavan and toronto area ( so like 11 breeders, not all of them every single one) has told me not to feed live. Girdance, where were you when I was asking for help from locals on this forum? I don't think it is worth me getting stressed out over it anymore, Im very tired of people being so aggressive with methods, which I do not disagree with , i just dont personally use.