There was no "pre-killed" option.

I do not advocate stunning because I feel that it carries unnecessary dangers to the snake, not to mention the higher possibility of causing prolonged suffering to the prey.

Stunned prey is not always guaranteed to be unconscious. Some ‘stunned’ prey will come-to when the snake approaches or takes it. While a calm and unsuspecting morsel may have been taken by surprise, allowing the snake to strike and manage an optimal hold, a previously stunned animal comes-to on the defensive, if not complete offensive. This presents the snake with a challenge it was not built for. Snakes are predators that were made for fast and stealthy surprise attacks; they were not created for rough-and-tumble brawls.

When I fed live (since Salzedo refused F/T) I always made sure to keep the prey as calm as possible. I fed it, gave it water, and kept it in a secure container prior to introducing it to the feeding tub. The first (and last, I vow) time Salzedo was injured by a live mouse it was due to the element of surprise being stripped and the animal going on the offensive. I introduced the mouse to the feeding tub, but Salzedo was so excited the he struck while it was still being lowered. It fell and he struck again, but it jumped out of the way. When he finally got it, it was fighting like a son of a gun and in an awkward position. When the dust settled, he had sustained a bite to the eye. $320 in vet bills later, I have no problem pre-killing his food. He takes it from tongues without issue! (I will be going F/T but he is being stubborn. I consider the pre-killing a transitory step.)

That is my personal experience and reasoning. I understand that there are many people who continue to successfully feed live, and there are breeders who’ve fed thousands of live prey items to snakes without problems. That is well and good, yet I would hasten to mention that it just takes once.

I hope this helps provide another viewpoint for you to consider.