Switching to non-rodents?

[MuscaDomestica]

I am starting a new job right now and they do not want to have any cross contamination (it is at a rodent lab) with rodents. So I am wondering if there is a non rodent food that is good for a male ball python a little less then four feet long. He is a little too small for rabbits and I am thinking of chicks. If I do feed chicks, would he need any extra nutrients? Anyone have any luck with this?

[RoyalGuardian]

IMHO I think that mice are the only way to go... I have no clue about chicks but I do have one thing to say. There are sausages... snake sausages.. Please don't buy them. They are in no way natural at all as they are made from beef, Beef that is not even quality enough for humans.

[Jyson]

I am starting a new job right now and they do not want to have any cross contamination (it is at a rodent lab) with rodents. So I am wondering if there is a non rodent food that is good for a male ball python a little less then four feet long. He is a little too small for rabbits and I am thinking of chicks. If I do feed chicks, would he need any extra nutrients? Anyone have any luck with this?

Rabbits and chicks are WAY too big for ball pythons. The three choices you have to pick from are: Mice, Rats, and ASF rats.

What do you mean by cross-cotamination? What I mean is How is feeding your bp going to contaminate their rodents?

[simplechamp]

chicks are WAY too big for ball pythons.

What kind of chicks are you thinking of? Newly hatched chicken or quail chicks would be edible by a 4ft BP. If anything I'd think they'd be small. I don't know how they compare in regard to nutrition, but as far as size goes they're not too big.

[Jyson]

What kind of chicks are you thinking of? Newly hatched chicken or quail chicks would be edible by a 4ft BP. If anything I'd think they'd be small. I don't know how they compare in regard to nutrition, but as far as size goes they're not too big.

I was thinking of my own. Some of the baby chickens I bred last year were massive. And usually baby chicks at local feed store are usually rather large as well even for an adult bp.

[starmom]

Well, chickens seem to have more fat and less protein, as they age, than do mice and rats: http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp.

I have heard (anecdotal evidence) that chicks tend to give snakes pretty awful poo's

I too am pretty curious about cross contamination at work. You feed your snakes at home, right?

[Tosha_Mc]

You can feed baby rabbits -- but there is a good chance that they will get stuck on baby rabbits so be sure you have a nice steady supply (and rabbits I believe are also rodents are they not?)

Chicks will work as well -- tho I wouldn't recommend - as with rabbit above there is a good chance that is all they will eat -- plus- as someone mentioned the poo stench is awful.

My suggestion -- either see if f/t would be concern for cross contamination -- or don't tell them.

[simplechamp]

I was thinking of my own. Some of the baby chickens I bred last year were massive. And usually baby chicks at local feed store are usually rather large as well even for an adult bp.

Must be a different breed from any of the ones I've seen then. The ones I'm familiar with are the right size, if not too small. Especially since the fluffy down feathers make them look a little bigger than their actual body size. I'm not a poultry expert by any means, but there must be a variety of sizes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chikies_17apr06.jpg

Based on their size relative to a standard sheet of newspaper I don't see how those would be too big for an adult BP

[Bruce Whitehead]

Stick with rodents, it is what they eat. They may oppurtunistically feed on other prey at times but not as staples or regular food.

I never understand why people need to complicate things when feeding their rodent eating snakes.

Feed what they are supposed to eat.

If you are worried about contamination, then follow universal precautions. And if you only have one BP then that should not be hard.

Bruce

[simplechamp]

I think the burning question everyone has is this: Is your employer asking and/or requiring you to avoid all other rodent contact, or is this something you thought of doing?