Switching to live

Live feeders where I am are hit or miss. Buying from pet shops is crazy expensive, availability can vary and feeders often come with RI’s. Thats why I started mice and rat colonies.
Mostly I offer f/t. That being said, I have 2 bps that will only eat live. I have 3 more that will often refuse f/t after accepting them for a few meals. The next day I offer them a live feeder and back to f/t until they refuse again. My other 11 bps accept f/t with varying degrees of enthusiasm from strike and wraps to drop feedings.
I use anaesthesia euthanasia on live rodents prior to freezing. Same process as vets and researches, just a homemade set up with nitrous oxide.
To each their own I guess. I do what works for me and mine.
A freezer full of rodents, a small colony of mice, a small colony of rats, 16 healthy well fed bps. I dont really worry about anyones opinions on the processes I choose for the animals in my care. I just care about the results.
If you ask 100 handlers youll probably get 100 different opinions.

3 Likes

Everyone’s opinions are different, which is essential, as long as we’re sensible with our answers.

If someone went around announcing to the world that they fed their snakes live food, they would have a lot of angry people on their doorstep.

I agree with having your own colony to feed to your snakes, make perfect sense. But I strongly believe live feeding should be a last resort for many reasons and that decision shouldn’t be taken lightly.

3 Likes

This is spot on!

2 Likes

I would see no issue in it. I have one ball python that seems to be intimidated by live prey that is appropriate size but will eat pre killed or frozen of appropriate size with no issues. The only issue I have had with live is stuff happens. Snakes get all hyped up and make bad strikes. Most cases nothing happens. I always watch and am ready with a pair of feeding tongs when I do have to feed live but have had a couple of bites over the years. I have switched everything that will eat prekilled to prekilled. That way if they do not eat I can freeze and offer again. Most of the time I have no waste.

1 Like