They ate! yay!

[Kathy]

Since my two baby balls didnt seem interested in FT mice at all, i tried feeding one of them a mouse i caught in the mouse trap the other day (which had been eating all my wild bird food for the past 3 monthes, finally got him, lol). Anyways, she took the freshly killed mouse right away, no problem.

So I decided to try the same with the other snake, after trying him a couple more times withte frozed. Bought a mouse at the store and put him in a shoe box with a mouse trap (is there a better way to kill them? I figued that would be easiest) and then put Sev (the BP) in the shoebox with crumpled paper and the mouse. Worked like a charm. I'd be great if I can keep this up :)

Kathy
(and two full BPs)

[Jotun]

:thumbsup: glad to hear the good news :D :thumbsup:

[backdraft1320]

THATS A GOOD IDEA NOBODY MENTIONED BEFORE .
NOT VERY MESSY EITHER
:hammer:

[Pythonian]

personally, i put it in a pillow case and smack it against the wall really fast to kill it, no mess just a little pee and poop. but that will happen no matter what. Anyway... I don't use mouse traps for 2 reasons
1.) I am a klutz, I will DEFINITLY end up in the hospital with a mouse trap on one hand and a snake attached to the other trying to eat the mouse, and ingesting my hand at the same time.
2.) something could go wrong and the mouse could be put through a lot of pain. I don't know about many of you, but i can't stand ANY living creature suffering (except for a few human beings, but that is another story) so if his leg gets caught in there and snaps the trap and it just breaks his leg, or his body and it doesn't kill him all the way just snaps a few bones. he would be a live and in a lot of pain. so i put him in the pillow case so he can't see, and do it fast and hard so he dies instantly. No mess, and VERY little pain if any, and it never goes wrong if you do it hard enough.
This is just my opinion, but my thinking is, why put a creature in the situation, that it could suffer, if there is another way. to do it. Mouse traps do work most of the time, but i have seen mice still alive in those things squeeling and screaming like banshees.

[Kathy]

Good to know, thanks for the info!

[Linds]

Congrats! It's always a great relief when a new snake or trouble feeder takes a meal :) Ouch though, mousetrap is not the best way of killing them. It is very inhumane usually. The best way is to either bag 'em and wack e'm (like Pythonian mentioned), or to gas them with CO2. Both ways are easy and humane (I prefer the pillowcase method myself, less fuss involved). Also, it is actually quite hazardous to feed wild caught prey as they (like WC reptiles) carry a heavy parasite load. Captive herps should onle eat captive bred prey.

[jason h]

thanks linds ya beat me to it, wc pray is a very bad idea not just because of parasites but chemicals like pesticides lawn fertilizer and rodents in the wild can carry a wide assortment of diseases,a couple of bucks is worth the life of your pets.;)