FT and live and then back again

[Wrath]

I feed my rosy live pinkies, and sometimes f/t depending on what they have at the petstore. He never gives me any problems with either, he is a baby and has a big appetite.

The other day I fed him 2 f/t. The first one he struck at, constricted and swallowed. However the 2nd one, he simply slid over to, opened his mouth, and started to swallow it! I had never seen him do that. He usually strikes and constricts it whether live or f/t.

(I feed him live because the pinkies are harmless, I supervise, and I just can't getmyself to squishee their little brains [sorry Grant])

Is it bad for me to switch back and forth from live to f/t on him? He's obviously gotten wise to me, but I don't want to insult his intelligence (ha) or damage him in any other way.

Danka,
Wrath

[reverendsterlin]

thats a coomon occurance, mine will swallow f/t if I just toss it in, but if I dangle on the hemos they strike and constrict

[Linds]

Alot of snakes will not constrict their prey if it is immobilized already (f/t or perkilled nto being dangled). Nothing wrong with that. I would however try to switch him permanently on to f/t since he is taking it willingly now, because if you can get them to take it it is best not to go back. You never know if one day he will decide that he likes live best and develops a preference for that. If you don't have constant access to f/t, just pop the live one in the freezer for 30 minutes. Pinkies don't go buy means of C02, hitting off the wall, cervical snapping, etc... but by freezer they go pretty fast. I don't blame ya for not wanting doing the squishy brain thing, even though it is prolly the most humane method, I don't think I could bring myself to do it either :confused: Although considered inhumane and to throw older rodents in the freezer, it is common practice to throw pinkies in.

[Grant vg]

havn't we gone through this before???...lol:P

Just feed it F/T!!!!

Theres no reason why u shouldn't be already.....

It is good practice.....and u have to be dsciplined....or else one day u'll have a snake and make that mistake by feeding it a live hopper and it wont go back....

then what happens when it (not the snake in question) grows big enough to eat rats??

Do u really wanna be feeding it 5 live hoppers a week?

personally, i even stay away from feeding F/k now...
i used to kill the rats i breed here on the spot and throw em in...but quickly realized some of the snakes went of F/T for a feeding, so now its strictly F/T.
I'll bang em on the head and throw em in the freezer, then thaw em out the next morning...

If u dont switch now, ull learn the hard way....as did most of us probably...

But the advice is here now so take it and run with it....

Gvg

[Wrath]

OK, so what if they die in the heat of my car on the way from the pet store to my house while im running errands? (the other day I got a flat tire and well, they did not last a half hour in my car, on the freeway. I'm surprised that -I- lasted)

Can I feed those to him? They wont go bad will they? Do they have to be -frozen- then thawed or is just any old plain old dead ok? I was worried that they would be spoiled, but he ate them anyway.

[Grant vg]

There wouldn't have been a problem if u had picked up Frozen rodents....they might have thawed but they would not be smelly...

I wouldn't give any rat, which is already going rancid , to my snake......

JUST FEED THEM FROZEN THAWED !!!!

[Wrath]

you finally convinced me....i will only feed him frozen thawed..it's easier anyway....

F/T F/T F/T F/T F/T is all he's ever getting

:-)

(one more converted......, way 2 go grant)