Live Vs. F/T feeding

Xanafein · 11-03-10, 03:16 AM

currently weighing the pros and cons of live feeding against frozen/thawed, my JCP is a very picky eater, ive tried getting her to go for thawed food, but she wont have it, so i feed her live, ive looked around and there seems to be a divide on this subject on other sites, i was simply wondering what everyones opinions where, and how they developed those opinions.

I prefer live, no matter how freshly frozen a mouse or rat is, nutrients are always lost in the freezing process, and i have a difficulty getting my JCP to go for F/T, however with live, she hits it as soon as it passes under her, and its usually dead within a minute or two max of its entering her cage/feedbox

infernalis · 11-03-10, 04:50 AM

There are pros and cons both ways.

My personal feelings are that if you always supervise and never leave until the job is complete, then do what works for you.

It's the people who toss a live rat in with a snake and leave or go to bed that wind up with injured or dead snakes.

Even the mightiest python will not fight back when the rat decides that the only food in the cage is your snake.

I went off on a guy once for leaving a rat with a ball python over a whole weekend. It was in his tattoo parlor and when he locked up shop on Friday the rat was still running around in the pythons cage, when he opened up an Monday morning, the rat was still running around in the DEAD pythons cage.

He did not provide a bowl of food for the rat, so when the rat got hungry enough it started on the only food source available to it, the poor BP.

Jenn_06 · 11-03-10, 06:46 AM

i hate feeding live but sometimes you have to, have you tried P/K rats? if you have to feed live you need to supervise. here is a link what rats can do to your snake...
Thinking about feeding LIVE? Welcome to the Live Pile - Redtailboa.net

hauntedone · 11-03-10, 09:41 AM

I have always feed all of my animals live. Like others have said it requires supervision and some times a little assistance. What I do is keep some pencils/sticks or some other kind of "tools". If the mouse's mouth is able to reach the snakes body, i place somethin it it's mouth to bite on. Same thing with the feet. I place a pencil/stick by it's feet as something it can use to try to push its way away from the snake. When it no longer has the strength to cause harm to the snake I stand back and observe until it's completely dead.

nanna · 11-03-10, 11:11 AM

I posted a while ago asking the same thing and got quite a response
Here is the title (sorry I don't know how to post a link) ?frozen vs live

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/food-...n-vs-live.html

Edit: Link added.

Serpantstrike · 11-04-10, 12:29 AM

I feed live. I enjoy watching the feeding process so supervision is constant. If a rat starts gnawing on my snake I simply take my feeding clamps and squeeze it's head till it's dead or leverage it's mouth away from the snake. I think live feeding satisfies a snake's natural urg to hunt and kill. Plus it's the most exciting thing my snakes have to do. feeding them something dead is like a waitress bringing you something two weeks past it expiration date, you can eat it if your realy hungry but you prefer it to be fresh.

I support supervised live feeding.

Lankyrob · 11-04-10, 04:40 AM

You can still entice a snakes hunting urge and predatory nature with a F/t prey item - and it is a lot less dangerous for the snake.

infernalis · 11-04-10, 04:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serpantstrike

Plus it's the most exciting thing my snakes have to do. feeding them something dead is like a waitress bringing you something two weeks past it expiration date, you can eat it if your realy hungry but you prefer it to be fresh.

I support supervised live feeding.

No disrespect, but snakes do not have the cerebral capacity to feel any sense of "excitement"

There "emotions" are rather limited to the pre-programmed instinct to feed, reproduce, thermoregulate and avoid predators, that's about it.

When I shake a thawed out rat on the end of the feeding tongs, my snakes strike the dead prey just as vigorously as if it were alive.

kenchenzo · 11-04-10, 07:07 AM

i don't think it's right to feed a live myself.
just not worth the risk to the snake.
but that's just me.

Xanafein · 11-04-10, 09:40 AM

Honestly i dont see much risk in it, i observe closely with a nake hook and feeding tongs available to step in if there is any sign of trouble, but considering sweets took out an adult mouse before the little bugger new what hit him/her im not to worried, now if i had a snake eating something like say a rabbit i would probably use fresh killed

Xanafein · 11-04-10, 10:12 AM

*EDIT*

Just read the live pile, and WTF man, a warning woulda been nice, that is a ****ed up link to post without warning, and ill admit, there are hazards to feeding live, and once my carpet starts eating something that i cant control with my interventions she will be eating fresh killed or disabled, but ive seen how fast and hard my snake strikes, since i started watching her at the breeders home till her last feeding, she has never missed a strike, and never faild to lock the creatures head down, Nutrients are lost in the freezing process so untill the risks (bites scratches ect.) out weigh the benefits i will feed live, once she gets to the point where she is taking adult rats i will be offering fresh killed, then F/T, because at that point intervention beomes rather difficult, i do not apreciate being linked to that disgusting horror thread without warning

Lankyrob · 11-04-10, 10:28 AM

I dont see that link as a "horror" thread, in my opinion it is a graphic but necessary warning to all that want to feed their reptiles live prey. Without seeing what can happen some people wont take notice of the warnings.

Xanafein · 11-04-10, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

I dont see that link as a "horror" thread, in my opinion it is a graphic but necessary warning to all that want to feed their reptiles live prey. Without seeing what can happen some people wont take notice of the warnings.

I agree its intended to be a Warning, But had i known that there were going to be images of ball pythons and other snake with bites so bad their spine was visible, i wouldnt have gone to it.

That thread should have its title changed, to something like this

The Live Pile, The risks of live feeding *WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT*

the thread has a valid point, and makes its arguement well, but with such carnage displayed a warning should be put on it

and im well aware of the damage a rat could do, as i had to help my best freind rehab his Adult Ball python after a rat nearly took its eye out

DeesBalls · 11-04-10, 11:38 AM

I feed all frozen except my bp who won't eat f/t, or pre killed... I've tried sever attempt at f/t, and once at pre killed, and I will never kill a mouse again just to get rid of out side, waste of money and waste of a life....

When I feed my bp I do in cage, 2 small rats every two works or so. I stand right by with tongs and gloves ready to intervene. I hate feeding live, but I honestly think In my case it won't touch f/t so the snakes got to eat. I prefer frozen just because its a whole lot easier and cheaper, but she just won't taje it.

I use to feel bad feeding live, but know its just a part of life.

Also I want to add as long as a live feeding is supervised all should be okay, there may be a few nick and scratches occasionally so there is a risk.....

I am rambling on so I should end this...

Serpantstrike · 11-04-10, 01:57 PM

lets just take note...that link was about a snake that was left ALONE with a rat for three days. thats just a bad snake owner. The snake wasnt hungry so the rat ate the snake. unless you have a show snake that needs to avoid scars or scratches i see nothing wrong with live. in the past 3 years of having my 10 year old corn she has only eaten live and so far she has gotten... 3 tiny bite marks on the surface of her skin. I just put on some snake bite anti-bacterial and it heals and dissapears in a week or so. snakes have been surviving eating live mice and rats since before we even evolved enough to domesticate them. i guess some people love their snakes so much they fear them feeling any pain or discomfort but trust me, to the snake it's not a big deal.

im not going to pretend i know best but not once have i ever put my snakes in danger by feeding live. if the prey causes damage to a snake then its likely the prey is too big. at the very least I will suffocate a large rat prior to feeding if i feel unsure. but the F/T idea has allways been a waste of money and warm water for me. my snake looks at me like im ******** and i totally get why she wouldnt want some bloated stiff smelly thing.

anyways im done with my rant