frozen vs live

albinoTy · 01-31-12, 03:41 PM

Ok so I'm debating on frozen or live feeds Im sure this probably already on here some where but can't find. What is the pros and cons???

**lady_bug87** · 01-31-12, 03:48 PM

well live food can attack the snake and can cause a lot of damage
live feeds need to be supervised at all times
if the snake doesn't eat it you have to house the live rodent

there are more I'm sure ultimately its your choice whatever is more convenient remember you can always freshly kill the prey item

exwizard · 01-31-12, 03:51 PM

The majority opinion on this site is to feed f/t and I agree, it is safer. That being said, we feed live mainly for convenience reasons since we breed our own rodents. Its just much easier to dip into our own stock as opposed to getting it from the freezer, into a bag, put it under running hot water and only THEN does it get to the snakes. All of our snakes prefer live anyway. They would just turn their noses up at something dead. Ive never had an incident and of course I always watch with tongs in hand to make sure nothing happens either.

Kiljosh · 01-31-12, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exwizard

The majority opinion on this site is to feed f/t and I agree, it is safer. That being said, we feed live mainly for convenience reasons since we breed our own rodents. Its just much easier to dip into our own stock as opposed to getting it from the freezer, into a bag, put it under running hot water and only THEN does it get to the snakes. All of our snakes prefer live anyway. They would just turn their noses up at something dead. Ive never had an incident and of course I always watch with tongs in hand to make sure nothing happens either.

This is really the only reason I could ever see for feeding Live is convenience. And I guess if you have a thing for mice and think, "Millions of mice available in F/T form, so why kill another mouse that could potentially make some young kid an awesome first pet to feed my snake?"

Personally I just feed F/T because that's what mine ate for me when I first fed him.

shaunyboy · 01-31-12, 03:57 PM

imo.there are NO benifits from live feeding over frozen thawed

here you go some old threads from here mate

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/gener...+versus+frozen

http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/gener...s+feeding+live

cheers shaun

MoreliAddict · 01-31-12, 03:57 PM

f/t is more convenient as you don't have to breed rats or go pick them up at a pet store. f/t is also safer for the snake. as far as going on/off feed, in my experience live is riskier as i've seen snakes strike, miss the rat, and hit thier nose hard enough to make them reluctant to take another strike.

however, in my opinion, live isn't as risky as people will make it out to be on the forums, but that's just me. also, what would you do with the live rat if your snake won't eat it?

Jay · 01-31-12, 04:01 PM

The only reason people feed f/t is to reduce the risk of the said prey item hurting your snake. If you had to feed live I'm sure a quick 3 seconds to knock it out won't consume to much time.

**lady_bug87** · 01-31-12, 04:01 PM

I think live can be done safely the keeper just has to be supervising and ready to intervene I know keepers that stun the prey before they feeder I simply prefer f/t because it's what works for my collection

like I said its ultimately the keeper's choice but its always good to know the risks even if it is a small or controllable risk

shaunyboy · 01-31-12, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

I think live can be done safely the keeper just has to be supervising and ready to intervene I know keepers that stun the prey before they feeder I simply prefer f/t because it's what works for my collection

like I said its ultimately the keeper's choice but its always good to know the risks even if it is a small or controllable risk

imo NO keeper would be FAST enough to intervene.should a rat decide to bite,if a snake has a grip of it on its body instead of its head

or a rat side swipes the snake during its strike

all the supervising in the world,won't be quick enough to stop a rat bite imo

cheers shaun

**lady_bug87** · 01-31-12, 04:09 PM

^^^ preaching to the converted I have never nor will I ever feed live

jarich · 01-31-12, 04:16 PM

Ive fed live in the past, often actually, without incident. Presently though none of my snakes eat live; just got the GTP over to fresh killed recently. Youre right Shaun, no one is fast enough to stop the problem from occurring, even if you are right there. Its not so much that the snake would be killed with you standing there watching, the worry is that an eye catches a claw or bite from the rat/mouse. All it takes is a heartbeat and that eye is gone forever. Hence for me its not worth the risk.

alessia55 · 01-31-12, 04:24 PM

My baby ball python Pika I'm feeding f/t from the start for all of the above mentioned reasons. Not to mention... it is soooo much more convenient to reach into my freezer and have them there, rather than going out to find live rats, etc. Plus I can leave the rat with him overnight if I need to. I wouldn't be able to do that with a live rat.

Now, my 2yr old, Kaybe (ball python) I used to feed live. When I got him, I didn't think much about the whole live vs f/t debate, so I went with live. That meant going out and buying a live mouse EVERY week and HOPING he'd eat it. Also, they cost $4-6 each. As he grew up, since mice only get to a certain size, I had to start feeding him 2 mice each feeding...then three. It was a hassle. Also, I had to supervise every feeding. Sometimes I'd have to hold the little paws of the mice while he coiled them because they'd try to scratch him otherwise...and let me tell you, it's kind of saddening to have to hold the paws and feel the heartbeat stop. He's a very picky eater, so it's been a slow process, but I've been working on switching him over to f/t rats. I wish I'd known better from the start to get him on f/t rats.

Money-wise.....
For a bag of 20 mixed-sized FROZEN rats I paid about $15-20 if I remember correctly. That's 20 meals for about $20.

For 20 meals for Kaybe, eating 3 live mice per feeding... I end up paying:
1 mouse = ~$5
3 mice per feeding = $15 per feeding
20 feedings = ~$300

So in my case, it's ridiculously cheaper to go the f/t route.

Long story made short, if I were you, I'd do the switch. For the safety of your snake, the sake of your wallet/budget, and the convenience factor.

DragonsEye · 01-31-12, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jay0133

The only reason people feed f/t is to reduce the risk of the said prey item hurting your snake. If you had to feed live I'm sure a quick 3 seconds to knock it out won't consume to much time.

Have to disagree with ya, there. Truthfully the convenience, as others have mentioned, of storage with f/t is great. I don't have the space to allocate to raising my own, and not having to deal with feeding and cleaning up after a rodent colony is something I appreciate.

KORBIN5895 · 01-31-12, 04:43 PM

Frozen feeders are usually much cheaper than live feeders. For 99% of snake owners frozen is way more convenient. Exwizard is definitely an exception to the rule because his business is breeding rodents. For the average snake owner raising your own feeders would be a hassle. Trust me because I raise mice to sell to the pet store. If you feed frozen you can bring in a large quantity and store them in your freezer. If you feed live you have to hope your supplier has them in stock and that they are the proper size.

Kiljosh · 01-31-12, 05:08 PM

I am saying it could be more convenient to have live over F/T because some people who own snakes, might live with those who don't want a frozen rat in with their food. As silly as it sounds my mother freaked out on me about that.

You can't goto the store and buy one frozen mouse, you can however buy one live mouse and if it's not eaten you don't have to worry about throwing money away. Just house it for another week.