Fowl Frustration

guyabano · 10-11-14, 02:47 AM

How many of you fellow snake keepers feed your big animals chicken?

Last feeding day, I gave Margherita (my burm) an appropriately sized chicken, F/T. She locked onto it right away and grabbed the chicken's face. Over the next ~3.5 hours, she struggled to get it down. Not because it was too big, but because she kept trying to swallow it beginning everywhere but the head. She began by going butt first. After several failed attempts, she looked it over and bit the sides of the chicken several times. Then she focused on it's leg. Singular.
I watched for a good 45 minutes and I was getting frustrated as well. I left her to it and came back to a BIG mess of an enclosure (chicken juices and stains everywhere), a full belly and a snake too tired to even reseat its jaw.

This was her second chicken ever. The first went down head first, but she had a little difficulty getting around the obstacle that birds have called "wings". I decided to not feed her another until she grew a bit more so I culled the other one I had and kept it in the freezer.

Maybe she recalled how difficult it was to swallow head first from the previous time and thought to try something new? What do y'all think?

PS. She's all good now, jaw reseated and content with a belly full of chicken.

**millertime89** · 10-13-14, 01:23 PM

It's interesting that you mention this. My Motley retic just had a big chicken and something similar happened. She eventually regained her strength and reset her jaw but she had me worried for a bit. It did take her forever to get it down compared to a rabbit of similar size, but I think that's partially because of the shape of the chicken vs rabbits.

guyabano · 10-14-14, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

It's interesting that you mention this. My Motley retic just had a big chicken and something similar happened. She eventually regained her strength and reset her jaw but she had me worried for a bit. It did take her forever to get it down compared to a rabbit of similar size, but I think that's partially because of the shape of the chicken vs rabbits.

I agree. I guess chickens are just less streamlined. . .

I've also noticed that with poultry, the rate of digestion seems to be slower at the beginning followed a very rapid drop in belly size. I assume after the digestive acids and enzymes compromise the structural integrity of the prey item it just collapses. This is relative to, say, a rabbit which has a much more linear disintegration. Also, they pee more after a chicken meal.

CosmicOwl · 10-14-14, 10:34 AM

Chickens are wierdly shaped so I don't believe they are interchangeable with a prey item or a similar weight.

jpsteele80 · 10-14-14, 10:38 AM

I just stick to what works, never had any problems with rats or rabbits

**millertime89** · 10-14-14, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

I agree. I guess chickens are just less streamlined. . .

I've also noticed that with poultry, the rate of digestion seems to be slower at the beginning followed a very rapid drop in belly size. I assume after the digestive acids and enzymes compromise the structural integrity of the prey item it just collapses. This is relative to, say, a rabbit which has a much more linear disintegration. Also, they pee more after a chicken meal.

That also matches my observations. Slower initial digestion (I would assume due to the feathers) followed by a quick drop once digestion of the meat begins. They definitely seem to pee more after chickens. Not sure what's up with that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

Chickens are wierdly shaped so I don't believe they are interchangeable with a prey item or a similar weight.

You're wrong. I feed the same size weight regardless on my large animals and the size/shape difference isn't anywhere near as pronounced on smaller animals of similar weight.

CosmicOwl · 10-14-14, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

That also matches my observations. Slower initial digestion (I would assume due to the feathers) followed by a quick drop once digestion of the meat begins. They definitely seem to pee more after chickens. Not sure what's up with that.

You're wrong. I feed the same size weight regardless on my large animals and the size/shape difference isn't anywhere near as pronounced on smaller animals of similar weight.

That may be the case if the chicken is a smaller meal for the animal. I don't know for aure, though.

**millertime89** · 10-14-14, 12:23 PM

Experience is an amazing thing.

guyabano · 10-16-14, 04:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CosmicOwl

Chickens are wierdly shaped so I don't believe they are interchangeable with a prey item or a similar weight.

I believe that even if a chicken is less streamlined than a rabbit of the same size, as long as it's widest dimension isn't too much for the snake to handle, it should be fine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpsteele80

I just stick to what works, never had any problems with rats or rabbits

Neither have I. No problems with chickens either. Only minor obstacles that the animal can learn from as well. I think it's also good to give them some variety in their diet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

That also matches my observations. Slower initial digestion (I would assume due to the feathers) followed by a quick drop once digestion of the meat begins. They definitely seem to pee more after chickens. Not sure what's up with that.

Maybe chickens retain more water in their bodies relative to rats/rabbits?

So dope comparing/sharing results with someone thousands of miles away.
Long distance communication is in no way a new thing, but still fascinating either way. I'm not new to the internet, I swear!

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

Experience is an amazing thing.

Word.

SSSSnakes · 10-16-14, 06:29 AM

I feed my Burms chickens and they only seem to have had a problem the first time. After that they get them down in about an hour. They do tend to digest slower. I feed them chickens, because I have a number of people that have chickens for the eggs and when they stop laying eggs, they give them to me for snake food.

**millertime89** · 10-16-14, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

I believe that even if a chicken is less streamlined than a rabbit of the same size, as long as it's widest dimension isn't too much for the snake to handle, it should be fine.

Werd yo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

Neither have I. No problems with chickens either. Only minor obstacles that the animal can learn from as well. I think it's also good to give them some variety in their diet.

I don't really care about the diet variety, I just feed them what I've got available. Rats, rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats (I've got one in the freezer now and have used them twice before), you name it. If they'll eat it and I feel it's safe I'll let them. I love my food guy. He gives me farm fresh eggs and other produce as well. I got a full rack of goat ribs last time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

Maybe chickens retain more water in their bodies relative to rats/rabbits?

Possible, I would say it also has something to do with them having a higher fat content than rabbits. Rabbits are extremely lean. Just spit ballin' ideas here though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

So dope comparing/sharing results with someone thousands of miles away.
Long distance communication is in no way a new thing, but still fascinating either way. I'm not new to the internet, I swear!

Definitely fascinating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSSSnakes

I feed my Burms chickens and they only seem to have had a problem the first time. After that they get them down in about an hour. They do tend to digest slower. I feed them chickens, because I have a number of people that have chickens for the eggs and when they stop laying eggs, they give them to me for snake food.

Chalk another observation up for slower digestion.

guyabano · 10-17-14, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSSSnakes

I feed my Burms chickens and they only seem to have had a problem the first time. After that they get them down in about an hour. They do tend to digest slower. I feed them chickens, because I have a number of people that have chickens for the eggs and when they stop laying eggs, they give them to me for snake food.

Hahah, yes. There does seem to be a bit of a learning curve involved in the consumption of winged creatures. Free snake food?? You lucky SOB.

Quote:

Originally Posted by millertime89

. . .I don't really care about the diet variety, I just feed them what I've got available. Rats, rabbits, chickens, pigs, goats (I've got one in the freezer now and have used them twice before), you name it. If they'll eat it and I feel it's safe I'll let them. I love my food guy. He gives me farm fresh eggs and other produce as well. I got a full rack of goat ribs last time.

. . .Possible, I would say it also has something to do with them having a higher fat content than rabbits. Rabbits are extremely lean. Just spit ballin' ideas here though.

Oh, right. Fat content would play a pretty big part in that I'd say.

You two are making me resent the fact that I live in the metro. I've had to resort to keeping, breeding my own feeder animals as well as the snakes. It isn't too bad though, I love all sorts of animals. Rats, chickens and rabbits are fun to keep! I'd love to be able to have goats and pigs too though. . Perhaps in the future when I get my place in the mountains.

**millertime89** · 10-17-14, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guyabano

You two are making me resent the fact that I live in the metro. I've had to resort to keeping, breeding my own feeder animals as well as the snakes. It isn't too bad though, I love all sorts of animals. Rats, chickens and rabbits are fun to keep! I'd love to be able to have goats and pigs too though. . Perhaps in the future when I get my place in the mountains.

I live in a metro area, I have to drive 40 minutes to get my feeders, but $1-$1.50 per lb can't be beat.