Switching it up :)

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Okay so I've been told that it's good to switch up a pythons diet (a bredli in this case) and just wondering if it's healthier to change the diet or to keep it to rats (and rabbits when there's some size on him) and if so what are some alternatives that I can use.

Thanks guys

 

[Stuart]

What are you "switching it up" with and why? As long as they food item is enough to sustain them or equivalent, then it shouldn't be an issue. And snakes don't follow a "healthy eating" regime so I wouldn't try change what has been proven by keepers over the years

 

[sharky]

What? This thread is confusing me.....rodents are the BEST source of food and should be their diet. There is no need to change it just because they are captive. Actually if you don't feed rodents as a diet it can go down hill easily and make him sick. Best to keep him on rats and rabbits. I don't think any birds will be big enough for a snake eating bunnies.....

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Well he's on a weanling rat once a week at the moment but I was just wondering if it's healthier for him to give him something different every 2nd week or something and like I said I'm not doing it for a particular reason, I'm simply asking ,as I've been told by other snake owners, if it's a good decision. Thanks for the replies and he's not on bunnies yet or even close to it so a bird size compared to a rabbit size isn't an issue ? hah

 

[sharky]

If you wanyed you could feed a quail or baby chicken for every second feed? Not really 'healthier' but does give him a bit of variety in his diet

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Thanks, oh and I've heard alot of people saying they feed chicken necks, is that for any particular reason or just a price thing?

 

[Nellynake]

How do you heat a chicken neck?

 

[Jacknife]

How do you heat a chicken neck?

With very tight grip

 

[Crystal..Discus]

Actually if you don't feed rodents as a diet it can go down hill easily and make him sick.

Your snakes can survive perfectly fine on chicken parts (necks, legs, whole or otherwise.) I haven't lost any condition in any animal by feeding necks or legs, and a few of the much larger and well respected breeders also feed chicken necks. There was actually a thread a little while ago, it's an interesting read

Regardless, there are a few reasons you would change their diet, but snakes honestly don't care about variety.

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Thanks everyone

 

[notechistiger]

Actually if you don't feed rodents as a diet it can go down hill easily and make him sick.

This is very misleading. Feeding a snake on quails or chicken 100% of the time will not make them sick, nor will giving them something more unusual, such as chicken necks and the like. Please don't give advice like this if you don't know.

I will give my snakes chicken necks fairly often, and all of them will eat them readily. I don't do this because it's "healthier" though, I do it for convenience. Rats are at ridiculous prices right now, and chicken necks are very, very cheap ($4 for a kilo at my local store).

Edit: I heat chicken necks simply by putting them in warm water. Exactly the same as heating rats and quail except for a shorter time =)

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Thanks yeah that's the price they are at my store, I was just wondering if they have any negative effects on the snake at all? Because if they don't, at that price it seems to good to be true

 

[sharky]

I meant on these new "Snake Pellets" going around the market at some pet stores and a stable diet of nothing but chicken legs or necks that don't provide calcium (Like you get from the livers of rodents/birds)...should have clarified...sorry guys!

 

[notechistiger]

Apparently not. I know people that feed them nothing else throughout their life and those snakes are quite healthy. In saying this, I still feed whole prey items as a staple and chicken necks as a, uh filler. I still believe rodents/quails are more nutritious (ie, better for a snake recovering from laying, etc), but I don't think for a second that giving them chicken necks is detrimental in any way.

 

[RedFox]

Ozimid posted a really interesting study on rodents vs DO chicken a while a go. One thing that should be noted is we still aren't sure on the optimal diet for snakes. We have no idea how much calcium, vitamins, etc they need to maintain condition. Snakes fed solely on feathers seem no less healthy than those fed on fur.

Also some fussy eaters don't like rodents but will take quail, DO chickens or chicken pieces no problem.

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Awesome stuff guys once again thanks for not only answering my question but teaching me a whole variety of things

 

[Bananapeel]

As stated before, feeding purely on poultry such as quail or chicken is so far not proving in any way detrimental to a snakes health it is simply another choice of diet. Many breeders feed solely on poultry. Feeding solely on rats isn't a problem either, just a preference of diet. Some diets are more accessible and or cheaper to some people so that's what the snake gets. IMO I don't like the idea of just feeding chicken necks ask don't believe it provides all the necessary nutrition from all the guts etc. I prefer to alternate with whole prey such as rats or quail. But in saying that I like to feed primarily on rats with the occasional quail for a bit of variety even if the snakes don't care about variety. I like variety haha.
but in no way does it make the snakes health deteriorate or make 'em sick. Some people feed just rats but that doesn't make it the correct diet and other diets wrong or bad for the snake. Please don't go telling incorrect advice to people wanting information. And where were snake pellets mentioned? I don't recall...

 

[Python-Lover4lyf]

Hah yeah idk where the snake pellets comment came from either, thanks heaps for such a detailed reply, means alot