Alternative Snake Food

Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum

Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Status
Not open for further replies.

The Devil

Very Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2005
Messages
1,510
Reaction score
2
Location
Brisbane
I've been reading about the loss of rats due to heat stress a couple of months ago.
This idea may be a touch late for this year but keep it in mind.

When I run short of rats or just for a change of diet I buy chicken drumsticks.
I've found that most of my large phthons will take them, sometimes you have to do a bit of cross scenting.

Two drumsticks weigh about 300 grams and cost about $1.00, I would doubt if you can buy a 300 gram rat for $1.00.
When you look at it, after removing the skin as that's where most of the fat is, you are left with lean meat and a large bone filled with bone marrow which all adds up to a good meal.

For smaller pythons or say woma try using chicken necks.

A friend of mine have a large adult blackheaded that has only ever eaten chicken drumsticks and it looks in great condition.
 
This is intersting, would love to hear a bit more on the topic. Anyone else out there?
 
The oldzulu loves feeding chicken neck/drumsticks.
Never tried it myself but wouldnt be afraid too,
Cheers
Ad
 
re Alternative

Yeh ive used the chicken legs nev but my wife cooks them up for the family before i get a chance to use them sometimes seriously.At the moment ive just got the one female bhp that gos alternative feeds of rats then chicken,i just buy a kilo of chichen necks then sit outside and scrape the fat off each one with a sharp knife then dry each one with tissues and stack them up.I spread them out on newspaper on the bhps floor area so that it cant ingest the newspaper and it comes out and will eat the lot one after the other.The female bhp is about 6ft so it eats heaps at a time,i find they can battle getting drumsticks down epecially the big ones,the chicken necks are the right size and are a good alternative for a species that feeds predominantly on reptiles which would be lower fat than rodents.There is people out there that have been feeding scrubbys supermarket chickens for a long time,bit of variety dont hurt. :)
 
i bought a couple of adult jungles that ate chicken wings...i breed rats so i got them onto rats but in an emergency it is good to be able to fall back on the chicken wings. I wonder how little strips of chicken meat would go as food for problem hatchies?
 
With the diamonds they took chicken necks and turkey ones or the legs.

Cookie loves fresh blackfish and snapper she only has that as a treat once every 6mths or so
 
Zulu
You're right about the blackheadeds having a bit of a battle getting the chicken drumsticks down.
Their mouth and jaws aren't designed for such a large and solid object.
Easy solution, cut down one side of the drumstick and leave it hanging as a flap, down the hatch real fast.....
 
re Alternative

Hers a pic Nev of a NT female BHP that likes chicken necks unscented,they prefer mostly that i just lay them all out on newspaper and she cleans them up one after the other and they digest extremely well.This is a method of feeding that i onley use in conjunction with rats and mice to cut the food bill right down and give the snake variety in diet.Yes nev you have to do something like trimming of the legs if you use them :)
 
re Alternative

Having probs with posting pic,try again :)
 
Why would you waste a nice breast fillet on a python? :lol:
The necks and legs I can understand
 
re Alternative

Ckicken breast fillet big mac,ide have no chance with my wife she would eat them and ime not joking about when i was feeding chicken drumsticks it was a race between my wife and the pythons for a feed :)
 
why would you trim fat off? wouldnt they get fat off rats chicken meat is fairly lean isnt it
 
re Alternative

Ckicken legs has heaps of fat under the skin and the chicken necks have plenty of fat on them,they are onley lean if you remove it,normal prey such as the varanids they are fond of in the wild are low fat. :)
 
Don't underestimate the value of the prey gut contents as part of your python's diet. I have alwas believe that one of the main reaons you can sustain most Australian pythons on a diet of thawed rodent alone is because this provides a balanced meal, including meat, bones, gut, fur and skin.

I have heard that some Australian snakes can be fed on lamb chops - this does not mean that it is good for them!!
 
I regularly feed my pythons and monitors day old chicks, it pads out the food but also helps to keep the snakes regular. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Back
Top