chicken necks?

[garthy]

Like wise, can anyone out there provide credible data to show that beef strips and chicken necks are a suitable diet for snakes, not just as a supplement feed, but as a staple.....

To claim that studies have been done with no reference, what is the point of this, there is no backing up what is claimed. It is well known that humans can have occasional treats with no long term consequences, but to live on junk food has its associated problems.

When was the last time you saw a snake just eat a chicken neck or tear a piece of meat off a animal and consume that piece?

The only data I can find on feeding chicken necks and beef strips to snakes has NO scientific study behind it, NO controls and NO long term analysis of the data. Meaty foods can easily be fed to animals such as goannas as it is part of their natural feeding, however animals such as snakes do not feed this way. Whole animals are what they consume, there is a reason for it.

My question to you is this.....
Since when have chicken necks been deemed as junk food?????

 

[cris]

My question to you is this.....
Since when have chicken necks been deemed as junk food?????

That is what i have been wondering while a diet of farmed rats is considered the only ideal diet by many (even for herps that dont eat mammals). I dont have any research to back it up but would have thought chicken necks to be a good part in many reptiles diets, but i would doubt they make a good staple food. I would imagine the junk food statement would be related to the assumtion that the nutrients found in the organs of prey are of some benifit to snake health. I would have thought this myeslf, hence why i only use necks as part of the diet. I would think a chicken neck would be far healthier to a snake than a big mac or candy would be to a human.

 

[Darlyn]

Is there any reason that you couldn't feed a python chicken giblets or livers with their chook neck?

 

[r3ptilian]

if you want a change go for whole chickens, whole quail or other animals of similar size, never use body parts....we only use "meat" when we are feeding the lizards and even then the meat is whole ground animals, such as rabbit or kangaroo!

how do you mince a whole kangaroo

 

[Darlyn]

how do you mince a whole kangaroo

Road train does a pretty good job.

 

[cris]

how do you mince a whole kangaroo

Machinery from pet food companies, mafia, tree mulchers, butchers(um that one may be practical) etc. If your poor use a sledge hammer.

 

[snakehandler]

Garthy, You misunderstand, the point is that a snake as with all predators actually needs more than just meat and bones, they need the stomach content of the prey item as well to provide essential nutrients, especially from major organs. The chicken necks do not provide this, it is a good supplement to many animals such as monitors, but it would always make a part of the diet as many people have mentioned.

I have seen people claim that the use of chicken pieces, and other body parts can be used as a sole dietary item which is cheap and readily available......if people are looking for cheap ways to keep animals, they shouldn't have the pets.....all of my animals are fed a complete and varied diet, it is my opinion that if I cannot afford to feed something with the best available, then I go without, not the animals in my care!

 

[giggle]

I agree and disagree with you all. <3

Seeing as I'm not on anyones side... lets break this down to its components.

Carnivores all eat the stomach contents of their prey. For he majority of carnivores, this is the first part to be consumed.
The stomach and intestines of prey animals contains essential bacteria along with pre-digested foods... this varies according to the prey being consumed. They may also contain vitamins and minerals lacking in the flesh of the prey. In general, few other organs are consumed, depending on the carnivore.

The vast majority of prey taken is either herbivorous or omnivorous... allowing the carnivore the chance to consume indirectly, the vitamins it needs from greens that it simply does not eat.



So. Clearly this comes down to choice and once again providing a balance according to how your animal has evolved.

Monitors are primarily scavengers I see zero reason a monitor could not be fed chicken necks on rotation with other meats, if the meals are planned to contain an over all balance. Being opportunistic, their diet would be all over the place, balance would be attained over a period of time, rather than with every meal consumed.

Snakes have evolved to consume whole prey... they are ambush predators. They can conserve their energy and have a low metabolic rate. This comes with both plus and minus. The snakes have however evolved to cope.
The only clear benefit I see to feeding whole foods is that it would have a natural digestion process and length. If feeding parts, you would need to be careful with the rate of digestion and I guess primarily the fat content. As far as what affects a faster digestion process would have, I have no idea. Perhaps it would allow the snake to increase its metabolic rate. And perhaps this would be of benefit in the breeding season. I certainly see the benefit in using pieces to put condition on a snake.

Here's another thought... in the wild the stomach contents of prey animals is highly beneficial... because it is normally consisting of a predigested food substance carnivores themselves do not consume.
So with commercially available animals, who are long fed cheap food to sustain and grow them (normally in the form of commercial pellets) what is the point of the stomach contents? Do we know that the rodents being fed have a natural gut bacterial balance? Are their stomach contents at the time of death rich in vitamins consumed in the foods of herbivorous or omnivorous animals? If this isnt the case then the argument for feeding whole again becomes moot. You can't know your animal is getting its essential balance.

Though... if you are feeding a primarily reptile eating animal on primarily mammal prey... then I think you might have less basis to criticize others feeding choices than you think

 

[pythons73]

I was feeding my snakes chicken necks for the yearlings and chicken drumsticks for the adults for years,NOT as there sole diet,only every 2-3rd feed..They were always fed rodents which i breed,but accasionally i would give them something different..IMO the chicken put on body condition alot faster then rodents,especially for females that have laid eggs...Aspidities especially love the chicken,well the last few i had did,and my female now cant get enough.( she loves them)...

 

[snakehandler]

As a supplement to a balanced diet pieces are fine, but as a staple it does not work.......one of my thoughts has been what about keeping snakes such as Australaps on rodents, given their natural diet is reptiles and amphibians, this would have to have a profound effect on the health and well being of the snake. I have been attempting to get permits to allow qualified people to collect pest species such as the Asian House Gecko and use them as feed......so far to no avail.....

 

[giggle]

My house is OVER RUN with asian house geckoes. They would be a fantastic feeder animal. The ones I collect go in the bin every thursday :S what a waste.

 

[cris]

No your right, though I don't aplogise for your confusion thats your own fault.

Wasnt meant as an insult but the idea obviously went over your head, i admit its my fault. Build a bridge out of cement, nothing you have ever said could confuse me more than my thoughts :lol: