Manda1032
Very Well-Known Member
The question is;
Which is better to feed your snake, Rats or Mice?
The reasons behind this question/ debate. I have been keeping for 6 years now. Recently I've decided I'd like a new addition to my brood. There are many wants and desires but I'm being smart and thinking of what room I have and it's future needs etc. Many years ago when I use to live in Townsville, food got scarce and I decided to by some rats and mice and breed my own. The mice bred like... well mice! The rats on the other hand found most disturbances too much and would abandon their bubs and stop breeding (mostly thanks to the cat two doors down that always found a way in and sat on their cage). For the last couple of years I have sucessfully bred a small hoarde of mice, replacing the genes every 6 months or so. My freezer is full, my cages are full and with some fine tuning over that time finding enclosures that worked really well. They breed like crazy, don't care about the foxes, cats and other feral rodents that frequent where I live. Something that rats would mind.
So the other day I found an ad in the paper for BHP's. I'm like OMG one of my desires, possibly local to purchase. Phoned up and asked the usual questions, where are you, how old are they, what are you feeding them etc. its the last one that shot my confidence dead. I was told that I shouldn't be feeding my babies mice, they are not good enough and I'd never get them onto rats (PS 4 of my 5 snakes gladly eat both rats and mice). I should put them on rats and stay on rats. They (mice) aren't as nutritional for snakes as rats and I pretty much got the feeling that if I don't get rats I won't get a snake.
All night I felt like I'd done wrong by my babies. I was so sad thinking I've harmed their health all because I didn't try harder to find supplies for them. Locally there's nothing, and costs for bulk are huge. I'm doing right for the mice, I mix top quality foods for them and give them fresh fruit and veg daily. I ensure my mice are top quality because they go to my babies. I've gone thru every magazine and every book I own and none say anything against mice as food. My snakes are plump, clear eyed, smooth scaled, healthy, active snakes. I do not feed weekly and I do not offer too much food in one sitting. Poor Ross was trying to tell me that I'm a good mum and my bubs are A ok, but I just have to ask is there really a difference?:?
Which is better to feed your snake, Rats or Mice?
The reasons behind this question/ debate. I have been keeping for 6 years now. Recently I've decided I'd like a new addition to my brood. There are many wants and desires but I'm being smart and thinking of what room I have and it's future needs etc. Many years ago when I use to live in Townsville, food got scarce and I decided to by some rats and mice and breed my own. The mice bred like... well mice! The rats on the other hand found most disturbances too much and would abandon their bubs and stop breeding (mostly thanks to the cat two doors down that always found a way in and sat on their cage). For the last couple of years I have sucessfully bred a small hoarde of mice, replacing the genes every 6 months or so. My freezer is full, my cages are full and with some fine tuning over that time finding enclosures that worked really well. They breed like crazy, don't care about the foxes, cats and other feral rodents that frequent where I live. Something that rats would mind.
So the other day I found an ad in the paper for BHP's. I'm like OMG one of my desires, possibly local to purchase. Phoned up and asked the usual questions, where are you, how old are they, what are you feeding them etc. its the last one that shot my confidence dead. I was told that I shouldn't be feeding my babies mice, they are not good enough and I'd never get them onto rats (PS 4 of my 5 snakes gladly eat both rats and mice). I should put them on rats and stay on rats. They (mice) aren't as nutritional for snakes as rats and I pretty much got the feeling that if I don't get rats I won't get a snake.
All night I felt like I'd done wrong by my babies. I was so sad thinking I've harmed their health all because I didn't try harder to find supplies for them. Locally there's nothing, and costs for bulk are huge. I'm doing right for the mice, I mix top quality foods for them and give them fresh fruit and veg daily. I ensure my mice are top quality because they go to my babies. I've gone thru every magazine and every book I own and none say anything against mice as food. My snakes are plump, clear eyed, smooth scaled, healthy, active snakes. I do not feed weekly and I do not offer too much food in one sitting. Poor Ross was trying to tell me that I'm a good mum and my bubs are A ok, but I just have to ask is there really a difference?:?