Young = Fussy eaters?

[NoOne]

Have you ever had a snake that won't eat anything unless it's live? What else do you do, let it die?
Like i stated in either this thread or the Quail thread, i had a snake that would only eat live prey nothing else and every feed for about a year i tried feeding it dead prey, no go. After that i just feed it live prey.

Young Olive pythons will sometimes only accept live finches for their first few meals. You could persits for months with dead prey but i think the sooner they are feeding the sooner they can be weaned on to dead rodents.

 

[africancichlidau]

But don't we all agree that force feeding is the last resort? Jiggle Jiggle, retreat the rat, superheat. Still no Go? Force feed or live.......O.K. Force feed JMO

 

[NoOne]

You would honestly prefer to force feed a snake that was feeding well on live prey?

 

[Fuscus]

I think the live food ban is australia wide . But if you are going resort to live feed (as a last resort of course) try a finch, at least they can't hurt your reptile.

 

[Amy]

Here here Kirov (hi! lol!)

We are happy to just be allowed to own snakes, whether or not we can feed live prey will be something we West Aussie herpers tackle later.

And as for enforcing the law, it has actually been enforced, If a pet shop (or where ever you get your live food from) thinks that are feeding their animals live to snakes, they can ring up calm and a fine or jail term can be imposed. They call it inhumane. (I call it the same as people who feed those guppy things (live fish) to their carnivorous fish but this isn't illegal)

Amy

 

[africancichlidau]

You would honestly prefer to force feed a snake that was feeding well on live prey?

But if I don't live feed how would I know it was feeding well on live food?

 

[NoOne]

I would always try live food before force feeding. I guess if you didn't want to feed live then you would never know unless the previous owner told you.

 

[Fangs]

Don't wish to start a debate and I have no comment to make on it.Just thought this might interest some of you.

http://www.homestead.com/koalaskritters/livefeeding.html

 

[Guest]

your sanake can kill it and then it will eat it while it is dead if no1 knows your feeding it live who cares

 

[Brodie]

the mouse cares... *sniff*

 

[Guest]

but the mouce is a stooge

 

[rodentrancher]

I deliver frozen weaner mice to a Reptile Shop in Adelaide and they defrost them on top of the mesh on the young snake boxes so they can get the scent, and then they hold em in tweezers(long handled) and wave them in front of the snakes and whammo!! they grab them and eat em. Cheers Cheryl(Rodent Rancher)

 

[Fuscus]

I like that idea Cheryl. Thats for sharing it.

 

[marc]

you will be fine, even if it is abit tempermental its all part of the enjoyment and I am sure there are plenty of exsperianced herpers that are willing to help if thing go wrong.....go for it you have to learn some day

 

[Rina]

That is really interesting on the illegality of feeding live prey. For your larger snakes it often is just not worth the risk of throwing in the bigger prey and hoping it goes down first go and doesn't do any damage to your reptile.
Could someone explain the WA Govt rationale on this a little more for me?

 

[Tommo]

you cant have a pet without having problems. dogs have to poo outside' cats gotta use litter boxes and snakes have to eat. you have to put up with these problems, but just think of it as just another experience with your pet.