I was reading your initial post and it sounded like you fed the bird on Friday and Sunday the bird was defecated somewhat intact. If that was the correct timeframe, it would be impossible for the bird to move through the digestive tract of an anaconda that quickly, and I would suspect that it was more likely that the bird was regurged. This would also explain the apparent lack of sufficient digestion. I definitely agree with Dan and DJ on the feeding of rodent prey, especially rats. Best to start feeding rats as soon as they will take them, and not feed birds to a confirmed rodent eater unless necessary.

However, I have never seen a problem with feeding greens under a year old on birds. About 80 to 90% of the diet of young greens in their natural habitat during their first year or two is birds. As they become juveniles, they will naturally acquire the drive to take mammals. Although some greens will start well on rodents, many will not. Jud and I have started close to a hundred greens over the years, the majority of them preferring chicks, and have never had one that refused to switch over to rats within a few months at most. The big issue I would see with birds is the feeding of them to young adults or older greens. This would be where you could possibly run into the problems Dan and DJ were talking about as far as getting them stuck feeding on birds only. Not that birds would harm them, but I believe that it would be more difficult to maintain growth and body weight on an adult green feeding them only birds. Just my thoughts on it.


Kelly

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