Posted by:
thebigsquease
at Tue May 2 09:42:46 2006 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by thebigsquease ]
Like you, I never heard a good argument for using F/T.
Now, if someone has a small collection, say under 10 snakes, I can possibly see why one would wish to use F/T. Why keep live smelling rodents around?
But once you get a nice collection going, it becomes almost a nightmare, trying to use F/T. I've tried. And failed many times.
I was throwing away more then was being eaten.
I use live rodents. As I feed, I would estimate 80% of my snakes grab the prey as soon as it is offered. Another 10% have to "think" about it for a minute or two. The last 10% do not eat, either they arn't hungry, about to start their shed cycle, or some other unknown reason.
With frozen prey, if the snake does not consume the rodent, I do not take it from cage to cage trying to get it consumed. I can not re-freeze it either. It just turns to goo after it is de-thawed the second time. All uneaten thawed just hits the trash can.
Another thing I do is only feed rats. Never is a Ball python offered a mouse. From their first meal, it is always rats.
Last year, I had only one hatchling refuse a rat, out of all the ones that were produced here. That one was fed a mouse and then sold as a mouse eater. At a discount at that. Why keep it?
My thought is: Who is training who? Are we letting are animals tell us what they want or are we conditioning them to what we want? Have to think abou that one.
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Ron Billingsley
www.ronbillingsleyreptiles.com
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I agree - thebigsquease, Tue May 2 09:42:46 2006