May I ask how many snakes you have and how often you feed?



I have three snakes of two different species. I can see myself expanding to maybe seven or eight snakes of three or four species during the next five years. (In saying this, I'm assuming that Louisiana won't ban snakes and keep me from expanding my collection.)



Live feeding could mean that I would be raising rodents of some kind and likely always have a difference between the feeder animals that I need and those that I have. I'd either breed them at a low rate and run short sometimes or breed them at a high rate and have surplus. In either case, I'd be spending time on rodents that I'd rather spend on other things. I joined this hobby because I enjoy snakes and not because I enjoy rodents.



My other option for live feeding would be to drive to a pet store once a week and buy live feeders. Right now, the only pet store in town that sells rats for feeders never has rats that are the appropriate size for either of my pythons. In effect, there are currently no live feeders available for me to purchase. Even if they had these animals, I'd be fighting traffic into the city once a week and having to feed on the store's schedule of operating hours and not on my schedule of when I'd like to feed. The cost of live feeders from this store is already about four times the cost of frozen feeders from reputable sources. As the price of gas increases, the cost of going to the store for live feeders increases. I can throw away two or three f/t rats for every one that my snakes eat and still spend less on food than I would by feeding live rats that I buy from the store.



You asked the question of why feed f/t, but for my situation, the question is reversed. I need a real reason to feed live to justify the trouble of changing. So far, I've not seen any conclusive evidence that live feeding is better.



Your comment that I need to be wary of a breeder who claims to be feeding f/t is well taken. There are a few people who I trust enough to tell me the truth because our relationship is more of a personal relationship than just a buyer/seller relationship. If I buy from a breeder, I'll almost certainly go to one of them first. Otherwise, you're right that I should be wary of their claims.



Again, I can see where live feeding is better for many people. If you're happy and your snakes are happy, I think it's great that you feed live. I don't see any conclusive evidence that either method is better, so I'm not asking anyone to change. As I've said two or three times already, my only point is that I'd rather buy a snake that I know is feeding f/t than I would a snake that I must convert.



Thanks,





Bil
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

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