Birds and their eggs are a natural prey for almost all ratsnakes. My Asian ratsnakes...schrencki, dione, and bimaculata, love them too, but I don't often feed avian prey. I don't think it is as complete in nutrients as the rodent food. I don't like to add extra vitamins to their diet either.



Sometimes I'll give my snakes a bird egg, especially gravid females, because I think they get more calcium that way for their eggs. I could get lots of bird eggs in the wild and also babies, but I don't like robbing the nests, and also I'd worry about parasites in the baby birds.



It is pretty interesting seeing a ratsnake eat an egg, however. Sometimes it will even stimulate their appetite.



Fox snakes like birds and their eggs a lot. When I was a kid I used to hunt for Eastern fox snakes in marshes that were loaded with red-winged blackbird nests. I've seen them find a nest and clean out all the eggs in one sitting. They'll eat any birds not quick enough to get away too.



TC







>>three weeks instead of mice or rats. Chicks seem to put the weight back on the females real well after the snake lays eggs. I also give my ratsnakes about three chick feedings prior to their last feeding before I put them down for the winter. Ratsnakes can live a good healthy life solely on rodents, yet they may have problems with chicks only after several years. I don't think it's only calcium dificiency. Baby chicks have a high yoke content which is good for putting mass on, but is high in cholesterol. My snakes also love the chicks. They know when 100 baby chicks arrive. I just don't feel you should feed them only chicks. The snakes might prefer them, but the very fact you need to gut load the chicks should give you an indication of feeding chicks only.

>>

>>>>I have a CB emoryi that I have been feeding chicks and mice to.

>>>>She seems to really prefer the chicks. Is there any reason I shouldn't

>>>>feed her mainly chicks since that is what she perfers?

>>>>

>>>>I feed my chicks catfood and laying mash (high in calcium) for

>>>>three days prior to feeding them to the snake.

>>>>Thanks

>>>>Nina

>>

>>




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Just looking, clicking, curious, studying, laughing, having fun, meeting cool folks, sharing. Live your dream, relax, smile, don't worry so much, love life. See ya there...TC.

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