I was kinda curious if anyone knew what, if any, the effects of steel pellets would have on the digestive system of large adult boas. We shoot quite a bit of waterfowl during the season and after having ducks just about every way you can eat them, we start either giving them away or making jerky and sausage out of them. You could say we have a nice surplus of fresh waterfowl during about 3 months out of the year.

I've never actually tried to feed any snakes waterfowl(they would be dead, keeping them alive is illegal)because I am too scared that the pellets might clog the digestive tract somehow, but is that a valid concern? The largest size pellets would be about the size of air rifle BBs but on ducks most of the pellets would usually be significantly smaller, maybe a third of that size. Also most of the birds shot have the pellets pass right through, we take them at very close ranges and the most pellets I have found in a single bird is 3 pellets.

So assuming your boa would eat waterfowl, is it a completely stupid idea to try and feed them ducks?

[ Show Entire Thread ]