Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've had my corn for a few months, and it've been giving it pinky mice (1-2) a week. Wanted to know if it might be a good idea to start giving it pinky rats since it's still young. My dad's corn takes about 4-6 adult mice, and is scared out it's mind about rats. Wanted to switch mine while it's still on pinkies because pinkies don't fight back. Currently feeding mine live pinkies, and would like to find a good/cheap site for ordering frozen rats, if anyone knows any.

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1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Rex- "normal" orange fire)
1.0.0 Bearded Dragon (Glutany- German Giant Mix)
0.1.0 Okeetee Corn (Okatee)
0.1.0 Spotted Python (Shoelace)
0.2.0 Dwarf Hamsters (Tipsy and Bubblegum)
0.0.1 Rose Hair Tarantula (Goopy)
1.0.0 Boyfriend (Brian)

>>I've had my corn for a few months, and it've been giving it pinky mice (1-2) a week...

That's about right.

>>Wanted to know if it might be a good idea to start giving it pinky rats...

The snake in the lower pic is yours, yes? Then; no, not yet. He is small yet for pinky rats. The next logical step up is to fuzzy mice, then hoppers, then weanlings. Leave the rats alone for now.

>>My dad's corn takes about 4-6 adult mice, and is scared out it's mind about rats...

The upper pic is your Dad's snake, yes? You are trying to feed live, yes? If so, this is not unusual - a live rat is risky prey for all but the largest adult corns, and are a menace to sub-adults. Less aggresive individuals may shy away rather than risk injury. To switch him to rats start him off with a mouse, than give him a pre-killed hopper rat. Once he accepts the hoppers it should be no problem moving him to weanlings. Get him on frozen/thawed if he isn't already.

>>Currently feeding mine live pinkies...

Stop! Go to pre-killed, then frozen/thawed ASAP.

>>...find a good/cheap site for ordering frozen rats, if anyone knows any.

There are links on this very site where you can order frozen rats, mice, etc. Look in the Feeder Forum.

Remember - free advice is worth every cent you paid for it!

Good Luck,

John D

BTW - fine looking snakes you have there.

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I am so not lesdysxic!

0.1 Creamsicle Cornsake "Yolanda"
1.0 Bairds Ratsnake "Steely Dan"
0.1 Desert Kingsnake "FATTY"

You may want to transition from pink mice to pink rats by way of fuzzy mice. Pink rats are WAY bigger than pink mice. What I do when I want to transition a growing corn, is go from 1 pink mouse to 2 pink mice per week & stay with that size the snakes about a year, then it's big enough to swallow a pink rat-drop the mice though, oz for oz, rats are much more food value than mice...IE take a rats & mouse of comparable size & the rat has more weight & much more food value. Hope this helps a little!
1/0 Snow Corn
1/0 Emory's Great Plains Rat
1/0 San Diego Gopher
0/1 Aneury Corn
0/1 Ghost Corn