Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was 10 for ten on feeding tonight - it makes two weeks in a row. The only ones I have that do not feed are the spotted pythons when they are shedding.

At what point does it makes sense to raise feeder animals. Last weekend I bought live feeders when I was at a show, and feeding and cleaning all cages was pretty easy. This week I did F/T for 10 animals, and it was a pain in the butt.

Also, cage cleaning! Last week I replaced all paper in all cages and cleaned all of them. They all seemed really clean, as the BRB's spend almost all of their time in moss pits and the cages are clean. Is is ok to wait until a mess to change out the paper - or should I just do it every week (or sooner if there is a mess)?
-----
Mike

2.4 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Raising your own feeders can be cheaper than buying, but even better is you know the food is healthy. AND you have an assortment on hand at all times. DUH, I have a lot of snakes and therefore feed MANY rodents off EVERY week. MY favorite part of having my own colony is the flexibility. Various sizes always available, can feed some or all on any given night with LITTLE preperation. Prepping the food is as simple as picking one out, swing by tail and whack, toss to snake. No thawing etc.

IMO paper does NOT need to be changed UNLESS soiled. Or in times of breeding I do change out occaisionally (every 2 - 4 weeks) because I can't help myself. They do drag out bits and pieces of moss and just looks dirty.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
21.29 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Thanks - on the paper I change all out last week and none was soiled, and that got me thinking.

On the feeders I need to do a little research on breeding mice and rats. I just wish a ball python guy I have gotten to know lived closer - then I would just pick up the feeders I need.

The good thing is if I get feeders - my 22 month old daughter loves the feeder animals when we are at the shows - maybe they can be her rotating 'pets'.

BTW - the expensive cat we got does not like water - and I have the scracthes to prove it. Most Savannahs like water - not ours. I gave her a bath as I have mild cat allergies - the good news is that my allergies are much better - and so far well worth the scratches. I think I need to research what temp of water should be used - this may have been the problem (as I am now thinking the water was to cold). I also learned that I should have trimmed the cats claws before the bath - not after............
-----
Mike

2.4 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Hey Mike, are you sure you didn't give kitty a bath just to get even for those darned allergies? J/K LOL We have two cats, and I have to admit I've never tried to bathe them. I'm sure I'd be flayed if I did!
-----
Renee

2.0 amel & anery corns (Foxfire & Daguerre)
1.0 BRB (Loki)

I have now done some research on bathing cats and we will try again next weekend. I had the water a bit cool, and I used the facet to rinse - which freaked her out.
-----
Mike

2.4 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

not all cats will like bathing, even if the temp is right. One thing to try is not to have the water too deep, I did have a cat years ago who didn't mind bathing, but she was always the most nervous when putting her in and out of the tub. Once she felt the tub bottom with her feet she calmed down and I never had the very deep, maybe a couple inches.

For allergies, if you allergy is to cat dander, I have seen some kind of spray you can use which is suppose to help keep dander from coming off the cat. i don't know if its effective, or good for the cat, as I never researched it. But it was something I saw years ago.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Warm water, like you said, clipping nails prior is a good idea, ours tries to get our but he does not use his nails. And like you also said a rinse bowl or pitcher works much better.

He tried harder the first couple of times to get out/away. Now he knows better and does not try as hard...duh, if you drop your gaurd, sproing and he's gone like a flash. BTW, door closed to bathroom is a good secondary containment!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
21.29 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Flay...means to strip off the skin or surface of : SKIN

Had to look that up, thought you meant filet, but your word is more appropriate and a new word for me lol...
-----
Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research

It is worth noting.. the "whacking" is important - Do not leave live rodents in your cages.. many of snakes have been chewed up by their potential dinner.

There are also some health reasons why F/T is better. It will kill parasites and mites that are commonly found on rodents. These are greatly reduced if you are raising your own rodents in a closed community..

>>Raising your own feeders can be cheaper than buying, but even better is you know the food is healthy. AND you have an assortment on hand at all times. DUH, I have a lot of snakes and therefore feed MANY rodents off EVERY week. MY favorite part of having my own colony is the flexibility. Various sizes always available, can feed some or all on any given night with LITTLE preperation. Prepping the food is as simple as picking one out, swing by tail and whack, toss to snake. No thawing etc.
>>
>>IMO paper does NOT need to be changed UNLESS soiled. Or in times of breeding I do change out occaisionally (every 2 - 4 weeks) because I can't help myself. They do drag out bits and pieces of moss and just looks dirty.
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>
>>Dave Colling
>>
>>www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com
>>
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
>>0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)
>>
>>LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
>>21.29 BRB
>>19.19 BCI
>>And those are only the breeders
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats
-----
photos.xtremecombatsports.com

I raise rats to feed my growing collection of snakes. I so much prefer using fresh killed, if a snake won't eat, I freeze and give it to my 'never refuse food BRB' to eat next feeding time. But I bred to many rats and had too many snakes not want to eat so I am a bit back logged in frozen food and trying to use it all up before it goes bad. But some of my pythons won't eat frozen thawed, which really sucks. So I have to buy live for them which is expensive and a pain.

My Brazilians are the snakes I know will alway eat, my female never refused a meal, even during shed (actually once when she was in blue she refused...but no problems getting her to eat). The male is turning out to be just as much a bottomless pit as she is. Thus I feed them last anything the corn snakes or ball pythons refuse to eat though not everything that is refused, as I don't want these snakes to get fat.
-----
PHLdyPayne

I use a hierarchy for feeding. I always feed my less than steller eaters FIRST. Then offer any of those refused prey items to others while feeding the rest. Also I feed from smallest to largest for the same reason. Better to offer a small item than one too large as I work my way up the collection.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
21.29 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I never freeze anything. As understanding and supportive as my wife is, draws the line at rodents in the freezer. BTW, I 100% agree with her on this....yuck, rats with my food!

By working my way through the collection, small to large, picky to bottomless pit I never have anything "left over".

Lastly, I always save one of my bottomless pits for last. One that is up and looking starved. They get the last feeder.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
21.29 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

floor freezer just for frozen animals.
-----
Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research

I too use a floor freezer. It is right next to the rat racks in the garage. I like having the exact right size rat ready whenever I need it. After rats get to about 5 ounces if I have nothing ready to eat them I kill and freeze them. I do not raise mice and get some small ones in trade from a local reptile shop when I have babies to feed that will not take live pinky rats. I do buy frozen hopper mice for the babysnakes. I also sometimes come up short of extra large rats for my Surinams and so when I buy frozen mice I finish the order off filling the box with whatever size big rats are on sale. I have bought frozen rodents from many sources and none of them are anywhere near as clean as my home raised rats.
Jeff

>>floor freezer just for frozen animals.
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Frank Roberts
>>Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research
>>

I would raise rodents and rabbits If I had a place outside the house, like a garage or something. I hate the smell rodents give off.
-----
Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research

Frank,
..I hate the smell of mice ten times as much as the smell of rats. I clean the rat racks twice a week and do not have too bad an odor problem except in very crowded trays.
Jeff

>>I would raise rodents and rabbits If I had a place outside the house, like a garage or something. I hate the smell rodents give off.
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Frank Roberts
>>Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research
>>

...
-----
Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research

If I buy live animals at a show how long will they live on their own? Currently interested in information on fuzzy rats, pinky rats, normal mouse, hopper mice and fuzzy mice.
-----
Mike

2.4 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

Unweaned animals will not survive on their own. Pinkies will last several days, fuzzies and hoppers can last much longer on damp monkey chow. Hoppers can be raised to adulthood with the monkey chow. IMO buying live at a show is oinly good for feeding right away or getting weaned ones for feeding or breeding later.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
21.29 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

without food or especially water, they can live up to 3-4 days in my experience, but prob have little nutritional value after completely digesting all remaining food in their stomach's. Don't want to sound like a "softy" , but slowly starving to death has to suck, even for a rodent.

PS. I have kept pinkies/fuzzies in enclosure with a snake or two, and yes they died in 3-4 days time. Then they became turtle food.....Meet the trash compactor. I have two good sized snapping turtles for this type of scenario, the one pictured here eats med/large rats whole....

-----
Thanks,

Frank Roberts
Roberts' Realm Of Reptile Research