Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My burm just hit 7 feet about two weeks ago, and I'm thinking I'm going to start her on rabbits for her next feeding. Is she too small to get into rabbits? Should I stick with rats for a while longer? I'm just looking for when people started turning over to rabbits. Also, I found a great local farm that will sell me smaller rabbits for only $5!

Thanks in advance.

I wouldnt switch just yet. I have an 8fty male, and hes still on jumbo rats if you can get small rabbits that are the size of a big rat you could always try, but I wouldn't do anything to big yet.

Somewhere between 7 - 9ft is when I've seen most people make the switch. As far as the snake goes, I don't feel that it's of any importance, but as far as money goes, it can make quite a difference.

The problem I see most is what "burmeseman07" kind of alluded to, people using too big of prey. Keep in mind that it's far better on any animal to eat two small prey items instead of one large. Do we eat one large meal a day or three meals a day?

With a local rabbit farm handy you should be able to work something out with the breeder for them to set aside a few fuzzy rabbits, rabbits aproximately the same size as the rats you've been feeding.

When switching from rats to rabbits you'll get the best results from rabbits the same size as the rats you were feeding or a tad smaller. If they're reluctant to take F/T, try fresh-killed. Medium-sized rabbits, when they're first born, are about the size as medium rats.

Have a good one!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

If you look a few posts down, you'll see a thread " Quit eating".
If you're burm is still actively feeding on rats, then I wouldn't hesitate to try switching over to rabbits. If he has a strong feeding response, the switch should be easy.
If your burm doesn't, maybe it might be best to wait until spring to make the switch.
After a winter of not eating, or diminished eating, your burm will be mighty hungry. A nice rabbit may be just the meal he wants.
This idea might be better than wasting a lot of food right now.
Though if you use fresh killed, you can wait a little while and see if he eats. If not, freeze the rabbit.
I'm not a big fan of live or fresh killed though.
And none of my snakes are either except an ornery western hognose that prefers p/k, but will eat f/t when the mood hits him.
So don't rush the switch. Give it a try, and then go full guns in the spring. Don't give up though, I've had some snakes that would go crazy for f/t rabbits, then want only XXL rats again, then not want the rats, and will eat only rabbits.

Hopefully he'll have better results than I have had. That dang male of mine flat out refuses to eat anything but live rats. My female would put down whatever I pull out of the freezer, before it even thawed out, if I'd let her, but not the male.

I thought for sure I had him where I wanted him after last breeding season. Once they were through mating and had moved to opposite sides of the cage for a few days straight I put him back in his cage and waited a few days. Offered him a fresh-killed tiny rabbit, no go. F/T rats, no go. I got ticked & said, "Well, starve, then!" I waited two weeks & tried again, no go. I hold up a fresh-killed rat & a live rat, side-by-side, and the live rat was basically motionless at the time. He didn't even look at the rats for more than 1/3 of a second before he nailed the live one.

We may have a stalemate this next time, though. Might find out just how long he CAN go without eating. Ha! Nah, my heart's too big, obviously.

Ya'll take care!
HH
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

It's frustrating when you have a fussy animal.Or when they decide they want a change of menu.
I believe in the let 'em starve school of thought. Hunger is a great motivator to make them want to eat what I give them.
Worked for me when I was a kid, and works now for my son.
Works most of the time with my snakes.

Seems something that people do not mention, how much girth does the snake have? I used to start burms at 6 feet on small rabbits and moved them up as their size progressed. Well my current pair of burms did not get rabbits until the female was 8 feet and the male was 6.5 and they are doing great. It just depends on whether you want to put weight on the snake or not as well as how big the rabbit in compared to how much girth the snake has. I feed my burms every 7 - 10 days depending on whether I can get rabbits or not, because a Jumbo rat still would not be big enough for mine who regularly take down medium to large rabbits now. I mainly recommend when you cannot see a lump even with a jumbo rat or xxxl rat.

Charlie