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Switching from mice to rats

BrianMRay Feb 02, 2009 09:36 PM

Is it possible to switch some year old 500g balls to rats when they have been exclusively eating mice? I mainly feed live rats and don't like breeding mice.

Any tips or experiences would be great.

Replies (4)

cmherps Feb 03, 2009 08:37 AM

Yes it is possible. I had a mouse eater that refused rats. I don't know any tricks, I just offered a weanling rat every couple of feedings and after about eleven months she started takeing rats. Best of luck with yours.

Claude

pitoon Feb 04, 2009 09:39 AM

get several mice (males do best becuase of their urine) keep them in a cage for a week or so and do not clean the cage. then get a weaned rat and place the rat in the cage with the mice. leave the rat in there for several hours, then try to feed that rat. 95% the snake will be confused by the smell and will take the rat thinking it's a mouse. the key is to have the rat a bit larger than the biggest mouse in the cage. do this you can get the snake to take rats at the same time getting it to eat larger meals.

good luck!

Pitoon

BrianMRay Feb 04, 2009 10:38 AM

Thanks for the info, I just have one question. Do the mice and the rat fight when they are in the same tank?

pitoon Feb 04, 2009 02:31 PM

they may pick on the weaned rat, but they will eventually accept it in their domain. i do this for every problem mouse feeder i've had it got them converted after several tries.

it really works well when they are not given food for about 2-3weeks. they will take it on the first offering....usually.

good luck

Pitoon

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