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Does a mouse/rat gain nutritious value for snakes as the rodent ages or is a young pinky more nutritious? Is a rat pup better than a small mouse?

"Does a mouse/rat gain nutritious value for snakes as the rodent ages or is a young pinky more nutritious?"

Pinky mice have the most protein but less calcium and lack the roughage that fur provides. For the most part, mice/rats gain nutritious value, with the exception of mice pinks having the highest protein.

Small rats & adult mice are virtually equal.

Here's a good PDF chart to save to your PC:
www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/WholePreyFinal02May29.pdf

Proximate composition and energy content begins on page 8. A page or two below that they list vitmain & mineral values.

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

www.natures-signature.com

Dang Mike, I don't think it can be broken down any further. I saved that puppy

Quig

Ha! Yeah, it's interesting and handy, but, it's so easy to get into splitting hairs with it. Heck, it's good for one of those "fun facts" things, if nothin' else.

Take care, Quig!
Mike
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

>>Pinky mice have the most protein but less calcium and lack the roughage that fur provides. For the most part, mice/rats gain nutritious value, with the exception of mice pinks having the highest protein.

Actually White tailed deer do....but other than me nothing in my home finds them prey.

Although the numbers don't reflect I prefer rat over mouse, so long as the animal can be ingested. I feed pinky mice and crawlers to my hatchlings till they can take a pinky rat than its no more mice. Most of my hatchlings can take a pinky rat right off. I find they have better stool etc. on a diet of rat...although I breed rats not mice so I know the rats have solid nutrition.

You are what you eat.

Guess that's why my wife refers to me as "Deer"...
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Jeremy Payne
JB Reptile
Specializing in Boa Morph's

1.0 Snow "Kahl"
0.2 Triple Het Moonglow "Kahl"
0.1 Orange Tail Hypo Het Leopard
0.1 Double Het "Sharp" Snow
1.0 Ghost
0.1 Possible Super Hypo
0.1 DH Ghost
1.1 "Kahl" Albino
1.0 Hypomelenistic
1.3 Pastel Hypo
0.1 Suriname/Columbian cross
0.1 Anerthrystic

I'm with you on the rats, Deer. Ha! Ha!

I breed a few mice but lots more rats. I've got a few things that I start out on mice pinks but switch 'em to rat pinks ASAP.

Catch ya later, Jeremy!
Mike
-----
Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

www.natures-signature.com

All this time Ive always fed all my animals rats only because I was alway under the impression they had way more nutritional value. Good to know the mice arnt THAT bad after all! Dan