Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Went to my rodent supplier to pick up a couple hundred frozen rats.. My supplier notified me he had a large quanity of frozen Teddy Bear Hamsters they are the size of medium rats but plumper. They are short haired and red. He gave me a few packages of them to try out and I was wondering what's everyone exsperience with feeding hamsters to their ball pythons?? ? Any input is always appreciated..
Jason

I'm curious about this too. I am about to take delivery on about 60 hamsters to see if my BPs will eat them. I know at least two will (garbage disposals). Are they nutritionally equivalent?
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2.4 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

alot more fat content.....could make the ball regurge more....feed less....one at a time...they are good food....ball could get hooked on them.....

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1(normal,mojave,3 spider mojaves)
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I don't know if Hamsters are better or worse in nutrition but I personally think that if you are planning or considering selling your balls eventually I would stick with rats... just because if they get hooked on hamsters, the new owner will have to wean them off or breed hamsters to accommodate. If they are your pets, I don't see any issues with feeding hamsters, they are breeding machines... I bred a bunch in the past to try and feed several balls that didn't seem to like mice or rats...

I plan on feeding mice, rats, ASFs, and hamsters. Much chances of them getting addicted to hamsters if they are mixed in with lots of other rodents in their diet like that?
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2.4 ball pythons
1.1 kingsnakes
0.1 crazy cat
?.? ASFs
1.0 husband

usually ,,,NO , they eat they eat, anything.....

but yes, you can get ones that are hooked on hamsters or gerbils ,etc etc...

I have mice eaters, that may eat another prey at times,

I have alot that eat anything,but rats and mice, period....they will eat Peromyscus,any type hamster,gerbils and africans....but not rats and mice......these types suck.....ones that eat anything including rats are cool......but without rat or mice on the diet they get to be a pain, and I have alot...I spoil them and give them what they prefer......I feed not wait to get them weaned to what I want them on...

good luck....and keep the rats on them every other feeding....

.....oh...mine do not like frozen anything....suxx too....
...I am going to get some frozen gerbils and hamstyers and try this again soon........

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1(normal,mojave,3 spider mojaves)
.

balls are so darn finicky... i put a lot of energy into getting every new batch / purchase switched over to frozen thawed rats, which works for 98% of my group... but there's those few that have to have mice and i've been around long enough to have tried everything and i just can't turn them... 10 month wait, 12 month wait, they'll do it if they want... so, i would not underestimate their resolve... get a bunch hooked on hamsters and they'll be real hard to switch back... sell them and you've now made it someone else's problem which is not good.

also - do hamsters cost more?

I've heard that once you switch to hamsters or gerbils, it's almost impossible to get them to eat anything else.
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"What is man without the beasts?
If all the beasts were gone,
men would die from great loneliness of spirit.
For what happens to the beasts,
soon happens to men.
All things are connected."

-Chief Seattle (Duwamish Tribe)

I got stuck with a friends Polar Bear Hamster once that I didn't know what to do with. I decided to feed it to my largest girl, who normally downs f/t rats & mice like its her job. When I offered her the pre-stunned Hamster, she wanted nothing to do with that thing. She almost like turned her nose up at it, like "WTH is this crap you are trying to feed me?!?" LoL, good luck.
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)