Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I may have convinced myself to switch to F/T tonight.

I usually have no problems feeding live...my snakes eat no issues...
but I actually felt bad for that rat.

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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 feel for you. I went through the same thing when I fed a rat last summer. My biggest female got it around the lower half of the rat's body and there was NO getting her to adjust her grip. We ended up killing the rat ourselves after realizing it would be a very long, painful death if we didn't.

I keep a snap trap and locking forceps around for just that reason. I am no good at snapping necks with my hands (call my a wuss, but the grind-click of it gives me the heeby-jeebies). But the forceps do a great job.

And of course, f/t will solve the problem all together. If you find a full-proof way of getting them to switch, SELL IT! We'll pay plenty for such a solution, lol.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

I agree. Most of my snakes eat f/t. I used to work at a reptile store for five years and we would thump giant rabbits to hopper mice for our customers like a meat market. Now that I have gotten older I can't stand to thump rodents anymore. Makes me feel terrible. Call me a real wuss!

IF you find out the blood is snake blood from the rat biting a hole in your baby....!!! seen it.....(not usually that much blood )...

...good luck.....! feed alive!.......LOl
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........JY

I watched to make sure the rat didn't bite the snake. I always do that if they latch weird (aka they don't grab the head with their mouth, etc).
The rat never came close to the snake...it was all rat blood.
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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 always feel bad for the Rodents.
I raise my own Rats so its kind of sad to see them grow up, then get eaten.
But I usually just slide out their tub, in goes the rat, walk away for a few minutes then come back after the strike is over with and make sure the snakes Alright.
Then just let him finish eating.
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Got Balls?
Josh Molone

I walk away if they have grabbed the rat safely. (By the head or where the rat can't possibly bite)
I had to monitor this one because of how she grabbed and coiled.
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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 feed only FT. That's my way of doing it.

First, no need of breedings rats.

Second, easy to feed.

Third, when feed FT as hatchling, they won't be a problem eater.

But with FT, it did happen a few times when rats were warm too much, that they exploded when the snakes hit it. Just make a real mess and smell bads.

Oh and lastly, I think FT is the future. At some point when it grows even more, people will stop buying live eaters.
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love this world, don't hate it.

I agree to an extent on f/t. For people who have hundreds of snakes and limited time, f/t can be a problem. I only have 4 snakes and sometimes it takes mine a while to eat it. I've had to dangle it in front of them for 5 minutes before they take it.

Also, some snakes WILL NOT switch over to f/t. It's like they'd rather starve to death. Maybe they just don't recognize it. I have one snake who will only eat live WHITE hoppers... I'm going to try larger ones again but she's always refused them.... SHe's refused every f/t I've ever given her. She's still small so I just wanted her to eat so didn't go TOO long without feeding... Once she's bigger I'll try again and let her get really hungry. but I've heard of people who CANNOT switch their snakes to f/t.

I like f/t because I don't like seeing live rodents die if they are already dead... meh... not my fault. But as I always tell myself when I feed my little girl live.... "Snake has to eat"
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Teresa
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3.0 Dogs (2.0 Chihuahuas, 1.0 Toy Poodle)
1.5 Cats
1.0 Cockatiel
1.0 Indonesian Blue tongue skink

Ball Pythons
0.1 100% Het Albino (Watson)
1.0 Pastel (Sweets)
0.1 Spider (Daisy)
1.0 Albino