Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am currently feeding my 2 years old Ball Python medium-sized rats. The rodents are live. I have never fed her frozen rodents. Are there any "pros and cons" with live and frozen????
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There's many reasons to feed frozen ... ranging from health-related reasons to convenience.

I cant list them all right now, but here's the most important:

www.proexotics.com/FAQ_answers_Why_do_you_suggest_feeding_thawed.html
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1.1 Ball Python
1.0 Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.0 Blair's Phase Gray Banded Kingsnake
2.1.1 Leopard Geckos
2.0 Crested Geckos

THX!!! for 'da headz up!!!
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alot of people will tell you feeding live is a big no no.....if its already eating live and is doing well i wouldnt worry about switching...and also if you are aready feeding live and dont want to anymore..just kill it and then toss it in....its alot less trouble...thawing rodents sucks...
i dont know what health problems you could get from feeding live..alot of people think the rat is going to kill the snake..they can harm the snake but if you have a good snake that attacks quickly there isnt much chance of that

jason

have a good snake? some snakes will just sit there and let the rat attack them. are these bad snakes? no, they in most cases, are mistreated and scared or just plain not hungry. go ahead and feed live.
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Extensive Snakes

I hear sooo much about thawed/pre-kill is better, but I like to similate the retiles natural environment with live kill. Thanks for all the input!!!
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np

if you feed live to make the habitat more like the wild do you provide hawks, falcons, other snakes, and other predators for your snake to be prey to?
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0.1 "Tremper" looking Albino Leopard gecko (Lex)
0.0.1 tiger crested gecko (peachs)
0.1 Red blood python (Rhianon)
0.0.1 ball pythons (FELIX!!!!!)
2.1 Feral cats that we adopted (Fuzzy, Bear, and Tony)

"scientia est vox"

Frozen points
You can keep a good supply in your freezer
Frozen rodents do not bite
Rodent suffers less
None of my snakes have anything less than a KILLER feeding
response, and none have ever eaten live, i currently have
around 27 snakes,ranging from Bloods to Rhino ratsnakes.
I see so many posts asking how to swith from live to defrost,
my answer would be, START them on defrost
just my 2 cents

I would like to know how many balls make up the 27.

Breed and raise balls for a season or 2, then tell me how you are going to get them all started on FT fresh out of the egg.
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www.NEWReptiles.com

I am sick and tired of these live VS. frozen threads. Did you ever notice that most of the larger scale breeders/keepers don't even touch these threads anymore? I wonder if its because they are fed up with newer or novice keepers telling them what is best.

"some snakes will just sit there and let the rat attack them."

I have kept these animals for 9 years, and have been breeding them for going on 4. I have been feeding off between 100-200 rats per month and have NEVER had a rat attack a ball. I FEED 95% of them LIVE.............

If it eats PK/FT then great, if not, try live.
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www.NEWReptiles.com

yes i am for real.
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Extensive Snakes

well said....
i think there are cases of rats attacking snakes but i think its pretty low...i have had no problem feeding live....
i wanna meet the guy that gets a baby ball to eat a frozen pink out of the egg.....

""WHATEVER IT TAKES...."

......I use live..they will not eat dead......95% of the time....

......if they eat frozen.....go for it.......
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.........12 days and counting.............oops.........

yep.......I did that too.............

........

12 days?
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RicK @ BbI

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