Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have checked the archives and seen the thoughts that people have on feeding chickens. What I fed my burm was a 2.5 pound chicken it is from a poultry farm that also has rabbits for human consumption. I thought that because they are for human feed that must not be in poor health. The only reason I fed the chicken was because they didn't have rabbits that were small enough. Can anyone give me any advice on feeding.

You can feed your burm chickens but not as his main food source. i try to feed my burms a chicken once a month just so they dont always have to eat the same thing.

I highly recommend feeding chickens. It is a nutritious and tasty treat that helps guard against a highly restricted diet of thawed out rabbits - over and over and over- and the deficiencies that diet could create.
As long as you get your chickens from a good source, you aren't risking salmonella poisoning. A recently concluded study on food animal production by the University of Iowa (if I remember correctly)found that only 3% of salmonella cases originated at the farm level. Most problems with salmonella originate in the processing plants which is why it is a bad idea to feed reptiles -or any animal- raw processed chicken or pork.
I have a retic that feeds mainly on freshly-killed chickens and she is gorgeous. I have no doubt that a snake can be properly maintained on freshly killed chickens its entire life as well as it could on freshly killed rabbits or pigs.
Now before anyone starts talking about how he has fed only thawed rabbits for fifty years and his snakes are the healthiest in the world- I want to say that it is my personal understanding from my experience and conversations with serious hobbysists and professionals throughout the years that a freshly killed diet is best and that nutritional deficiencies can manifest with all sorts of symptoms that may not be directly attributed to diet. I don't want to make this reply longer than it is so I will not post the deatils. If you cannot feed freshly-killed the next best thing for the health of your Burmese is to vary the diet.
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Marcia Pimentel
Tango River Reptiles
GiantFeeders

sorry i guess my info was wrong I was told that you should not feed them alot of chickens because it is not all that good for them and a burm might get hooked on chickens. I will be feeding my burms alot of chicken now because were I live they coast less than medium rats.

Way cool info Marcia. I am SO glad to learn this. I can raise chickens easier and cheaper than rabbits, but I have always avoided it just due to my apprehension concerning possible Salmonella contamination/poisoning. I used to feed my colonies in the 80's a LOT of chickens, but I also seemed to have a lot of puking and intestinal problems. I attributed this to likely be Salmonella and I stopped using chickens as a direct result. But I would LOVE to stir up the diet with a chicken every other meal or every third meal. Now that I feel safer doing this. Can you post a link to where you read about this? I would like to read the entire thing before I jump in with both feet. Thanks a bunch.

>>I highly recommend feeding chickens. It is a nutritious and tasty treat that helps guard against a highly restricted diet of thawed out rabbits - over and over and over- and the deficiencies that diet could create.
>>As long as you get your chickens from a good source, you aren't risking salmonella poisoning. A recently concluded study on food animal production by the University of Iowa (if I remember correctly)found that only 3% of salmonella cases originated at the farm level. Most problems with salmonella originate in the processing plants which is why it is a bad idea to feed reptiles -or any animal- raw processed chicken or pork.
>>I have a retic that feeds mainly on freshly-killed chickens and she is gorgeous. I have no doubt that a snake can be properly maintained on freshly killed chickens its entire life as well as it could on freshly killed rabbits or pigs.
>>Now before anyone starts talking about how he has fed only thawed rabbits for fifty years and his snakes are the healthiest in the world- I want to say that it is my personal understanding from my experience and conversations with serious hobbysists and professionals throughout the years that a freshly killed diet is best and that nutritional deficiencies can manifest with all sorts of symptoms that may not be directly attributed to diet. I don't want to make this reply longer than it is so I will not post the deatils. If you cannot feed freshly-killed the next best thing for the health of your Burmese is to vary the diet.
>>-----
>>Marcia Pimentel
>>Tango River Reptiles
>>GiantFeeders
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Sytstems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

>>Way cool info Marcia. I am SO glad to learn this. I can raise chickens easier and cheaper than rabbits, but I have always avoided it just due to my apprehension concerning possible Salmonella contamination/poisoning. I used to feed my colonies in the 80's a LOT of chickens, but I also seemed to have a lot of puking and intestinal problems. I attributed this to likely be Salmonella and I stopped using chickens as a direct result. But I would LOVE to stir up the diet with a chicken every other meal or every third meal. Now that I feel safer doing this. Can you post a link to where you read about this? I would like to read the entire thing before I jump in with both feet. Thanks a bunch.
>>
>>
>>>>I highly recommend feeding chickens. It is a nutritious and tasty treat that helps guard against a highly restricted diet of thawed out rabbits - over and over and over- and the deficiencies that diet could create.
>>>>As long as you get your chickens from a good source, you aren't risking salmonella poisoning. A recently concluded study on food animal production by the University of Iowa (if I remember correctly)found that only 3% of salmonella cases originated at the farm level. Most problems with salmonella originate in the processing plants which is why it is a bad idea to feed reptiles -or any animal- raw processed chicken or pork.
>>>>I have a retic that feeds mainly on freshly-killed chickens and she is gorgeous. I have no doubt that a snake can be properly maintained on freshly killed chickens its entire life as well as it could on freshly killed rabbits or pigs.
>>>>Now before anyone starts talking about how he has fed only thawed rabbits for fifty years and his snakes are the healthiest in the world- I want to say that it is my personal understanding from my experience and conversations with serious hobbysists and professionals throughout the years that a freshly killed diet is best and that nutritional deficiencies can manifest with all sorts of symptoms that may not be directly attributed to diet. I don't want to make this reply longer than it is so I will not post the deatils. If you cannot feed freshly-killed the next best thing for the health of your Burmese is to vary the diet.
>>>>-----
>>>>Marcia Pimentel
>>>>Tango River Reptiles
>>>>GiantFeeders
>>-----
>>It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Sytstems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

I have fed chickens to my burms to put some weight on them. Some say it make there poop stick worse than rabbits. It did for like the first 2-3 feedings and then it was fine. I got a guy who breed chickens, i can get them cheap. I hope my new tiger loves them.
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Thomas Jones
aligatorhunter@earthlink.net

While you are thinking about robbing the bank, the person beside you is thinking about how to collect the reward!!

I got your email Tom. I really don't know what snakes were the parents of my mottled tigers. Is your little guy mottled too? I'll ask Bob next time if the father being a super has anything to do with the yellow content of the tiger babies next time I speak with him or email him. I personally have no clue, but it does sound plausible. And perhaps it may have something to do with locality lineage too,.. like some retics being more yellow due to localities that their ancestors originated from. Dunno. Now let's see some pictures of your new little guy. And CONGRATULATIONS!!!

>>>>Way cool info Marcia. I am SO glad to learn this. I can raise chickens easier and cheaper than rabbits, but I have always avoided it just due to my apprehension concerning possible Salmonella contamination/poisoning. I used to feed my colonies in the 80's a LOT of chickens, but I also seemed to have a lot of puking and intestinal problems. I attributed this to likely be Salmonella and I stopped using chickens as a direct result. But I would LOVE to stir up the diet with a chicken every other meal or every third meal. Now that I feel safer doing this. Can you post a link to where you read about this? I would like to read the entire thing before I jump in with both feet. Thanks a bunch.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>I highly recommend feeding chickens. It is a nutritious and tasty treat that helps guard against a highly restricted diet of thawed out rabbits - over and over and over- and the deficiencies that diet could create.
>>>>>>As long as you get your chickens from a good source, you aren't risking salmonella poisoning. A recently concluded study on food animal production by the University of Iowa (if I remember correctly)found that only 3% of salmonella cases originated at the farm level. Most problems with salmonella originate in the processing plants which is why it is a bad idea to feed reptiles -or any animal- raw processed chicken or pork.
>>>>>>I have a retic that feeds mainly on freshly-killed chickens and she is gorgeous. I have no doubt that a snake can be properly maintained on freshly killed chickens its entire life as well as it could on freshly killed rabbits or pigs.
>>>>>>Now before anyone starts talking about how he has fed only thawed rabbits for fifty years and his snakes are the healthiest in the world- I want to say that it is my personal understanding from my experience and conversations with serious hobbysists and professionals throughout the years that a freshly killed diet is best and that nutritional deficiencies can manifest with all sorts of symptoms that may not be directly attributed to diet. I don't want to make this reply longer than it is so I will not post the deatils. If you cannot feed freshly-killed the next best thing for the health of your Burmese is to vary the diet.
>>>>>>-----
>>>>>>Marcia Pimentel
>>>>>>Tango River Reptiles
>>>>>>GiantFeeders
>>>>-----
>>>>It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Sytstems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]
>>
>>I have fed chickens to my burms to put some weight on them. Some say it make there poop stick worse than rabbits. It did for like the first 2-3 feedings and then it was fine. I got a guy who breed chickens, i can get them cheap. I hope my new tiger loves them.
>>-----
>>Thomas Jones
>>aligatorhunter@earthlink.net
>>
>>While you are thinking about robbing the bank, the person beside you is thinking about how to collect the reward!!
-----
It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Sytstems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

thanks for the post it really helps alot and gets me out of the fear that I have been in all day. I would love to see the site you got the info from

Heres the best info I can find on the nutritional value of poultry vs. rabbits. Please update me if you find it lacking. Source: USDA rabbit & duck(mallard): adult dressed carcass, chicken: whole

Based on 1000 grams (1 kilo)

Protein:

Rabbit 170 grams
Chicken 137 grams
Duck 209 grams

Fat:

Rabbit 41.4 grams
Chicken 123 grams (WOW!)
Duck 87 grams

Calcium/Phosphorus

Rabbit 15.5 grams/8.98 grams (Ratio 1.7:1)
Chicken 7.2 grams/4.55 grams (Ratio 1.58:1)

So, based on this data, the rabbit is a superior food item, offering more protein, less fat, and more calcium and phosphorus than the chicken. The mallard duck is a good second choice, although I do not have mineral values.

Chickens can be fed, but due to their high fat and lower mineral content, I would not recommend feeding them as a sole diet.

Having said that, we feed one poultry item for every two rabbits we feed, usually in a rotation: two rabbit feedings followed by a chicken or duck feeding.

I also have to mention that most commercially raised chickens are fed a diet containing medications in the feed. I am not sure if/how this might affect my snakes, so I prefer to raise them myself, or get them from a source I know does not use them.