Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 16 month old Ball, he is my first snake. He was brought up feeding on prekilled mice. He has had live mice from time to time as well. All the things I have read seem to favor prekilled food. What do you guys think, the more experienced snake keepers? Also what age or size is a ball considered adult?

Thanks for your time
cheers

98% of the time the reason feeding live turns bad is because the owner leaves the mouse/rat in with the snake unattended for much longer than they should, typically overnight. IF the snake doesn't eat in 5-10 minutes take it out. Unless there is something special you have to do to get your snake to eat, such as leaving a pinking or fuzzy in over night, etc. Feed whichever way you want to, its probably about a 50/50 split on which way people feed if you took a large enough poll on it.

I personally feed live.

prekilled is just easier, safer, and cheaper. i just picked up 120 mice and rats, frozen, for 130 dollars. no contest on price there, the mice you get at the pet stores are teeny, barely adults, no choice on sizes, blah blah blah. then for rats.... well, i buy live rats for about 5 dollars a head, and i get frozen ones, oobles bigger, for 1.50 frozen. frozen thigns jsut need to be thawed int eh fridge overnight, then warmed either by heat mat, heat lamp, or in hot water. simple. i occasionally fed my cornsnake live, until i noticed even while he was constricting, the mosue was desperatly trying to bite him. its not just a matter of "well he eats it right away, so it cant hurt him" it tries its hardest to hurt the enemy while in immediate danger. its called "defense". if your already buying live, simply plop it in a pillowcase, and smack it really hard against a cement wall. if its a larger prey item, do it fast and furious a few times, to eliminate risk of it living and suffering. its faster than being constricted to death. (of if your snake is just one sick puppy, like my tiger rat snake, its faster than suffocating after the snake has eaten you alive)
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1.3 Dogs (max, tasha, kaya, screw)
1.1 Corn Snakes (Ghost Faced Killa - Ghost, Tigera - normal), 1.0 Yellow Rat (Tornado), 1.0 Tiger Rat, 0.1 Central American Boa Constrictor (Achilla), 1.1 Argentine Boa, 0.1 Burmese Python (Big Bertha), 1.1 Ball Pythons (Dip, Dot).
0.1 Rose Hair Tarantulla (Grumpy) 0.0.1 Usambar Starburst Baboon Tarantula 0.1 White Knee / Zebra Tarantula 0.0.1 Avicular Versicolor
2 ferrets (Otis, Milo)
1.2 Emperor Scorpion
0.0.1 Nile Moniter 0.0.1 Tegu 1.0 Horned Mountain Dragon
Jack Dempsey Tank...