Reptile & Amphibian Forums

which is better to use as feeders, small rats or couple day old chicks?

>>which is better to use as feeders, small rats or couple day old chicks?

I don't see how you are gonna get the body mass with chicks that you get with rats. That said, I know poultry makes for some kinda repulsive stools. Also, check out the nutrition......
http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/zoo/WholePreyFinal02May29.pdf

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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

Some reptiles are, by nature, bird eaters. So it would seem that feeding day old chicks would work well. The problem is that rats are just so easy. 1.3 breeding group will give you 18 to 22 pups a month, live in a plastic tub, eat chow that is near the same price as starter chicken feed, and are very resistant to temperature fluctuations. Unless you are going to feed 25 to 100 chicks a week, you are going to have to keep them alive for a while. Think brooder lamps, temp stabilization, and floor space. I mention 25 and 100 because those are common order sizes. Believe it or not, day old chicks are mailed all over the country. They are fine for two or three days, living off the internalized yolk sac. If you are still interested, read up at Murray McMurray Hatchery's web site. They will give you lots of tips. They also have specials. The males of laying breeds or the females of meat breeds, things like that.

Try Ideal Hatchery also.

WARNING: chickens are really cool and many people become ill with a disease known as the 'chicken bug'. They end up with more and more chickens and less contact with the real world. Check out this site for more info (than you want to know)
http://www.the-coop.org/cgi-bin/UBB/ultimatebb.cgi

DeMak

P.S. I researched this and ended up not doing it because I don't have the room and my wife, who is not hot on the idea of feeding rats, was against feeding chicks. They are too cute. Never mind that they are as dumb as rocks.
McMurray Hatchery special

I'd have to disagree. If you can keep a rooster, chicks are very easy to be had. a single hen can produce at least 15 chicks a month, factoring in infertle eggs and hatching duds. Incubators are cheap, a decent one with an egg turner is under $100 and will last years. Kill at hatch and no chick feed costs. The adult pair would eat under $2 a month in feed( 1 1/2-3 cups daily). I'd advise you to get a leghorn hen if possible, you want something that lays big eggs(bigger chicks), a lot of eggs(they do) and smaller in size as not to eat a lot. Any rooster will do, I'd go for a large one, Langshan or giant cochin. McMurray is a good source, but a feed store is more ecomomical for a few birds.