Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, my local pet store doesn't sell pre- killed rats and I hate dealing with live rats. Does anyone think that if I feed my bp a buntch of large mice (not too much) would it have the same effect as if I fed my bp a large rat?. By effect I mean will he/she get as big as one that ate large rats. any help would be appreaciated.

Cody.

Mice are as good as rats in the nutritional table (actually better). Mice are an excellent food source, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

Acctually the other guy was wrong! Rats are more nutritious for Ball Pythons. They have more calcium and more of the protein can be used because obviously they have more muscle mass. Also, if you feed rats because of the calcium and protein you will notice that your ball will become more sheen unlike mouse fed ones, they tend do be more drab looking. Thought I would share that. If you hate dealing with live rats keep them in a paper bag and kill them yourself, just whack it with something. Easiest way to solve your problems.
Robert
Ball Breeders Inc.

Mice are more nutritious than rats!! Show me some proof of your claim!!!!!!! Mice are better nutritionally, there is no doubt about it.
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

All my BP's that eat mice have better muscle tone than the rat feeders (much less mushy feeling), and they grow just as well & look better also.

JMO,
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

If your going to ask for proof that rats are better to feed than mice, i would expect you could produce the same to support your side.

Greg
B.O.A. Inc

ctually he did have all the info...not sure if it online .....they compared rats mice and all..

rat eaters may grow faster...and thus be " mushy" lke he says.....and mice eaters grow with better tone and maybe have better health to them?......

anyways.......

mice and rats both work...this argument has been going on like forever.......I think UGG and Mugg fought over it 20,000,000 years ago and thus ...while they were argueing they left the fire go out and thus dinosaurs went extinct due to being too cold......

they were the first reptile keepers.......

........they also argued over which substrate and which cage......

........they all work.......
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I have posted it before, but nothing seems to get through to anyone here. They will only believe what the big breeders tell them.
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Chad Bachman

Nice people suck!!!!!!!

Thanks for your help guys, i just want my ball pythons to be happy and healthy.

Cody.

I would have to agree with Robert on this one. I have a few balls that only take mice and i dont think they look as nice as the rat eaters do. Another thing if you dont like live rats try thawed frozen ones!

Greg

paper bag.....rat inside...swing....smack a rack (etc) and the bag rips and the rat flies out and runs under the racks and ......gone.........

........

better..open cage..throw in rat........

balls don't need large rats....small and maybe mediums are fine..

mice are fine too......

yes I have bred females at 18 months and yes they have laid 8 or even 9 eggs at 22 months of age.......mice did it...

.........rats ,mice,gerbils,hamsters.all can work.....even quail.......even Baikal teal......

meat's meat and stuff gotta eat.....
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Actually rat bones are solid whereas mice bones are hollow providing the snake with far less calcium. And mice are higher in fat content versus rats with a higher protein content.

I have three mouse eaters - one sub adult one juvie and one hatchling - they won't even look at a rat let alone kill and eat one. All three of them are as healthy as can be - however - they are all smaller than their siblings and other rat eaters thier age. Am I worried - no I think in the long run they will all catch up - these three are all lean muscular healthy animals and thats what counts.

As far as nutritional value goes the following link will give you all the information you need - but remember one thing - if your feeders are getting fed junk food - then they aren't going to be as healthy as the could be - make sure you buy your feeders from a good source!

Anyway - hope this helps!
Nutritional Values
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Tosha

"One of these days i am going to wake up..look around...and realize my place looks more like "Ace Venturas"s than my own." Coldthumb

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope John Paul "JP"
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.1 lizard rescued from vicious feline