Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just curious about the feeding of mice vs rats?I've noticed a huge decline in growth,shedding and bowel movements with rats.I realize that they are more dense skin and take longer to digest."Sweetpea"is also 3 years old and growth is pretty much done.I just feel like I'm torturing my Blackthroat with them.She used to eat 3-5 large mice and now 1 medium rat.Like FR stated I cut her WAY back on food.At 3 years old and 5' she only eats about 1 medium rat every week and she's happy with it.(I feed her when she tell's me too(like I used to do with my wife).I used to let her hunger aggression to let me know how much and when to feed her.(FR's listen to the reptile).Not really but my interpretation of it.Any feedback is appreciated.I think I'm going back to mice.

Personally, I have found the idea of many, smaller meals to be more appealing then a few large ones.
BUT, it does start to dig into the pockets, when your animals start eating 30 mice in one sitting, crap em all out the next day, and are looking at you like youre gonna be their next meal. haha

Guess it depends on the animal, and how youre keeping it really. Generally a higher metabolism will require more atp. A higher metabolism can also create more atp with the food provided.

>>Just curious about the feeding of mice vs rats?I've noticed a huge decline in growth,shedding and bowel movements with rats.I realize that they are more dense skin and take longer to digest."Sweetpea"is also 3 years old and growth is pretty much done.I just feel like I'm torturing my Blackthroat with them.She used to eat 3-5 large mice and now 1 medium rat.Like FR stated I cut her WAY back on food.At 3 years old and 5' she only eats about 1 medium rat every week and she's happy with it.(I feed her when she tell's me too(like I used to do with my wife).I used to let her hunger aggression to let me know how much and when to feed her.(FR's listen to the reptile).Not really but my interpretation of it.Any feedback is appreciated.I think I'm going back to mice.

I prefer rats just because I raise my own and rats are much prefered over mice to raise. Rats also only take a week or two to get to mouse size and then some. And mice stink to raise. But if you are buying all your rodents you may prefer mice. Here mice are $1.19-1.50ea and small rats $2.99, medium $3.99
I do try smaller more frequent meals too. Actually I feed hissing cockroaches more than half of the time. They are simple to raise and cost less and I have to beat the population back.
But now and then top them up with a messy, huge meal.
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Sonya

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

I use large rats with Sobek, she prefers them to multiple small meals now, also large rats arent that big of a meal for her as she is huge!!
At different stages she preferred more small meals, and as she grew I preffered feding many small meals.
My other monitors have individual preferences as to amounts, and sizes of prey items, I just adapt to them I guess.