Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi. Sence I got my Corns I have fed them each 2 correct size mice every 2 weeks "On pay day" Now my breeder mice have realy taken off but I kept them on that schedule. Well Now my breeder mice are out of control so I uped the amount to 3 mice every 2 weeks. How much do you recomend they eat and how often to make a healthy diet?
My Research and Collection

I generally feed 1-2 mice every 10 days or so. You're probably overdoing it a bit. If your mice are going crazy, freeze the spares... Freeze a couple of the breeders till it's down to a managable level again.

-Kat
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This Space For Rent

3 every 2 weeks? I'd say it's ok if the mice were small mice. Maybe you can take the 3 smallest out of the mouse litter and feed them off. If you've still got a surplus of mice after that then it's time to start freezing them. Just make sure you have your good breeders alive. I have a plan to just keep breeding mice (I'm running 4 tubs now of 1:3) and just keep taking and freezing all the sizes that I need and stop breeding all together and start up again when I run low. I plan to have a good 200-300 pinks,200-300 fuzzies,100-200 hoppers,100-200 weanlings,150-250 adult mice all frozen and I only payed 8 bucks and 14 cents to get them ( I know takes a long time AND space).

Ok thanks for the help. I think I will in fact start freezing then at diferent sizes. The only snake I have a problem feeding is my Redtail Boa as it eats adult mice. However since I just moved I plan to rebuild my Pigeon loft and start using them agan as I did for my old Gophers and Kings. That should take care of the Boa and for now the hoppers and pinks will take care of the other snakes. Thanks for the help.
My Research and Collection

Do you freeze them alive? Or do they suffocate from C02? What's the most humane method? I once bought a live pinkie but my snake refused it, so I froze it alive and felt sick about it, but didn't know what else to do. That's the last live mouse I buy! Still feel "ick" when I think about it, but it wouldn't have survived anyway, so I thought this was most humane. Was I right?

Walt

Actually, I did the same thing and... for a short while I felt a little sick about it. But I went to the store I bought the live pinky from and they told me that when they are pinkies, freezing isn't such a bad thing. They feel no pain and they simply go to sleep. He also said that because they sell live and frozen, this is how they get their "frozen" pinkies - they simply freeze them. Soooo, while I may hesitate to do it (freeze a pinky) again, I rest in the knowledge that someone else passed on to me.

What was more disturbing to me than this was actually feeding a live pinky to my first corn snake. The corn took the pinky "rear-end" first - but didn't constrict. Sooo, the pinky "squeeked" the whole time and just before the snake closed its mouth, you could still hear it squeek. THAT was more disturbing. Now, I only feed frozen.

Every 2 weeks? How old are your Corns? My 15 month old Corn is fed every 10 days.

Well Its all a part of our love for snake that we must see mammals die. Unfortunate but true. I freeze my pinkies alive. I suppose I have been watching them die for so many years it just doesn’t bug me. I use to love feeding my old Python live chickens and watching the whole thing. I still love watching them eat. And to the other question. To be honest I have no idea how old they are but they are very young. They are currently around 24-36”
My Research and Collection

i forced myself watch the first mouse i gave my snake
it was sad. i wanted to cry seeing the mouse struggling
but i forced myself knowing that after i get over the shock ill see through it and watch mother nature at work... well not really nature but u know what i mean ;p