Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Have any of you ever done this? I've heard that their feces can become quite smelly. I'm just looking for healthy alternatives to a rodent only diet (even though it is essentially a complete diet...I just want to change it up a little). Anyone have thoughts on this?

thanks,
Randy

the Taiwan Beauty is from when he was a hatchling...

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"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel is just a freight train coming your way"--James Hetfield

In my opinion, one concern (other than the smell factor) would be a possibility of salmonella contamination. And the other concern, is the cost factor. What if the snake decided that it REALLY liked chicks and quail and refused to eat rodents after that?
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

I have fed chicks before. I used to get a bag every time I ordered mice. But then I changed suppliers. I would nip off the tip of the beak so it wouldn't hurt the snake eating it. They didn't seem to smell any different than with just mice. All the Asian rats will take chicks.

TC

At the zoo I work at we feed domestic chicken chicks to most snakes, monitors, and crocs semi-regularly. I've feed both chicks and quail to some of my snakes at home. Some have taken them and others haven't. The one case I've had of this backfiring was with a juvenile Jungle Carpet Python. The JCP was a fuzzy-eater before I acquired it. It did eat fuzzies for me on at least 2 to 3 times and then I fed it a single 1 day old quail [about fuzzy-size], at which point it began to refuse anything but 1 day quail. I tried numerous tricks to switch it back and have had limited success. I've managed to get the snake to take a F/T fuzzy, a live fuzzy, and most recently a F/T small mouse that had to sit for more than 10 hrs. before it was eaten. So, I would say go for it in regards to variety, but be prepared for the occasional snake that might develop champagne tastes. I think this might be more likely to happen with species that tend to stick with one food item, like JCPs that imprint on only eating mice and won't switch to rats, or Ball Pythons that only will eat mice vs. rats. Snakes like Taiwan Beauties though you should be able to feed fowl with impunity - they're garbage disposals and will eat just about anything that resembles food.
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Matt Campbell
25 years herp keeping experience
Full-time zookeeper
Personal collection - 21 snakes (9 genera), 20 lizards (4 genera), 6 chelonians (2 genera)