Feeding

[nazanova]

Hey everybody just thought I'd ask a quick question. My mum isn't too keen on me feeding the corn snake I'm getting mice (she works in a kitchen so she's always talking about cross contamination even though I've said they'll be kept away from food and that they won't carry anything) so I was just wondering is there anything else I can feed a snake? It's ok if there isn't my mum will just have to stop being such a drama queen haha just thought I'd ask.

[Brylee1233]

I don't know much about corn snakes, but I know with some smaller snakes you can feed them crickets but I don't think you can for corn snakes... You can also feed snakes rats, but I think they may be to big for a corn... Just keep the mice in a zip locked bag in a freezer (or even double bag it if your mom is really worried lol) and wash your hands (obviously) good luck!

[EL Ziggy]

I believe they eat mostly rodents but you can also feed them chicks, quail, or lizards. Mice and rats are the staples of their diet though. You may have to invest in a small portable freezer :)

[hollycadle]

Use a plastic Chinese carton(the ones you get from them that noodles or whatever come in) or small plastic lunch box tub like thing, I do that with my mice and don't open the lid unless I'm not next to the freezer or handle anything in the freezer until I've washed my hands. I think you can feed them stuff other than mice as they wouldn't eat just mice out in the wild, but mice is the main thing people feed their corns and it's advised. My guess is chicks will be too big for them, maybe rat pups will be small enough, but it really depends on how big your snake it to decide what you feed it.

[triplehp4]

I'm not much of a corn snake person, but I'm pretty sure they feed them fish at pet stores.

[franks]

What I did was went out and bought a box of food my wife would never eat (frozen hamburgers) and stuffed the box full of mice. It worked for about 3 months before she decided to be nice and surprise me with dinner when I got home from work. She was not thrilled. Corn snakes can eat other prey but mice is the best available mainstay for them. Most of their diet in the wild is composed of small rodents.

[Mikoh4792]

You can either have a rational, and logical conversation with her discussing the risks/non-risks of keeping feeder mice in the freezer, or you can go buy a mini freezer and keep it in the garage or something...keeping the mice and family food separate.

[nazanova]

Thanks everybody for the replies. It's not a big issue, just wanted to see if there was another option. She doesn't really mind it as long I keep them in a tight container that's not next to any food so all is good.

[None505]

My mom is also worried about our food getting contaminated by my feeder animals but I tell her that it is the same as keeping meat for human consumption in the freezer. We also have two freezer/refrigerators and the one my snake food is in is mostly filled with my other pet foods since I try to buy everything in bulk. I keep them in ziplock bags and put them all in plastic store bags so you can't see them unless you open the bag.

[bigsnakegirl785]

Crickets are not very nutritious at all, and I believe they are even being removed from lizard diets because of that. No snake that I know eats any sort of insect, although some will eat mollusks such as slugs, and/or some worms.

As far as I know, corns are strict rodent-eaters, so fish would not be an option either.

I'm glad you guys came to a compromise, OP. :)

[millertime89]

Corn snakes won't eat fish or insects. They might go for a lizard although I have my doubts. Mice, rats, or chicken or quail chicks would be the best way to go. If you keep the feeders in sealed containers in the freezer the risk of disease is no worse than keeping raw chicken in the fridge.

[nazanova]

Yeah I went out and bought my first batch of pinkies ready for my snakes arrival hopefully this weekend and I just put them in a sealed container and she didn't complain so seems like she's kind of accepted the inevitability haha. Thanks again guys

[Concept9]

Mices are the bestest.

Let your mom know, just like cooling a piece meat that after a mouse has been frozen for 72 hours or more it will kill all bacteria.

[nazanova]

I know this is an old thread but seen as the title is "Feeding" and my query is about just that, I thought I'd ask it here. So today was feeding time for my Corn Snake Pluto and by the Munson Feeding Plan a Corn his size (9g) should be eating a 3g pinky every 5-6 days. But when I weighed his pinky it was 1.5g, so after he ate that one I gave him another 1.7g due to the weight inbalance. So my question is is it ok to feed him 2 pinkys every 5 days if the first is just too small? Is it healthy?

[millertime89]

Yup, perfectly fine. I do it when I don't have a single larger meal quite frequently.

[nazanova]

Yup, perfectly fine. I do it when I don't have a single larger meal quite frequently.

Oh cool thank you!

[franks]

I know this is an old thread but seen as the title is "Feeding" and my query is about just that, I thought I'd ask it here. So today was feeding time for my Corn Snake Pluto and by the Munson Feeding Plan a Corn his size (9g) should be eating a 3g pinky every 5-6 days. But when I weighed his pinky it was 1.5g, so after he ate that one I gave him another 1.7g due to the weight inbalance. So my question is is it ok to feed him 2 pinkys every 5 days if the first is just too small? Is it healthy?

It's fine to offer 2 smaller meals instead of one. Pinkies however are pretty much milk bags and I would move to start feeding your snake something that has more bones in it as quickly as your snake can handle it. My 2 cents.

[nazanova]

It's fine to offer 2 smaller meals instead of one. Pinkies however are pretty much milk bags and I would move to start feeding your snake something that has more bones in it as quickly as your snake can handle it. My 2 cents.

Yeah I read about that aswell. I'm just sticking with the Munson Feeding Plan but I do want to get him off Pinkies as quick as possible and get him up to the fuzzies. I keep weekly diaries that are just for his feeding records (weight of pinky, successful grab etc.) but the monthly one is all about him (his weight, length etc.) he's got about 3-4 feeds left until his monthly record so hopefully by then he'll be ready to take on fuzzies. What do you think?

[franks]

Yeah I read about that aswell. I'm just sticking with the Munson Feeding Plan but I do want to get him off Pinkies as quick as possible and get him up to the fuzzies. I keep weekly diaries that are just for his feeding records (weight of pinky, successful grab etc.) but the monthly one is all about him (his weight, length etc.) he's got about 3-4 feeds left until his monthly record so hopefully by then he'll be ready to take on fuzzies. What do you think?

He will be fine. You are jot hurting your snake by feeding him pinkies, it is just not as nutritious as fuller developed prey. I do not weigh my snake's food, I just eye it up. In their natural habitat they eat whatever they can overpower, so I feed according to that. Sometimes smaller meals sometimes larger. It is my opinion that it is not best to always be offering your snake a "maxed out full" meal. That's just my decision- it sounds like you have a very detailed plan and great record keeping. It's fun to go back over and take a glimpse of your snakes growth. Good for you.

[nazanova]

He will be fine. You are jot hurting your snake by feeding him pinkies, it is just not as nutritious as fuller developed prey. I do not weigh my snake's food, I just eye it up. In their natural habitat they eat whatever they can overpower, so I feed according to that. Sometimes smaller meals sometimes larger. It is my opinion that it is not best to always be offering your snake a "maxed out full" meal. That's just my decision- it sounds like you have a very detailed plan and great record keeping. It's fun to go back over and take a glimpse of your snakes growth. Good for you.

Thank you for your advice.