switching up diets

[remsin76]

are rats the best things for balls?
or shoulfd i feed them a chick or a lizard or a small rabbit once in a while? does any other food ahve more nutritional value?

[sapphire_moon]

Rats are the best thing for them. I wouldn't feed them a chick (birds are mostly feathers and bones).....I personally wouldn't feed rabbits...but since bigger snakes get fed rabbits I don't see why not. But your BP might get stuck on them and want ONLY rabbits...(rare, but possible) and that would be extremly expensive to be buying an appropriate sized rabbit every week/2weeks....I don't see why it can't be fed rats all it's life, I'm sure lots of people do...

[Andy_G]

Rats are the best, but you could offer a chick once in a while, not a whole lot of protein, but lots of calcium with all those bones. Rabbits are ok as well but you would need to find somewhere where you can buy them at a decent price. IMO you should stick to rats and only rats.

[Linds]

Rats are 100% nutritionally complete so there is no need for variety. Snakes are also not like dogs and won't be appreciative of you giving them a variety. One thing that is a major concern with changin up prey items is the snake can become hooked on that and only that. Chicks don't have anything to offer that rats don't. If you can find a steady supply of small bunnies they would be fine as well. Rats or rabbits. Mice are not the best for adult balls since you end up with a higher waste:food value.

[killaclown]

what about lizards???

[Linds]

Lizards are not a natural prey item for ball pythons.

[mykee]

I feed all my balls rats, and only rats. They are the perfect food item, (just like PB+J for humans). I would not add a 'treat' of a chick, or a rabbit, or a gerbil. Stick with rats, forever, and you'll both be better off.