Feeding Chicken?

[FangsAnarchy]

I have never done this but I have been looking around on the internet and noticed some people fed their snake chicken, chicken parts, live chickens, chicken eggs ect. I was just wondering if this would be a safe alternative to rabbits for large snakes and has anyone ever tried it?
I know some people substitute chicken parts here and there and there is currently a study going on with death adders to see if a snake needs a whole body prey for nutrients that could be in organs. Just wondering, currently I don't have anything large enough to even take a large rat let alone a chicken.

[youngster]

Chicken parts are no good because they don't have bones (usually) and snakes get all their calcium from the bones of rodents.
Never tried any of them though.

[stephanbakir]

I've tried the chicken road, my snakes got hooked. That being said I've gotten nasty stool, and overall rabbits are better for your animals.
Whole prey all the way.

[infernalis]

Whole prey gets my vote also....

[Rogue628]

About 15 years ago I had a burm that was purchased when he was about a year old. The previous owner had him on chicken and turkey legs. I tried and tried to switch him to rats but nothing worked (this was before I knew about f/t feeders too). If he food wasn't alive and fighting, he didn't want to have anything to do with it unless it was legs. I hated feeding him either. I didn't think chicken and turkey legs were a good diet for him, but I hated feeding him live because the fight his food put up (he wouldn't even take them stunned). So I pretty much varied his diet between all. His feeding response was more aggressive with the legs too...weird. Maybe his was just really unusual... Looking back his growth was a little slow. Not sure if it's due to what he was fed, when he was fed, or both. Previous owner had him on a every two week feeding schedule and I stuck to it. He never missed a meal either.

[sassy_snake_lady]

My boas get day old chicks a few times a month.

[bladeblaster]

did someone mention chicken.........yummy :D



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[Aaron_S]

Chickens are cheap. I know of at least one person who fed their giants whole chickens. Got to find the right supplier who isn't pumping them full of chemicals though. Farmer's markets are a good idea to look around. He would just buy them, and feed them, maybe kill them first and then go for it. Worst poop you'll ever clean up though.

[millertime89]

Worst poop you'll ever clean up though.
I've heard that before.

[stephanbakir]

It's almost as bad as monitor poop... Way more liquidy though

[bladeblaster]

never had that problem feeding chicken to carpets TBH

[UwabamiReptiles]

I feed chicks and chicken parts to my carpets occasionally just to give them a more varied diet. Haven't had any bad poos yet. From what I gathered on another site was that the bad poo happens when you feed rats then switch to only chicken all of sudden. I mix it up so the poo situation isn't bad for me and my snakes seem to like the different prey items. Great thread.

[ZARADOZIA]

Every once in a while I feed Sasha (My ball python) baby chics. I remove the heads and feet first. I do it because she is such a picky eater I am trying to get her to try different foods. She really likes chicks! I haven't noticed any issues with doing it. But I don't do it often, usually when she is being finiky about eating.

[minibrat]

lol, thats just like getting someone to take the crust off the bread. too cute :)