Why do people feed their balls...

BoidKeeper · 02-08-05, 08:44 PM

...mice? My take on feeding snakes is any snake that when it's full grown can eat a rat is born large enough to eat a pinky rat. So why then do people feed their balls mice after they've been established?
Does anyone know of one "big" successful ball breeder that feeds there balls mice because they chose to? If not then why do people do it?
Cheers,
Trevor

CamHanna · 02-08-05, 08:50 PM

I started feeding mice because I had lots of mice and not enough rats. In hindsight I should have just gone to the petstore and bought rats. It's a real kick in the knickers when your snakes stop growing at 400 grams.

brutus · 02-08-05, 08:53 PM

2 reasons I can think of.

Lack of knowledge.

lack reliable rat resources, and price of rats

BoidKeeper · 02-08-05, 08:53 PM

That or take twice as long to reach full size.
Cheers,
Trevor

mykee · 02-08-05, 09:08 PM

I was in talks a while ago with a mid-large size breeder in the States regarding a trade, and he continues to ellude the question, "Do your snakes eat mice or rats". In my mind, that'll make or break the deal.

BoidKeeper · 02-08-05, 09:20 PM

Just the fact that he's not coming straight out with it would be enough to make me back away. It's one thing to start them on mice but another to keep them on mice.
Cheers,
Trevor

Bartman · 02-08-05, 09:23 PM

I asked the same thing Trevor, or similar. I was asking why people didnt just start bp's on rats since everyone always says they can eat rat pinks out of the egg.

Just gives a hassle for the owner to switch! Like MEEE

mykee · 02-08-05, 09:26 PM

Trevor, thing is I could understand one snake not eating rats, but 6-8 mo. old balls that are all mouse eaters? Feeeshy! Reputable guy with the best of recommendations too.

Scales Zoo · 02-08-05, 09:31 PM

Live mouse eaters are preferred in Alberta over live rat eaters.

Ryan

morph · 02-08-05, 09:38 PM

Mouse eaters aren't a problem I got more eggs out of mouse eaters than rat eaters last season. Don't get me wrong I prefer rat eaters but mice eaters aren't bad, Hell a ball that eats consistently is great in my mind

Not a stab Trevor but how many balls have you started and they all take rats right away? Or did you establish on mice and switch cause I'll tell you right now I had quite a few picky one's this season just would not switch for me.

Scott

BoidKeeper · 02-08-05, 10:02 PM

Didn't take it that way at all Scott. Last year I got 3 out of 4 off mice and on to rats in the first 10 meals or so. Not one would take a rat in any form. The mouse eater would only take F/T too that was the weird thing.
Cheers,
Trevor

mykee · 02-08-05, 10:14 PM

In my experiences, it takes a mouse-eating ball at least twice as long to get to breeding size than a rat-eating ball. I recently purged my entire collection of mouse eaters and am that much happier because of it.

Spirit · 02-08-05, 11:09 PM

I chose to feed rats because my understanding is that rats are just plain healthier for balls, AND in the long run, cheaper to feed.

But out of curiosity, if it HAS to be done, how hard is it going from rats to (or back to) mice?

Stockwell · 02-08-05, 11:17 PM

When I was breeding Regius I used lots of mice, because I was both buying live mice and breeding my own. I also always fed live. I think feed used is mostly the result of availability, plus neonates will take a medium mouse running, quicker than a fuzzy rat just laying there.

Ron · 02-08-05, 11:19 PM

Trev,

Sometimes they just don't want to eat rats. I have a female which I tried to switch but she just wouldn't eat consistently, maybe a rat every 5 - 6 weeks. So I gave up and feed her mice, 3 jumbos (40 gram) mice every 5 - 7 days. She is one of most consistent feeders and if it takes mice to keep her eating, I am happy to oblige. Last year she produced 6 fertile eggs which yeilded 1.1 Pastels and 1.3 normals so she more than paid for all the mice she has eaten.

I thought you were trying to switch your BP's to bunnies? I think bunnies would be great but I am a little worried after hearing a story from a fellow herper. He tried to feed a bunny to a BP who would eat both mice and rats and was always hungry; she took the rabbit immediately but spit the bunny right out of the cage as soon as she realized it was not a rat or a mouse. She then went into a huger strike. Any experiences like that when you tried a bunny?

I think people should feed their BP's which ever (rats or mice) they will eat more consistently.

BTW my female "mouse eater" was ~1850 grams before she laid here clutch in May of '04 which dropped her to ~1200 grams. She is now just over 2600 grams, so she had no problem regaining her weight and putting on some extra pounds.