Hand fed reptiles... - Page 2

marvelfreak · 03-21-10, 02:16 PM

I don't hand feed, but i have reach in many of time while there was food in their cages. I actually pull a rat off of a Burm one time. I put the rat in a it jump right on the burm and bit it. He started moving all over trying to get it off. I grab the rat and it bit me, so i threw it on the floor and stomp on it. My freind told me" i was crazy for reaching in and lucky the burm didn't bite me". I didn't care as long as my snake was safe. My big jungle as a scar on her nose from wrapping (a FT rat) and the mouth pop open. As she squeeze the teeth dug into her nose. I reach in and pulled the rats head back as she finshed squeezing it. I will assaist if needed. I have reach in and move hides and water bowls out of the way to make it easier for my snake to get to a meal that keeps running away.

Lankyrob · 03-21-10, 05:33 PM

You can feed live rats in the states?? We would be arrested for cruelty to the rats if we did that here!!

Feebo · 03-21-10, 06:48 PM

There are a few species you can live feed Rob, I know the Dummerills Boa is one, they`re very picky eaters and they`re fairly rare in the wild I think, so you`re allowed to live feed them. Zoos are allowed too. I`m betting there are plenty of people that do it though, so many people have only got a snake because they want to see it kill something, I had to stop looking for snake stuff on Youtube in the end....
I have hand fed babies but I`m buggered if I`d want anything large associating my hand with food lol

Freebody · 03-21-10, 11:44 PM

today i fed my retic in her cage. she didnt know what to do at first when i dropped the mouse in she came up and normally eats like a freak this time she came up fast then stopped dead in her tracks, stared right at the rat for a second gave it a few licks then paused kinda looked at me then bit it, lol the second rat i gave her she didnt hesitate for a second ,she didnt even coil it or stike just a bit it and then started swallowing it imediatly. hope she dont strike at me the next time i go in their thinking food come in the front of this cage now lol

marvelfreak · 03-22-10, 06:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

You can feed live rats in the states?? We would be arrested for cruelty to the rats if we did that here!!

Yes! Out of my 5 snakes i only got two that i haven't got to eat prekill or FT.(frozen thawed) I made the mistake of saying something about live feeding on Aussie pythons and snakes .com and i got chewed up oneside an down the other. It doesn't matter who you are if you have snakes at one time or another there's a good chance you'll have a snake that will only eat live.

Will0W783 · 03-22-10, 08:58 AM

Yeah, it's tough and annoying to switch them over. I have a male FWC that will not eat f/t. I have tried him multiple times, and he just doesn't want anything to do with it. He flips out. I hate feeding him live though, because he is so violent about it. I am continuing to work with him, but because he's still juvenile I can't let him go too long without eating, and so far he's won every holdout.

cat001 · 03-25-10, 01:01 PM

I hold my little ones while they eat, when they see my hand they climb straight aboard as they know it's dinner time lol

emseeKAY · 03-25-10, 07:16 PM

i hand feed my king but my BRB usually soft feeds and is somewhat of a shy eater, he seems to prefer me to place the rat in his enclosure and waits till im gone to get dinner. i dont have a problem with it as i check within an hour or two and dinner is gone, i guess he's just shy lol :P

**Aaron_S** · 04-01-10, 09:36 PM

Whoa I didn't know you'd be charged for feeding a live rat to a snake! That's kind of nuts. I understand though, it's a cornered animal with no real means of escape.

infernalis · 04-02-10, 12:09 AM

Personally after seeing what live prey does to snakes, I would prefer never to give a live rat unless absolutely necessary.

Rats and mice fight back, and those teeth can do some damage.

Lankyrob · 04-02-10, 04:36 AM

Yeah live feeding would be classed as cruelty to the rat/mouse - you could be arrested and your animals removed!!

**Aaron_S** · 04-02-10, 06:49 AM

I currently have 2 snakes that eat live. One was sold to me eating F/T but she decided to be a jerk. She's taking pre-killed rat pups now so I'm hoping she switches soon.

infernalis · 04-02-10, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

Yeah live feeding would be classed as cruelty to the rat/mouse - you could be arrested and your animals removed!!

The part that confuses me is "pre-killed" is that allowed in the UK??

If so, then please tell me how smashing the poor rodent in the head is supposed to be more humane to the rodent??

I hate pre-killing, it seems very cruel, I buy frozen feeders or feed live, I used to pre-kill, but it got to me quickly. Sometimes it would take more than one swift blow to kill the prey item.

I know I am contradicting myself, so I will clarify, Our royal python is a very effective killer, and it's only small mice that I give him, I have never seen a small mouse penetrate his skin, mostly because he grabs them by the head then wraps around them.

When I need to "cull off" excess mice from my colonies, I give a bunch of little hoppers to our corn snake, they are too small to hurt him.

When I need to eliminate adult mice, I give them to chomper, he takes the down so fast they never see it coming.

Lankyrob · 04-02-10, 12:35 PM

I believe (tho i am no lawyer!!) that the RSPCA would look at a human humanely killing a mouse/rat to feed to a snake favourably - whereas leaving a mouse/rat in a situation where it will inevitably be killed by another animal would be seen as cruel.

Dont blame me - the laws an ***!!!

shaunyboy · 04-02-10, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lankyrob

You can feed live rats in the states?? We would be arrested for cruelty to the rats if we did that here!!

if you want to cover yourself legal wise rob.you get your vet to ok it first.if you have tried and exhausted all available methods and a snake still wont eat,then you are LEGALLY ALLOWED to live feed.it would be cruel on the snake not to try live feeding to get it back eating again.
cheers shaun

p.s.i only live feed as a very last resort as like marvelfreak said the food item can end up biting lumps out your snake.

marvelfreak,i had a little chuckle to myself wondering what was going through the rats mind when it saw the big burm. " right its me or him,so come on then you big b***ard lets have you " ...!!

cheers shaun