Feeding Balls Gerbils

Dirty · 02-15-05, 01:23 AM

I've heard that gerbils are closer to what ball pythons eat in the wild than rats or mice. Does anyone know of any benefits from feeding balls gerbils instead of rats or mice?

BornboreD · 02-15-05, 01:32 AM

Not that I know of. I don't see the benefit, other than it's sometimes what you have to do to get a WC to start eating for you. In my eyes, Gerbils would be to expensive to buy frozen. They are too nasty (nastier than Rats, I've kept both) to feed live. As well as probable availability issues. I would also think that Rats, would still give the best growth rates as well. They have way more meat to em and get much larger, thus reducing amount of feeders needed. Your Ball could also get fussy and be stuck on em forever.

Plus..........I like Gerbils kinda...........

Colin

sapphire_moon · 02-15-05, 01:37 AM

hey, rats aren't nasty(mine are even litter trained!)! Gerbils are bitey little devils on the other hand.

I don't think there is much of a benifit, you can't really go on "this is what they do in the wild" idea, because you would have to put them on soil, and throw in some nice ticks to

but if all you have access to is gerbils (and alot) then go ahead. But I have heard that bp's tend to get "addicted" to them. But I've never fed gerbils (well, not intentionaly

lol) so I really can't say that with expierence!

justinO · 02-15-05, 08:31 AM

I have a male that goes off feed for the winter, to pull him out of it he gets a gerbil..... then eats rats normal for the rest of the year.

I have a female that wouldn't eat ANYTHING, then she would only eat live gerbils, so she got gerbils. Now she eats FT rats, go figure!

I breed gerbils (they are WAY easier to breed than stupid smelly mice) so they are always around for those that are picky. For me, let them be addicted, I have lots. For others, gerbils are pretty impossible to get.

Other than a ball that is super picky and just won't eat anything else, there's no real good reason to feed gerbils.

Jessy

pablo111 · 02-15-05, 02:18 PM

Rats are actually as intelligent as some dogs. I've kept them as pets and anyone who has raised one from a baby can tell you, they're freaking intelligent. I had a blue dumbo rat ($40) that I used to walk in the park. It would follow me, come when I called its name, and run up my leg and rest on my shoulder when it got sick of walking.

Having fed BP's everything I could think of (Hamster, Gerbil, Rat, Mouse) all prekilled, and having had the snake eat them all, I have to say the BEST growth comes from Hamsters. I don't know if its all the fat or the heavy bones... You'd think rats were bonier, but I tell ya, those hamsters make a snake grow like an inch for each one it eats...

If I could afford it, I'd raise my next ball purely on Hamster meat :P hehehe.

mykee · 02-15-05, 02:18 PM

There are ZERO benefits to feeding gerbils over rats.