switching BRB from mice to rats , advice?

[Tekpc007]

So little Spock is doing well , he can take a mouse hopper no problem and last feeding i offered him 2 which he ate but was a bit much so i waited about 11 days for next feeding. Now the last 2 times I have offered him a live rat pinkie before the hopper , he checks it out but then ignores it so i remove it and put in a hopper , he eats it right away. do I even need to get him on rats yet?

He is very healthy , maybe 25 inches now . He will not often eat a F/T hopper , only sometimes will he eat F/T so I end up giving him a fresh killed one which is no big deal and i prefer it actually as you never know how good the FT is unless you make them youself. I just use co2 , and it works fine. i was going to put some FT rat pinks in the same bag as some Ft hoppers hoping the scent will fool him. In the long run is it really important that he be on rats? why is it bad to give the equivilent weight of mice? also will a BRB eat chicks? I have a excellent supply of them also. i have read that rats are not always the most healthy food being linked to fatty liver problems , is this true?

[millertime89]

what's his weight? Try scenting the rat with a mouse, then braining the rat, the braining and scenting, and just hold out until he takes one, he'll come around eventually. I got lucky and all of mine took rats on the first try.

[Snakesitter]

Wow, lots of questions! Let me see if I can help.

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

do I even need to get him on rats yet?...In the long run is it really important that he be on rats?

Rats are just plain easier. Given the size an adult Brazilian reaches, it would take four to five adult mice to give the same food weight that one medium rat provides. That will takes extra time and effort on your part, because you'll have to offer them sequentially. Plus, it will cost more -- at my local sources, a medium rat costs half as much as the equivalent in mice.

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

i have read that rats are not always the most healthy food being linked to fatty liver problems , is this true?

I'd not heard that. I do know one particular vendor had an issue using jumbo rats with huge rat reserves that killed a few boas, but I'm not aware that medium or smaller rats have ever caused an issue. Most breeders use rats as their preferred food.

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

Now the last 2 times I have offered him a live rat pinkie before the hopper , he checks it out but then ignores it so i remove it and put in a hopper

So long as he knows a mouse is coming -- keep in mind, he can smell it -- he has no incentive to try this strange new food item. Would you eat liver and brussel sprouts if you knew Dad would buy pizza? ;-)

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

only sometimes will he eat F/T so I end up giving him a fresh killed one

Those two are more or less equivalent, so feel free! Good point on knowing your feeders' history, which is why you should always get to know your supplier.

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

i was going to put some FT rat pinks in the same bag as some Ft hoppers hoping the scent will fool him.

That is an excellent approach. You might even try leaving them together in the freezer for a few nights...though warming together seems to work best.

Originally Posted by Tekpc007

why is it bad to give the equivilent weight of mice? also will a BRB eat chicks?

As noted above, time and money. Yes, Brazilians will eat chicks (from what I've heard -- I was soon to try it, then building maintence left my fridge unplugged and I had to toss over $100 in frozen feeders).

Good luck!

[millertime89]

I would avoid feeding chicks, stinky runny poop from the accounts I've heard/read.

[Snakesitter]

Good point, Kyle -- I've heard the messy poop rumor too. Even if it is accurate (test pending), however, I still might do it occasionally. I'm sure these snakes do not dine solely on rodents in the wild, and as breeder I want them to have the best diet possible. That choice is clearly not for everyone though.