he wont eat... - Page 2

kayleegrace · 09-19-10, 08:32 AM

Well today we are going to pick up some food! So hope and pray for the best. I don't know if they have chicks still. But I will look. If they don't should I try to feed him a mouse?

Freebody · 09-19-10, 11:29 AM

i would say yes, wish you the best of luck, i got my fingers crossed

Sigge · 09-19-10, 11:56 AM

this is common to ballpythons, they will not accept food for several months (up to 9), it's a part of their natural lifestyle and I would not worry too much.

gonesnakee · 09-19-10, 12:31 PM

I would stick to common readily available prey items, mainly the type you want it on.
Not a lot of folks feeding chicks to BPs, I can't think of a single example offhand.
Have known folks to feed poultry to Boas & other large Boids, but it tends to make for loose stinky stools & their key reason for doing it was the cheap cost.
I think you get what you pay for myself & find that Chickens etc. are extremely dirty compared to rodents IMHO as well. Mark

percey39 · 09-19-10, 06:00 PM

Mark I would have to disagree with you on the chicks. As i myself have found my snakes are a lot healthier on them, than if they were on rodents. There is more protein and the meat is a hell of a lot leaner than the fat you will get off rodents. As most rodents you buy from stores are bred in tiny boxes and cannot exercise at all so their fat cell are massive.
All of my older snakes love their birds and i feed them quail and chicks more than i feed them rodents, as their have been studies that have shown constant feeding of rodents in frequent amounts ( mainly over feeding in adult snakes ) causes a build of fat around the heart and liver. As we know most snakes in captivity are well and truely over fed compared to their wild counterparts!!

gonesnakee · 09-19-10, 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by percey39

Mark I would have to disagree with you on the chicks. As i myself have found my snakes are a lot healthier on them, than if they were on rodents. There is more protein and the meat is a hell of a lot leaner than the fat you will get off rodents. As most rodents you buy from stores are bred in tiny boxes and cannot exercise at all so their fat cell are massive.
All of my older snakes love their birds and i feed them quail and chicks more than i feed them rodents, as their have been studies that have shown constant feeding of rodents in frequent amounts ( mainly over feeding in adult snakes ) causes a build of fat around the heart and liver. As we know most snakes in captivity are well and truely over fed compared to their wild counterparts!!

Agree with these points yep, but in my neck of the woods they are not available at retail outlets & no one farms them for prey purposes.
Big commercial chicken farms are pretty disgusting at the best of times as well VS a well kept rodent colony.
They are not readily available anyways in my neck of the woods & in my experiences with them as stated stinky, loose stools.
If I wanted to feed birds I would have to search around to even find a source if I could that is & then it would be likely live ones & a guy would be doing a lot of screwing around & extra work to fill a freezer full of them Vs a simple phone call to place an order.
Thus why its not very common for folks to use them here.
Only place that really sold them at all readily was a hatchery & they were all chicks & would require raising which in the city is neither practical or legal.
If one has a farm in the country the possibilities for prey could be greatly increased depending on what species of animals one wanted or was willing to "work" with. Cheers Mark

percey39 · 09-19-10, 06:34 PM

Sorry I didnt know it was illegal to raise chicks in suburban areas over there. We must be lucky here as their are breeders breeding quail, chicks and rabbits among other things. I have just organised to get lambs for free off a friends parents when my scrubs are able to take them, as i would imagine their would be a load of protein and very lean meat on week old lambs.
I could not agree more if you dont have a constant supply of certain foods than it is not wise to buy 30 of them on an odd occasion. The risk of not being able to get them to feed on rodents again is fairly high. In saying that though there is no harm in scenting a few mice or rats with birds to get them going. I have had to do this with plenty of young snakes.

gonesnakee · 09-19-10, 06:44 PM

I'm actually "urban" but reguardless most cities & towns have no chickens or other farm animals in their bylaws so unless rural its a no go.
I'd think it would be the same in most towns & cities in the USA as well, but with a much larger population etc. they may be more readily available as prey items too there? Mark

percey39 · 09-19-10, 06:52 PM

We are only not allowed to keep roosters in towns here. So when the chickens are bred at friends farms i take all the excess and cull most of the younger roosters to feed to my juvies.