:twisted: I read on another thread about putting a mouse in a pillow case and whacking it against the wall to stun it b4 feeding to a snake. I'm going to do this because the last time I fed my bp, When the snake had finished constricting the mouse, I saw that the mouse had its teeth on the snakes neck. But the mouse just fell off and luckily it didn't puncture my snakes neck. I know I could use frozen, But I feel better feeding fresh food.
what do you mean fresh?? frozen is a way better option. your snake does not know the difference.. if you thaw it out properly and heat it up a little like put a lamp above it for a short time or lay it on a heat pad it will be just fine.
Yeah people do that alot. I'm not sensetive or squeemish about killing a mouse though I do use frozen. If you feel fine about feeding like that then go ahead. I've fed all different ways and I'm just too lazy to care for that many mice that I'd have to feed to 20+ snakes.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse I have no sympathy for mice at all. Sometimes when I'm feeding my animals, I get a certain sense of satisfaction for all those times the little boogers have gotten in my house and left turds everywhere. You should watch a tarantula feed on one! All thats left over is a empty sack of skin. Oh and I don't like the idea of dead mice laying around thawing out. It seems kind of nasty to me and plus I have a cat and a dog that is big enough to grab anything on the counter.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse Lol it seems like you're getting pleasure from it. Haha. I have love and respect for every animal on the planet. Can't blame a mouse for doing what it needs to do to survive! Even if it is scavaging for food in your home. I make sure my dog don't grab a rat by thawing it out in a location where he can't get to it.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse I put mine in a plastic zip bag and fill my bathroom sink with luke warm water and drop it in.. then after about 5 mins i flip it then 5 mins and it is good to go. close the bathroom door lol and if your dog or cat can open the door and get on the counter and get the mouse out of the bag i will be expecting to see you on animal planets most amazing animals or something. Curious tho.. a dead mouse thawing out seems nasty to you yet you can smash one against the wall to kill it? and yet you can watch your spider suck its insides out and remove a pile of skin?? but you cant handle a dead mouse in a bowl of water??? LOLOLOL
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse Savvy your cat eats mice?? Mine only eats anoles and cat/dog food. He once napped in a room where a escapee mouse was sitting on a table for three days. Didnt even bother him.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse I use frozen thawed fuzzies for my milk and youngest corn, but I kill live adult mice to feed my older corn and still feed live to my BP because I can not get him to accept dead, not even fresh killed. I do not use the pillow case method, i simply grab the mouse by the tail and whack him hard on the aquarium. I know it is kind of barbaric but it is quick and no one blasts anyone for killing hundreds of crickets each week.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse The key to getting my snakes to eat f/t was to make sure I warmed the mice up enough so the snake sees it as a freshly killed food source. Usually above room temperature. If the prey item is too cold then that might throw off its feeding. Husbandry issues can also cause a snake not to feed. Bunny_Too don't let anyone tell you your method is wrong. Whatever is working for you is working for you.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse The fresh killed for the corn is because my LPS only sells frozen pinkies and fuzzies. I have tried fresh killed for my BP (so it should be still warn) even wiggling it in front does not get him to strike. He was fed live since he hatched and I should have tried to make the switch at least to Fresh killed right away but I did not. I still try fresh killed about once every other month but I refuse to make him go hungry until he will accept fresh killed or F/T. I don't get a lick out of seeing him eat live but my sons and their friends sure do LOL.
RE: Re: RE: Whack a mouse Heh that's usually the case for me too as far as my friends go. I have several methods you could use, but. If he is feeding on live with no problems then stick with it. If you are wanting to feed f/t or pre-killed then you might try cutting open his head and exposing the rats brain. It's gorey but usually a BP can't resist it.
Some "experts" claim that frozen rodents are less nutritios than live mice. Being frozen for extended periods weakens the vitamin and mineral content, they say. On the other hand, live mice can be harboring parasites. Frezzing will usually kill them, and is therfore safer than live. I would love to see a controlled experiment to see how 2 different groups of snakes develop on a diet of frozen and fresh rodents. I feed frozen, myself. On the rare occasion that I had to kill a live mouse, I would put it in 2 plastic grocery bags, wind up, and slam it into the floor. If you do it on the wall too hard, you might put a hole in the sheetrock. :shock:
Being frozen for extended periods weakens the vitamin and mineral content, they say. Thats true, but freezing also weakens the cell walls and makes nutrients more readily avialable. Overall i say, a f/t rodent that has been fed high quality food and has been frozen proberly , is better than a live one that has been fed crappy food. When i had to whack i did it outside in the backyard or a side of the entertainment center. The neighbors didnt need to see what the weird snake lady is doing with the mice and rats.
Yeah but I think he means if they both are fed same diets. No method is better than another. All have their ups and downs. Feed what you want and feel comfortable feeding.
Some snakes are known to scavenge. BP's are one of them. Edit: Not nessecarily scavenge but they do eat carrion. Don't know if that's spelled right.
