Do we need a Feeder Forum?

[Taceas]

As I read around from section to section, the amount of questions about feeder mice and their husbandry is astounding. And the fact that they're being posted all over is a cause for concern. Sometimes where it gets posted isn't really where it should be.

I believe that we need a separate section for the care and husbandry of feeder mice. It's an essential part of a snake collection, whether or not you choose raise them for yourself and your snakes.

There are plenty of us out here that do raise our own mice and many who're looking to start up their own colonies and want to know how. Many people have asked questions as to substrates and diet for feeder mice, lets get a legitimate place to post our thoughts, questions, and answers without impeding other sections with "off-topic" subjects.

Feel free to post your thoughts and opinions on the matter. =)

Pile O'Mice:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Cuddly.JPG

Coitus Rodentius:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/CoitusRodentius.JPG

Color-coded:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/NewMales.JPG

Yum-yums:
http://www.mainecoon.net/~rain/Snakes/Rodents/Pinks.JPG

[Alex Dew]

I think it sounds like a good idea Taceas

[Sasheena]

Oooh, mousey porn, and what's more, a whole bunch of nekkid baby mice!

(sorry, it's early in the morning)

As far as having a feeder forum, I am in total agreement. It's nice to be able to discuss feeder issues in the "right place" and I really enjoy my feeders as pets too, so it would be neat to be able to have a "home" for those kinds of discussions.

:yawn: it's a little too early in the mornin for me to make much sense.

[brownie55]

Ms. Sasheena, I thought you were a school marm. You shouldn't be looking at the mousies in flagrante delicto, lol. But, a feeder forum does sound good, because I can tell my snake addiction will be spreading and see needing a colony of mice. (I just won't be so rude as to photograph them "in the act.")

I should never have quit smoking, this replacement addiction is gonna cost me more than smoking ever did, I can see it coming...

[Rich Z]

There is already a forum like that on my FaunaClassifieds.com site.

FaunaClassifieds.com feeder and caging forum (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=107)

Any particular reason why I should duplicate that here?

[cornsnake234]

I totally agree with that!!! i have sevral question to ask about feeders and it's always fun to have opinion of experienced people!!! :)
Very good idea!!!

And... very nice pics!! ;)

[Taceas]

Well Rich, to be completely honest...I very, very rarely go over to FaunaClassifieds.com. Maybe once every 4-5 months. Most of my interest lies here with the Corn Snakes and these fine folks.

I must just be one of the rare folks who is a homebody of sorts for this forum. =D

I only ever go to:

A) Look at the "seed-spitting" contests and bad reviews on the BOI.
B) Look for cheap reptile supplies.

[Siva]

A feeder forum sounds good to me :) and like Sasheena i enjoy my mice as pets as well so it is fun to talk about them. BTW Sasheena i haven't seen you around the rodentfancy forums in a while ;)

Taceas, very good idea! and i love the pics as well! the only reason i ever visit Fauna is to look at the Boi and i go even less often than you LOL

two pics of my meeces

[Sasheena]

Rich, one of the things that I dislike about the caging and feeder forum is that it (to me) is two completely different genres. It would be like going to a forum and having it be about garter snakes and chameleons. Half the messages wouldn't pertain the the information I was seeking... sure I can "sift" but when I see new messages in a folder, it's always sort of a bummer to open it up and see..."Oh.... It's not REALLY something I'm interested in".... That's just me of course... but I would really like to have some place that would be HOME for myself and others who really get "into" breeding feeders. Having discussions of cages at the same time is like having off topic messages... only they aren't off topic, they are just distracting.

Ah well, not making tons of sense here.

[Rich Z]

Well, here's what is likely to happen here. I will put up a Feeders forum. Then a couple of weeks later, someone will ask for a caging forum. Then after that, well how about a ball python forum? Well, why not a leopard gecko forum too? Hey! I really like cats! How about a forum about them as well?

How long do you think it will be before I start getting complaints that this "cornsnake" site is no longer really about corn snakes?

There are two ways for me to look at this:

(1) Heck, why not? The more forums here the more traffic this site may attract, and maybe more advertisers will help me out financially.

or

(2) Why do I want to make a mini-FaunaClassifieds here? Why duplicate much of what I already have on another site?

To be quite honest, if there had been a way to merge this site into FaunaClassifieds in the cornsnake section there, I would have done it. But since it wasn't, I didn't. No complaints, however.

I tend to try to make my sites be what people want them to be, but I am sure you have heard the adage about too many cooks spoiling the broth. I have learned the hard way that it just is not possible to please everyone. And in MANY instances, those people who you do not endeavor to please, nor cannot please, will get mad at you because of it.

[Sasheena]

Rich I really don't care if there is a feeder forum here, kingsnakes.com or on faunaclassifieds.com .... Just wish there was a forum JUST devoted to feeders on ONE of those three sites. That's my vote anyway. Doesn't have to be HERE, but would like it to exist somewhere! :) (well.... other than kingsnake.com)

[Taceas]

Rich,

I wouldn't get mad at you if you didn't make a designated feeder forum here, I'd be disappointed as would others, but we'd have to learn to adapt.

Remember, most of us came from the grueling world of that other unmentionable site for a reason, those on the pedestals didn't listen to us and shut us out. At least you listen to what we have to say, you may not agree, but thank the gods you listen.

I don't think I'm asking for any outlandish thing, honestly. Feeders are a pivotal part of having corn snakes. It'd be nice to have an okay spot to discuss how we each keep our feeder colonies, the food, etc. While some of us breed mice for pets as well, we each still breed our mice for snake food primarily. Some just get a little bit more out of it than others.

But here lately it seems everyone is interested in starting feeder colonies and doesn't know how, and sometimes they're newbies to the forum and end up posting their zillions of questions wherever they happen to be, and it detracts from the other posts in that forum. Hence why I mentioned to you about Sean22 posting a million and one single question posts in the other section, he was pushing the posts that actually had something to do with the section further down and into the "ignore area".

I don't think anyone is going to ask for a leopard gecko forum or a ball python forum..thats what the Chit Chat Forum is about, off-topic things. We understand that. Caging is quite well handled in the Basic Care and Husbandry section, I don't think I've ever seen a problem with that. But the main thing I'm after here is a quick and concise area for information on the care and husbandry of feeder mice. Right now you have to look all over Hell's Half Acre (which by the way is located in Wyoming) to find what you're looking for. Which if it was all in one spot it'd make more sense to people both searching AND posting.

I just feel at times I'm running around in circles answering the same questions over and over again. And granted it's pretty hard to search for what you're looking for when it comes to feeder mice. You come up with just about everything that concerns mice, which would be a lot of other posts as well. Which if you were in the feeder forum you could search that forum for "mice bedding" and get what you were looking for a lot faster.

If you don't want a full fledged section on the main page, I think a sub-section under the Chit Chat section might work just as well. It may not get noticed as much initially, but once people know where to look it might be different. I just like my tidy and orderly forums that are well laid out and people following the general idealized rules...and when people start posting a slew of off-topic posts in the wrong section I just feel violated. =P And also feel pretty bad having to pester you about it to move their posts somewhere where its more appropriate.

We just need an area to branch out for things like that, IMHO. I don't think we're nearly as needy to want a forum about cats on here. Well you have to give me credit...my mom said I could argue with a tree stump, maybe my arguing skills aren't so good but my begging should be. :bowdown:

[SexyHero]

Well Rich, to be completely honest...I very, very rarely go over to FaunaClassifieds.com. Maybe once every 4-5 months. Most of my interest lies here with the Corn Snakes and these fine folks.

I must just be one of the rare folks who is a homebody of sorts for this forum. =D

I only ever go to:

A) Look at the "seed-spitting" contests and bad reviews on the BOI.
B) Look for cheap reptile supplies.

Same here!