How big are day-old chicks?

[Neil]

Here's my situation:

I am about to try out a new website for ordering my mice. Since my order won't be massive, the owners have recommended that I buy about ten one-day-old chicks to help keep them frozen. I have no problem with this as ten chicks only cost ninety pence. I was wondering how big day-old chicks are and if they will help keep the mice frozen.

Did all that make sense?

[Neil]

Arghhhh, does nobody know???? Well I've ordered it all now so it doesn't really matter- but I still would like to know. Can anyone help

[Iris]

I have no idea but my cousins once had a chick that was a few weeks old and it was the size of a small rat I guess.
It can't be too big. Maybe the size of a large adult mouse?

[Kilojara16]

I don't think as many people visit the site on weekends as much as during the week, so you may not get an immediate reply on Saturday or Sunday. I didn't know you could feed corns chicks.

[bmm]

Corns don't eat chicks, and its not wise to feed them chicks, but no matter because that was not what he was asking. He is buying day old chicks to act like "ice cubes" during shipping since his mice order is small, less mice=less thawing time. A huge bag/pile of mice defrosts slower than a couple mice.

Day old chicks? a bit bigger than a chicken egg when frozen, maybe same size if i remember correctly.

bmm

[Kilojara16]

Okay! I understand it now.

[Axe]

They're about the size of your average mouse...

We used to order 'em five hundred at a time when I was a kid (my dad kept Goshawks, Harris Hawks, Peregrines, etc..)

I don't know about feeding them to snakes, but with the hawks, we'd cut the rest of the yolk sack off 'em too, and (sometimes) skin 'em. Get down to the bare meat n' bones.

They give off a lot of scent, so could become attractive to anything that might eat them (if it's good for 'em).

[Neil]

Your dad kept peregrines? Wow, how lucky are you!! I love peregrines- they're my favourite bird even though I've never seen one in person.

Anyway, that's off topic. My mice came today: forty-five fuzzies and forty-five hoppers plus the ten chicks. They came at seven thirty so I wasn't up yet but I heard my mum scream so I got up. I thought she had cut her hand off with a knife or something so I went running downstairs. She had just seen the chicks. She wasn't expecting to see them just lying in the box and it gave a her fright Lol. I'll tell you one thing about a bag full of dead rodents- it stinks!!

Anyway, I double-wrapped them in plastic bags and then put them into old ice-cream tubs and into the top draw of the freezer. Packing them like this protects them from freezer burn but I'm sure you already knew this.

[Axe]

Yeah, right now he just flies one Harris Hawk (which apparently is scheduled to go into breeding next year)... I've gotta say Peregrines are overrated, lol. Much more exciting going hunting with a Goshawk... they're just absolutely awesome... definitely the most thrilling bird to experience doing what comes naturally :)

Glad all your lil popsicles showed up ok... LOL about your mum.

But just as an afterthought... think about getting a separate dedicated freezer... Like you said, even frozen they stink a bit... and once the bug fully hits you, you'll have 50 corns, and need a lot of freezer space ;)

We ended up getting a freezer about 6ft tall for all the frozen birds, rodents, etc.. we kept (and that was just for 6 hawks and a peregrine).

You can pick up small front-door opening freezers, or even small chest freezers pretty cheaply at car-boot/garage sales (or just hunt round the classifieds in u'r local paper)

[kris (UK)]

neil , where abouts did you order your rodents from ? I am looking to buy bulk frozen food as it will be cheaper, but so far i have only found sites with the same priced rodents as i buy in a pet shop!!


KRIS

[little twiglet]

i no this sound so thick but what r hoppers???:confused:

[Neil]

Hoppers are the next stage up from fuzzies- also called small adults.

Kris: I get my mice from www.livefood.co.uk If you buy 100 adult mice they are only 39 pence each. You can get fifty fuzzies or hoppers for around £17. P+P is quite expensive but it still works out much cheaper than buying from a pet shop. The more you buy, the more money you save.

[kris (UK)]

thanks neil ill check it out

KRIS

[Blue Dragon]

how long do frozen mice last
and how much does snakes eat in one year

[Neil]

If you store mice in a couple of plastic bags and then in a box (to prevent freezer burn) they can last for many, many months. Most adult corns eat one mouse a week so that is 52 a year. If you are brumating them, they go for more than three months without eating but they have to eat more than usual before that to build up fat reserves so the number of mice they eat works out about the same. Hope I didn't confuse you.