Feeding live to F/T babies ??

To answer the original question, I don't think that snakes have any trouble switching from f/t to live. Instinct kicks in.

I don't see why killing the mice before putting them in with your snake would make the mice not fresh... the snake usually kills the mouse before eating it. I think that it is the same thing.

CO2 is as simple as mixing vinegar with baking soda or getting some dry ice.
I can't imagine that someone doesn't have vinegar and baking soda.

Although pinkies won't suffocate very easily, so in that case putting them somewhere cold for a few minutes will do the job.
You can have them die without having them freeze in the freezer. They will still be fresh and warm.

I doubt a snake prefers live food.
I think any change in behavior is fear-based... they strike and coil because they are afraid that the mouse may hurt them.
Which is why many snakes won't coil pinkies- there is no threat.

I think that feeding live may be unduly stressful for a snake... I prefer having my food already dead rather than having to kill it. Especially if the food has the chance of scratching my eye out.

Originally Posted by alpine

Sorry you disagree with me starsevol, but after the way you handled the whole situation I could really care less to what you have to say to me now. I know it's a heated topic and get's some worked up, but you should handle yourself better. Thanks for your opinion and the criticism.

I probably should handle myself better, but I loathe cruelty.
If you truly are a vet, you should understand that.
And want to do what's right by EVERY living thing in your care.

I also believe in karma, and that cruelty gets rewarded down the road.
I only hope it is not in the form of your girl losing an eye.
But if you do work for a vet, at least you'll get a discount.

Dang it I can't rep you Deserae!! Grr

LOL Christen I rep'd her for both of us!

Alpine, your scenario with the fresh steak vs the frozen one would only be relevant if you were speaking of Pre-Killed vs. Frozen/thawed.

The scenario that you should really be looking at is, If you eat deer meat. Lets say that I place you in a cage with a live deer, generally in the wild the deer would either run off, or chase you up a tree. But, in a cage, the deer, if cornered would tear you up and possibly kill you. It is completely possible for snakes to escape if things go bad in the wild, but in a cage, no matter how close you watch, bad things can happen. Look up Murphy's Law. Eventually things go wrong.

I hope that I showed you how messed up your tired scenario was, because I have heard it used many times before. I have also hears "Its more natural", but it is not natural to cage an animal in a 1foot by 2 foot cage and throw a potentially dangerous animal in there with them, It is called Thunderdome, and they made a movie about it with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner. Two enter, One leaves. Sometimes the Champ gets killed or terribly injured.

Oh, and even in the wild, the prey sometimes kills the predator.

Also, This is why I do not feed live. This is my snake, she was fed live her whole life by a guy in the German AF in Alamogordo NM. He gave her to a friend who turned her over to one of the pet stores where I got her. This is her Live Feeding Injury, that I am surprised did not take her life. She was very lucky.

I do work at a vet for a vet who gave me these recommendations. It has been my extensive experience that my snakes eat and do better over all on live prey. Correct me if I am wrong, but I do believe snakes have evolved for MILLIONS of years to eat live prey and swallow them whole. Do please list for me as many wild snakes you know of that are scavengers?? Furthermore while investigating those wild snakes tell me how many you find with no eyes etc...???
As far as karma, I believe it is worst to waste a life, which is what I found to happen more often with killed prey. If you put it in and they dont eat it you have to toss it. What kind of karma is that?
Also when using killed prey there is a deterioration in nutrition over time with freezing and when bought frozen you can not be sure of the kill and freeze date or how they were fed(gut loaded) before the feeding. I feed live to ensure there is minimal waste of life, since I do obviously care or I would not be in this field, Bethany, and I feed live because nutritionally it is in the best interest I believe. I do not leave prey in unattended or for any extensive period of time since that is where most of the trauma comes from, when the snake doesnt eat it in turn gets eaten on.
Finally, if you are going to attack my care of animals and address my "cruelty" I ask how many animals lives you have saved? I have managed vets for 13 years, worked in emergency clinics, worked at shelters, fostered orphaned wild animals, bred everything from hamsters to horses, cared for literally animals of EVERY classification over the course of my ENTIRE life since, oh yeah, my father is also a VET. What again are your qualifications Bethany?

^Forgot to mention, co-workers opinion

I agree, fresh mice woule be preferable, most Corns will take F/T with no issue. With something like a Ball Python, most will only take live readily. I feed a lot of live rodents at work and I have never had a snake hurt by a live rodent. I have done literally thousands of feedings. Rodents bite snakes when they're left in with them for long periods of time. I feed all of my personal snakes F/T, or F/K. I just bonk them on the head and feed them to the snakes. Personally I would just feed frozen if your snake will take it, reduces risk of anything happening. If you're worried about the content of frozen mice you can put a little multivitamin powder on the rodents when you feed.

You are NOT the only person who works for a vet or is a vet. This forum is FULL of us. So you can just step off that horse.

If you look at the head of my snake, The brown on the top of her nose was from the one live feeding that I did. The mouse immediately turned around and bit her. It does not take "long periods" this was in the blink of an eye. Yes the longer a live mouse is in with the animal, the more risk you are taking, but you take that risk once you put the mouse in the cage.