Mice or rats?

I feel like I'm starting an argument. I think every doctor is different. I also don't want any fights over it.


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Originally Posted by amanda84

I feel like I'm starting an argument. I think every doctor is different. I also don't want any fights over it.


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You're not. Everyone has their opinion, and yes, many Dr's give different advice.
I use what works well for me, based on information from friends who have been doing this a lot longer than I have.

If you look at the size of most Cornsnakes, and the size of rats, common sense tells you that rats are too big of prey for Cornsnakes.

I have had friends who have had snakes die way before their time, and a necropsy shows large fatty deposits, and the animal was fed rats.
I have talked with people in the Carpet Python (snakes that actually are large enough to handle rats) world who have even looked into starting to offer a variety of lower fat prey (chicks, quail) because they have lost Carpet pythons from being fed too fatty of a diet with rats.

You have to do what you feel is best for your animal(s).

I have fed weanling rats to females recovering from egg laying, but I've had much more success giving reptile vitamin supplement (injected into f/t mice) to malnourished snakes or females having a hard time recovering from egg laying. I do not give it to otherwise healthy snakes.

Proof is in the pudding, as they say.

Well I appreciate your information. I'm going to stick with mice. Plus they're cheaper. Hehe. Also, would the chicks and quail have to be fed to larger snakes? I can't imagine my guy eating either of those at this age


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Originally Posted by amanda84

Well I appreciate your information. I'm going to stick with mice. Plus they're cheaper. Hehe. Also, would the chicks and quail have to be fed to larger snakes? I can't imagine my guy eating either of those at this age


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Yes, it would be for larger snakes.
I usually keep my smaller/younger Corns and Kings on mice as babies/juvies, and periodically offer baby quail when they're adults.
I offer baby chicks (chickens) to my Carpet Pythons occasionally.

I weighed my guy today and he is almost 4 ounces


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I got him on 7/20 and he weighed 3ounces. So he seems to be doing pretty good!


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Sounds like he's growing well for you!
He's close to 113 grams, which is big enough for weanling mice (over 90 grams is about when most people move up to weanling mice).
How is he doing with the hopper mice?

Really?! That's crazy!! I feel like he is doin okay with them. The first time I was freaked out. I was told they were doing pinkies and had just changed him to fuzzys when I got him from the people I got him from. That's when I learned he should have hoppers, thanks to helpful people here. So the first time I fed him a hopper I freaked out but I think he is doing good. How do I know if he is ready to handle the size change? Here are two shots of him eating a hopper.





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By the way thank you for all the help. I greatly appreciate it.


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