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Rabbit kits as food

N

Nekoda

New member
I was given some newborn dwarf rabbit kits today, they were still born or died shortly after birth. The breeder knew I had a snake and had saved them for me. My corn snake has always been a good feeder, never refused unless she is in blue. If the rabbit kits are clean and within the size range she should be eating, is it ok to feed them to her? She's just started eating adult size mice, 254 to 30 grams. The biggest of the rabbit kits is about 30 grams.
Anyone have any experience feeding rabbits to their snakes?
 
personally i wouldnt, if my snakes are eating mice ok, they eat mice, and thats the end of it.

rabbits have a lot more nutrition in them than mice do, so it would be a hell of a big meal, and if you fed the snake them for a few weeks, you would probably see it gain weight. but you also run the risk of the snake then refusing to eat mice again, which then leaves you with the problem of finding someone willing to kill baby rabbits for you to feed to your snake.

personally i wouldnt, but im sure there will be a few conflicting opinions.

lee
 
Nekoda said:
Anyone have any experience feeding rabbits to their snakes?
Click to expand...

I feed my snakes a mixture of critters here, I get Rabbit Kits and feed them to my smaller gophers and larger corns. I have had no corns reject a mouse due to being fed a rabbit.
So basically i feed my guys
Day old chicks, or quail.
Small rabbits
Mice or small rats.
 
hmmmm dont know really i have seen them on frozen food websites so if you can be sure that you will always be able to get them if your snake refuses mice after.
 
strawberry_bunny said:
hmmmm dont know really i have seen them on frozen food websites so if you can be sure that you will always be able to get them if your snake refuses mice after.
Click to expand...

I typically feed my larger snakes or adult corns the kits. I typically have no problems with getting food for them due to being near so many breeders and shops.
 
snakeboy24 said:
does that not work out rediculasly expensive?
Click to expand...

Actually its cheaper for me. I buy Rabbits for my Burm, boas and gophers. When you have large snakes you need large prey. And actually I pick up kits that are the size of small rats and they are cheaper than the rats.
I don't feed Kits all the time but I do alternate between prey items. My schedule would look like this.
Feeding 1. small rat
Feeding 2. Chick
Feeding 3. Kit
Feeding 4. Lg Mouse

When it comes to my larger snakes I like giving them variety in their diet, especially my gophers.
 
Thanks for the input...I will try feeding her one of the kits when she is finished shedding this week. She missed a feeding cause she was in blue, so will be good and hungry!
 
were they netherland kits?

I have no imput on the feeding of rabbits but do want to men tune that If they are netherland dwarf kits chances are that the young died due to the double dwarf gene. Oh how I wish I had my snakes when I bred the netherlands. If they are well bred you end up having 1/4 chance of getting a what they call peanut in the litter. It is heredity and extremely common with the very tiny does and bucks breeding not disease in those cases. However if they died for other causes I would be hesitant on feeding due to disease.
 
No, not netherland dwarf, they are himalayan and satin I believe. Most were born to mothers who were inexperienced and had their babies out of a nest box. The babies died due to inattention, not diseases. All of this breeder's rabbits are extremely healthy and well taken care of.
 
Anyway, I would imagine it's very natural for predators like snakes to take care of the sickly ones. Their diseases are very different from rabbit diseases and not likely to hurt the snake, as long as it's fresh.
I don't see a downside at all, you're lucky to have a friend like that! Hopefully he can keep you stocked up, and fill your freezer!
 
I believe I am lucky to have someone who is willing to save the kits for me. Her rabbits are very healthy and well taken care of.
Nekoda took her first one on Tuesday, and is due to eat again on Monday. All seems well, and she took the first one like it was no different than usual. I wasn't home to watch her eat, and won't be home again for the next one, but I'm sure she will do just fine. She's always been a good eater, so I don't expect to have any issues if I have to go back to mice. Sure nice to save a little bit of money, I pay $2.89 for an adult mouse here. Only feeding one snake, and don't have a deep freeze, so ordering in bulk isn't feasible for me.
Hmmm guess that means I just need to add more snakes! Well, something to think about for sure!
Thanks for all your input...this site is great!
 
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