live feeder question (ball python) - new to live feeders

[blackorchid77]

i have never fed a snake a live feeder and my new snake might only eat live ones because he was previously fed that.

if it comes to that i will because i love my new snake to bits but i wont like it really,. but will get used to it.


do you have any advice on feeding live rats? i know i have to supervise them but is there anything else i should know?

i might have to get live rats i find it a bit weird like i might play with them for fun, is that a bad idea cause i would get attached to them? i dont really like rats that much anyway. not as cute as hampster or dwarf hampster. im really desensitized to everything so i dont care if it gets eaten. do any of you guys play with your feeders? is that a weird question? lol!

my ball was bred recently and he hasnt eaten in months and his previous owner fed him live but i was hoping to switch to frozen but if that doesnt work ill have to do live rats. im a big girl so i can do it if i have to LOL

 

[ceduke]

Go the the search bar and search live feeders You will have hundreds of pages to read on the topic.

 

[Lennycorn]

If you have to feed live I would try mice before rat to your corn.
Even then I would stun it. Then after a few feeding I would try avery warm f/t mouse.

 

[blackorchid77]

oh its a ball python

 

[starsevol]

I would try to get your snake on thawed as soon as possible. It's easier, cheaper, and safer for the snake. No parasites or bites or eye loss with thawed prey. Plus is it more humane for the feeder.

As far as playing with the food...well, I keep cornsnakes and only cornsnakes myself. They eat frozen/thawed mice.
I also keep rats...as pets.
Rats are clean, intellegent, social, and incredibly sweet pets. It is easy to get attached to them. Mine come when called and give kisses. Every one I have ever had had a different personality. I won't even keep anything that has to have rats as prey.

 

[blackorchid77]

well im definately going to try frozen of course but i was just thinking ahead, some BPs will refuse frozen and starve, as I've been hearing

 

[blackorchid77]

an yes i know rats make great pets they just arent my thing

 

[carnivorouszoo]

BPs might be tempted with FT ASFs as opposed to regular rats. See if you can find a source for those.

 

[blackorchid77]

what is an ASH?

 

[kathylove]

ASF = African soft furred rat - natural ball python food. They love them.

BPs can be weird and picky about feeding. A lot of mine will only eat live. I have thrown away A LOT of thawed rats because nothing else I have is big enough to eat them if the balls refuse.

Babies and yearling balls are usually easier to get on f/t (frozen thawed) than adults are. One trick that sometimes works is to thaw the mouse or rat, then heat it really well with a hair dryer. Also, balls that won't eat rats (whether live or f/t) will sometimes take a mouse or ASF. So you might try f/t of those, first.

It is a lot cheaper to buy frozen rodents in bulk. But you might want to consider getting another pet snake that can eat the same size rodents, and offer to the ball first, then let the other snake (a less picky feeder, like a boa or carpet python, maybe) eat the "leftovers".

Also keep in mind that BPs are pretty shy, and spend a lot of their time below ground (or termite nests, maybe?) in the wild. So give it a really dark, tight hide (or 2 or 3 hides) with a small entrance, and leave it alone until it is well established. That might make it less picky, too.

Good luck!

 

[Tatile]

If you do live feed here is a link to why you should be extremely careful: Warning, distressign and graphic images.

Also from what I've read of Balls, there are a lot of methods of getting them to eat thawed mice so that you needn't worry about live. I'm planning to get a Ball myself, but my situation is likely to be different to yours, as UK law appears to prohibit live feeding.