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Live feeding disscusion there of

titus

titus

New member
I know my most snake keepers feeding live is looked down upon. Though I have had trouble getting around this and still breed feeder mice. Living in Germany the legal system does not allow the killing of any animal with out a vet presant feeder or not. So any mice that I breed must be feed live or I am breaking the law. I have been feeding live for the last few weeks with out problem but as anyone have concerns about what could happen.
 
That's an odd law, live feeding really frowned on here in the UK, but is sanctioned in law as long as necessary and not performed in public or for fun. I'd sugest finding zoos or reptile collections and ask how they deal with the law, because they woud definately have some difficult feeders from time to time?
 
I've spoke with a few places. All the Zoo's have vet's on hand for there feeders. Most pet shops get FT delivered or feed live. I suspect one to pre kill their feeders but they would not say they do. It would seem that pre killing of feeders does happen in smaller pet stores but is kept secret to avoid being shut down. I've also spoken with my sister in law who is a vet and she knows of no legal way around this law.
 
I am not an expert on your laws but what about stunning the mice. Not killing them and just popping them on the head a few times. That way they are knocked out when the snake eats them and they die when they are suffocated. Either that or order prekilled mice. Just an idea...
 
I agree with stunning them, BUT how powerful is the enforcement of such laws? Do the authorities actually come into your home and watch you feed your snakes live in order to know you're not breaking the law? Do they have cameras installed in your home?

I'm not trying to be funny, and I'm usually the last person to advocate the breaking of most laws, but give me break. If you were to kill a mouse or two, I wouldn't expect someone to come break your door down and haul you off to jail. Don't go telling all the neighbors about it, obviously. Besides, how could they say where these mice came from. For all they know you bought f/t from the store, which had them imported from a place where the killing was legal.
 
One main fear with feeding live, is that the rodent will injure the snake.
Second, that it may be cruel to the prey.
Third, that they snake may refuse FT if all they've been offered is live.

I feed both, live and dead. Certain situations I chose to feed live.

Whenever I feed live, I watch to make sure the snake grabs the prey and starts eating before I close up the container/room/leave. This way you can watch and make sure that the prey doesn't attack the snake, and that the snake is hungry and wanting to eat. You don't want to leave live prey in "unsupervised" on the chance that the snake doesn't eat it and it decides to nibble on the snake instead.

Personally, I see no harm feeding live, if done in a responsible manner.
FT is alot more convenient for most and is safer for the snake ( dead things don't bite), but if that is not an option for you.....just make sure your snake eats before leaving them.
 
Man, that's a really crazy law.

Zwyatt's right - if you were to prekill them, who would know? Last time I checked, the law in the UK said something stupid like the mouse, if fed live, must have access to food, water and shelter so it wouldn't starve to death if the snake didn't eat it. Insane, and clearly made up by someone with zero knowledge of common feeding practices. The law could have changed by now, but I'm pretty sure that no-one was sent to jail for feeding live without providing all those things for the mouse. It's simply impossible to enforce a law when the crime is committed in a private home, with no witnesses or evidence. Even if you were reported, how would they prove it? Open up the snake and autopsy the mouse for time and cause of death?

Of course, I'm not saying that it's okay to break the law, just that if you did, it would be difficult to prove. ;)
 
um... I've always fed my guy live mice.. I just dangle the mouse in front of him by its tail. He usually gets it at the first strike and constricts and is done with dinner. He has been bitten once, but I made sure to clean the bite. (it wasn't deep, more like a scratch.. mouse didn't have enough room to bite). and in all the years doing this... I've been bitten only once by my corn. and that was because the mouse decided to swing and grab hold of the screen cover just as the snake struck... you can imagine the surprised look on both our faces.
 
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