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Question on OOE specials

sarae

sarae

New member
I know with most reptiles, it's not recommended to ship them before a certain age simply because the stress of shipping can cause them to go off food or even just make them weaker and more likely to fade away and die.

Is this not true with snakes? I'd imagine that freshly-hatched snakes tossed into a box and shipped hundreds of miles away would be quite stressed. Does purchasing an OOE heighten the chance of getting a non-feeder simply due to stress or do snakes function a bit differently from other animals like bearded dragons and leopard geckos?
 
I think shipping is stressful in its own right but I do not think fresh hatched or established feeders stress more or less. I have had very well established feeders (5+ meals) go off of food (or switch to live only from f/t) after a shipment. I have also had many instances of out of the egg specials eat the day they arrived.
 
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You might be taking more of a gamble of getting a possible non or skittish feeder with an OOE special, but any good breeder should tell you honestly if they've attempted to feed the snake(s) in question, and how it went.
I recently purchased 4 snakes who'd had less than 3 meals from Susan in an OOE special. I asked, and she let me know that they were all eating fine, but that they all had had less than 3 meals. Once I got them I let them settle in for about 4 days before I attempted a feed. They all accepted on the first attempt and had healthy poops. Now they're ready for more, a few are even daring enough to come out of their hides and stare me down!! :dancer:

I think OOE specials can be a great opportunity to buy a snake you may not have been able to afford else wise, or a larger group. I wouldn't recomend an OOE special for someone's first snake, but I think if you buy from a reputable breeder, you maximize your chance of success. I would MUCH rather buy snake from an OOE sale than from a pet store.
 
I got four snakes from Susan's OOE special, two had one meal, the other two hadn't eaten yet. Now three of them eat, but the fourth proves to be a nonfeeder. The other three are giving me the "is it feeding day yet?" looks, as well as being really curious as to what's going on around them. As with everything, I think it just depends on the snake.
 
With an OOE Corn you get what you pay for - lower price for increased risk. That's the trade-off. However, as stated above, any seller worth their salt will tell you of actual or potential problems up front. You can reduce the risk by buying from an established breeder with a good reputation.

However, nobody can guarantee that an OOE hatchling that's been fine with the breeder, won't have a problem when it reaches the purchaser. In that respect they're much like any other hatchling.
 
Thanks guys :) I was just wondering if it had an increased outcome of failure to thrive/non-feeding with snakes as it does with other critters. Guess that's a no!

OOEs do seem to be great deals, I just wondered if they were an extra-high-risk or about the same as any other young snake.

Now to plot what i want next! :D
 
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