Dog Community

k.m.a

Posted : 9/26/2006 5:39:03 PM

I feed my snake adult live mice. She's 5ft. Before we got her the previous owners would feed baby bunnies. I don't see anything wrong with selling them to her, snakes got to eat too. What Gina suggested was a good suggestion. But then again you'd get more profit if you sold them bunnies everytime the snake needed to eat.

corvus

Posted : 9/26/2006 8:07:52 PM

My bunnies live in my house and are a part of my family, so I can see why you'd feel funny about selling them as snake fodder![

] Feeding snakes is pretty exciting, though. I spent an afternoon feeding rat and corn snakes and baby pythons, once. It was really exciting and kinda scary for the 15 year old I was at the time with zero snake experience. I loved it, though, even though it was a little macarbe watching them chow down on dead mice.

Profit is one thing, but it's tainted if you don't feel 100% comfortable with how you're making it. I say if you're feeling uncomfortable with it, sell a breeding pair like Gina suggested. There's no reason why you should provide snake food if you don't really want to.

ColleenC

Posted : 9/27/2006 12:00:39 AM

ORIGINAL: k.m.a

I feed my snake adult live mice. She's 5ft. Before we got her the previous owners would feed baby bunnies. I don't see anything wrong with selling them to her, snakes got to eat too. What Gina suggested was a good suggestion. But then again you'd get more profit if you sold them bunnies everytime the snake needed to eat.

What kind of snake do you have?
There are a lot of people who feed frozen prey. I almost never feed mine live. There is a big risk of the mice biting the snake. Of course, if you supervise, its not a big problem, but too many people leave the mouse with the snake and the snake ends up with some nasty wounds. I saw a Ball Python once that had been chewed so badly that its spine was visible and its face didn't even look like a face. But, there are some snakes who just plain refuse frozen. Just supervise!!! As far as the bunnies, I don't see a problem with it. It is just a matter of if you want to keep lots of them around to provide a steady food source. By the time the snake eats one and is ready for another in a week or two, they may be too big. That means you need a different litter.

kaf

Posted : 9/27/2006 12:56:53 AM

ORIGINAL: ColleenC

ORIGINAL: k.m.a

I feed my snake adult live mice. She's 5ft. Before we got her the previous owners would feed baby bunnies. I don't see anything wrong with selling them to her, snakes got to eat too. What Gina suggested was a good suggestion. But then again you'd get more profit if you sold them bunnies everytime the snake needed to eat.

What kind of snake do you have?
There are a lot of people who feed frozen prey. I almost never feed mine live. There is a big risk of the mice biting the snake. Of course, if you supervise, its not a big problem, but too many people leave the mouse with the snake and the snake ends up with some nasty wounds. I saw a Ball Python once that had been chewed so badly that its spine was visible and its face didn't even look like a face. But, there are some snakes who just plain refuse frozen. Just supervise!!! As far as the bunnies, I don't see a problem with it. It is just a matter of if you want to keep lots of them around to provide a steady food source. By the time the snake eats one and is ready for another in a week or two, they may be too big. That means you need a different litter.

On my rat forum there was a rescued feeder rat who mangled a snake pretty badly, but bunnies I can't see being as aggressive.

ColleenC

Posted : 9/27/2006 8:31:21 AM

It's not that they are aggressive. Rats in general aren't aggressive. But, animals will do what it takes to survive. Just like the most friendly dog will bite in life threatening circumstances.

rwbeagles

Posted : 9/27/2006 8:36:32 AM

Rabbits can do AMAZING amounts of damage to each other in fights and I'd imagine the same to a predator...they have cat sharp claws for the most part, and a powerful kick...they also box fiercely with their front claws and bite as well. Rabbit fights are nasty...almost as nasty as hamster fights lol.

k.m.a

Posted : 9/27/2006 4:55:18 PM

ORIGINAL: ColleenC

ORIGINAL: k.m.a

I feed my snake adult live mice. She's 5ft. Before we got her the previous owners would feed baby bunnies. I don't see anything wrong with selling them to her, snakes got to eat too. What Gina suggested was a good suggestion. But then again you'd get more profit if you sold them bunnies everytime the snake needed to eat.

What kind of snake do you have?
There are a lot of people who feed frozen prey. I almost never feed mine live. There is a big risk of the mice biting the snake. Of course, if you supervise, its not a big problem, but too many people leave the mouse with the snake and the snake ends up with some nasty wounds. I saw a Ball Python once that had been chewed so badly that its spine was visible and its face didn't even look like a face. But, there are some snakes who just plain refuse frozen. Just supervise!!! As far as the bunnies, I don't see a problem with it. It is just a matter of if you want to keep lots of them around to provide a steady food source. By the time the snake eats one and is ready for another in a week or two, they may be too big. That means you need a different litter.

oh goodness, I'd never leave a mouse with my snake unattended. She's only been biten once, and it didn't break the skin. The only reason we feed live is because she refuses frozen, and I don't like having dead mice thawing in a bowl on the counter [&:]

And shes a cornsnake.

kaf

Posted : 9/27/2006 5:24:34 PM

ORIGINAL: ColleenC

It's not that they are aggressive. Rats in general aren't aggressive. But, animals will do what it takes to survive. Just like the most friendly dog will bite in life threatening circumstances.

Exactly, I didnt mean to say they were mean animals, on the contrary they are very social, and make lovely pets...however if need be they will defend themselves.

kaf

Posted : 9/27/2006 5:26:46 PM

ORIGINAL: rwbeagles

Rabbits can do AMAZING amounts of damage to each other in fights and I'd imagine the same to a predator...they have cat sharp claws for the most part, and a powerful kick...they also box fiercely with their front claws and bite as well. Rabbit fights are nasty...almost as nasty as hamster fights lol.

Gina, you are right, I forgot how powerful their hind legs are. I had two pet rabits who could not be in the same room with wach other, they hated each other... and hamster fights are scary!

corvus

Posted : 9/28/2006 12:22:13 AM

Gina, that is so true! When they want to hurt each other, it's all out. Biting, scratching, kicking, and it's not uncommon for them to give each other absceses, or rip each other's ears. I know a lot of people who keep house rabbits and trying to bond two adults can be very scary, and expensive if you can't seperate them fast enough. [

] The first rabbit I got to hang out with Kit.... she was a fifth of his size when I got her, but the moment I stepped out of the room she'd attack Kit and I'd come back in to find her sitting in his litter tray with a clump of his hair in her mouth. I had to feed him on a chair so she wouldn't chase him off the food all the time. And she was just a baby! My latest bun bit me last week in a fit of rage and she drew blood. Don't want to mess with little fluffy prey animals!

tashakota

Posted : 9/28/2006 11:15:36 AM

I don't see a problem with selling them either. I have a ball python and he won't eat frozen at all. So I truck to the petstore every other week to get a live rat. I always supervise and I know within a few minutes if he's going to eat or not. I also do not knock them out. Can't do it. won't do it. So if he doesn't eat, I take the rat back to the store. Since the rat has no innate fear of snakes because of it's breeding, no harm done. And I'm pretty sure that if a snake wont' eat for whatever reason, that the mouse/rat/rabbit/whatever WILL get hungry and decide to "try" out everything in order to eat. They have to eat a lot and constantly to survive.

rwbeagles

Posted : 9/28/2006 11:18:32 AM

I actually had a nightmare about an angry Mad Rabbit after I watched the cartoon they made for 'Watership Down"...lmao! That movie was brutal!

ColleenC

Posted : 9/28/2006 4:24:19 PM

I'm glad to hear that everyone here supervises their snakes! If only my customers were that smart!

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 9/28/2006 4:47:39 PM

Dead mice thawing in a bowl on the counter would be a really great way to insure that someone you didn't want to come back ... really wouldn't come back.[sm=rofl.gif][sm=rofl.gif]

Joyce

k.m.a

Posted : 9/28/2006 5:07:43 PM

LOL! I'll keep that in mind next time I have an unwanted visitor. [

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What to do? Snake subject