How often should I feed him? uh and how exactly do you preki

Squirgle · #1 (**permalink**) 06-03-2002, 05:56 PM

Ok my place of work just acquired a (roughly) 40 inch ball python from some kid who absolutely refused to feed anything but live. (Don't even get me started on that one) Anyway we now have this big ball at work that only eats live, but I'd Much rather get it to eat f/t for obvious reasons. Today is going to be its first feeding in the store and I'm going to see if I can get it to take a prekilled mouse. (Small I know, but its either live/killed mouse or frozen rat)
So how exactly Do you kill it? I think I under stand the tail tug, but how hard do you have to pull? I don't want to damage the mouse externally or anything. So if someone could tell me that, I'd appreciate it.
Oh, one other thing, how often should I feed him once I get him to eat the properly sized items? At 40 inches, what every 2-3 weeks?
Excuse my ignorance, all my snakes at home are around two feet so I haven't dealt with a bigger snake yet, and our true reptile savy people at work left over the past couple of months.
Thanks! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Squirgle

eddie · #2 (**permalink**) 06-03-2002, 06:01 PM

OK, start out with stunning, ya grab the foods tail and swing it on a counter top tapping the back of the skull on the edge.
Not too hard for a stun.

A lot harder for a kill.

If you stun , just watch it. Stunned food does wake up some times.
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Squirgle · #3 (**permalink**) 06-03-2002, 06:06 PM

Oh, ok that doesn't sound too difficult [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
Thanks I'll give that a shot tonight and post how it goes.
Squirgle
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Ed_r · #4 (**permalink**) 06-03-2002, 07:40 PM

I just dangle it by the tail and crack it on the back of the head with a long screwdriver nandle or souvenier baseball bat. one or 2 good whacks leaves em shakin on the cage floor.
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Squirgle · #5 (**permalink**) 06-04-2002, 06:28 AM

*shudder*
Boy do I feel terrible. Not only did I not have the guts to really swing hard enough but once I finally did 'stun' the mouse it went into like a seizure. The little thing was twitching and spazing for quite a bit. I actually thought I had killed it until I saw that it was still breathing afterwards. Once it quit convulsing I covered the tub to give the snake privacy and went about my business, peeking in every minute or so to make sure the mouse wasn't 'awake'. Roughly an hour later the snake still hadn't done more than 'snuggle in' and seem to go to sleep in the corner with his buddy in the far corner. I didn't want the mouse to suffer anymore since it was still breathing and kinda twitching once in a while so I just removed the mouse and did the pencil thing, which by the way made me feel even worse. I put a pen behind its head (at this point it chose to wake up and start squirming) and pulled its tail until I heard this real disturbing crunch/pop at which point the convulsions resumed with a vengence for about ten secconds before it stilled.
I feel so awfull, all that and the stupid snake wasn't even interested.
[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_cry.gif[/img]
Why do people chose to feed live? The person who gave the snake up; A. Sold us this ~42 inch ball python that was getting 'too big' after purchasing a baby three days before, B. REFUSES to feed anything but live, and C. no matter what myself and the other reptile enthusiast (excuse the spelling) told him, didn't care less, he Insisted on feeding live. ARG [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_evil.gif[/img]

(Finished ranting and raving now I think)
Squirgle

cb76 · #6 (**permalink**) 06-04-2002, 07:04 AM

there is nothing wrong with feeding fresh prey as long as its pre-killed.
simple- you have to get over it.

i am sad everytime i have o do it because these rats are like lil' dogs- but remember- its part of its nature in captivity! this is something we have to do in order to keep these animals.

now you are gonna bump in to common A hole (i would say occasional, but there are alot out there) who will absolutly refuse to do anything right because he/ she thinks they know whats best- all we can do is try to educate them. if it dont take- at least you tried.

i totally know what its like to see the rat still breathing. what you have to learn to do is wack harder and correctly!

if you do that method- grab the tail and swing really hard. i place news papers on the floor and whack them on that.

hey, i have to do it couple hundred times every feeding. it sux, but ithas to be done.

what ever method you do- it will have the convulsions. no one said death was pretty.

dude, snakes will eat anything. after pre killing the food- hold it by the tail and jiggle it in front of the face.

i left dead prey inthe tubs and they sniff around it thinking the food may be underneath it. its the movement thing. a jiggle will work wonders.

i totally like the fact that you are human enough to realize that this is the messed up part about keeping. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] like i tell all the beginners- dont worry. it gets easier. its just a matter of descenitizing your self.

hey- people are A holes! nothing you can do about that. he'll see sooner or later.......

all ypu can do is try.

good luck
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Kitdog · #7 (**permalink**) 06-13-2002, 06:22 PM

Try telling the place where you get your prey from to give you the manest rat or mouse they have, I just started pre killing mine after reading some posts here. I wasnt realy live feeding eather. I alwayse had a problem with the idea of smaking their little heads on a table because I had a pet rat that was given to me once. so I tried many other ways to stun them. I would spin the box thay came in till they were so dizzy they would not be able to walk, (mice only) they feed slither, tried to shock a rat with a cattle prod once didnt go to well, so I tried the screw driver after reading it here. It works well and if you have ever been in a fight with someone way bigger than you then you know, its alwayse the good knock out punch you dont feel.(had a foot ball player hit me in the back of the head once for messing with his woman I didnt even know till I woke up in my friends car about 10 minutes later [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] ) so dont worry about the gore of it its awful and all but it has to be done. and when they are twitching throw them in the movement will get the snakes attention. also try feeding in a plastic rubbermaid tub, with a peice of cardboard on the bottom, the rat smell will accumulate and the the snake will be ready to eat as soon as you stick it in their, also if the snake wount find the food you can have it in one corner and the snake in the other raise your finger just a little above the prey on the outside of the box and wiggle it and the snake should notice the prey.
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JC86 · #8 (**permalink**) 06-14-2002, 03:50 PM

I switch my Ball Python over to Rat Pups a few weeks ago. The Pet store here doesn't have them frozen, just live, so I have to kill them.

I put the rat into a plastic grocery bag (Publix bag here), wrap the bag up a little bit so I get a better grip, and then wack it against my wall as hard as I possibly can.

Why I like it:
-I don't actually see the rat get hit, it's in the bag which is opaque.
-It kills the rat instantly. Sometimes the rat goes into convulsions, but that's just the nervous system going into overload.
-There is no way the Rat felt anything. Nuthing could stay concious through that much blunt trama to the brain. Even if it's not killed instantly it's unconcious and dies without feeling it.

And yeah, dangle the food in front of the face of the snake. Mine kinda ignore it if I drop it into the tub, but if I wiggle a fresh killed rat in front of the face of the snake, it'll think it's still alive and take it.

Good luck!
Scott
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