# feeder corns?



## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

I have 30 very poor feeding hatchling corns this year. At the moment they are not losing condition, but if they don't start off properly soon euthanasia is a possibility. Rather than waste them my kingsnake will take frozen/thawed with relish, but I wondered if any king cobra owners/breeders would want them?


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## manda88 (Nov 27, 2009)

How old are they? What methods have you tried to get them feeding? I'm sure if you make a classifieds ad then some people would take them off your hands and get them going.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

Royal Pythons will make good food for Kings!


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## chondro13 (Aug 18, 2008)

slippery42 said:


> Royal Pythons will make good food for Kings!


RFUK needs a 'like' button...


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

manda88 said:


> How old are they? What methods have you tried to get them feeding? I'm sure if you make a classifieds ad then some people would take them off your hands and get them going.


all the usual tricks except live, because I don't breed my own mice any more. The rest of this year's corns all took off, fed well and sold, but this lot are having to be force-fed as they'd started to lose weight. I honestly will continue trying them as long as I feel they aren't suffering, (I've also rehabbed non-feeders for other people) but in the end I don't feel letting them lose condition is humane. I've never had so many non-feeders, and also wonder if it's fair to pass on potential problems even if they do make it. (IE, is there a genetic reason why this clutch isn't feeding and they are just not meant to survive?)
I'm asking about them becoming feeders if they don't make it, because I don't actually see corns as feeders as any different to the frozen mice I feed my corns on. I love my corns, but there are pet mice owners who would think I'm inhuman for buying frozen mice to feed them.


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## manda88 (Nov 27, 2009)

diamondlil said:


> all the usual tricks except live, because I don't breed my own mice any more. The rest of this year's corns all took off, fed well and sold, but this lot are having to be force-fed as they'd started to lose weight. I honestly will continue trying them as long as I feel they aren't suffering, (I've also rehabbed non-feeders for other people) but in the end I don't feel letting them lose condition is humane. I've never had so many non-feeders, and also wonder if it's fair to pass on potential problems even if they do make it. (IE, is there a genetic reason why this clutch isn't feeding and they are just not meant to survive?)
> I'm asking about them becoming feeders if they don't make it, because I don't actually see corns as feeders as any different to the frozen mice I feed my corns on. I love my corns, but there are pet mice owners who would think I'm inhuman for buying frozen mice to feed them.


Are they all from the same clutch then? Strange!


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Not all from the same clutch, but most are from a male I won't use for breeding again because although one or two poor feeders could be explained as chance I've got a nasty feeling he's the weak link, genetically.
For all I know, he could have started life as a poor feeder himself, been saved and now be the reason so many of his offspring are not starting well?


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## xvickyx (Jul 21, 2009)

I would post an add in the classifieds or rehoming, there are plenty of experienced people on here that can get them feeding & may want them


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

xvickyx said:


> I would post an add in the classifieds or rehoming, there are plenty of experienced people on here that can get them feeding & may want them


I'm experienced enough, Vicky. I've got a big healthy adult corn who took over 6 months to get feeding and I've rehabbed for other keepers. If this batch have a genetic quirk that's making them poor feeders and I pass the problem on, who's to say in 4 year's time there won't be heartache like this for anyone who bred them? If it was one corn I was going to keep as a pet, I'd be pulling out all the stops. In my view, part of breeding is making sure I only sell or give away healthy hatchlings. In this case, I'm heartbroken that these beautiful corns aren't thriving, but I don't see offering them as feeders in this section as any different to me ordering frozen mice for my corns.


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

These corns are now going to feed a Chinese banded king cobra.


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## slippery42 (Mar 23, 2008)

diamondlil said:


> These corns are now going to feed a Chinese banded king cobra.


Good idea, now can someone start getting rid of that glut of ugly royals and whilst your at it there are far to many Leopard Geckos so perhaps I 'll start feeding them to "hots":gasp:


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

I think the offer of feeders is a sound one from many angles.
1. Diamondlil is a well known corn breeder and wouldn't give them up easily, so I trust her judgment.
2. We all like seeing King cobras, so what did people think they ate?
3. I know King cobra keepers and they would be glad of the food..
More people need to think this way. it's not all about survival at any odds, it's survival of the fittest to keep the gene pool stronger.


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

SW-morelia said:


> I think the offer of feeders is a sound one from many angles.
> 1. Diamondlil is a well known corn breeder and wouldn't give them up easily, so I trust her judgment.
> 2. We all like seeing King cobras, so what did people think they ate?
> 3. I know King cobra keepers and they would be glad of the food..
> More people need to think this way. it's not all about survival at any odds, it's survival of the fittest to keep the gene pool stronger.


Cheers Mike. If you hadn't enabled my visit to Pete's and his collection I might not have thought of this, but being face-to-face with his king cobra through the viewing window left a lasting impression on me!


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

diamondlil said:


> Cheers Mike. If you hadn't enabled my visit to Pete's and his collection I might not have thought of this, but being face-to-face with his king cobra through the viewing window left a lasting impression on me!


I know that a new shipment of Kings have been in the news lately and I guess some of them will need snake supplements until they can be changed over to rodents... I would imagine that a lot of keepers would bite your hand off for an offer like this... It may not be everyones cup of tea but there again.... King cobras eat snakes, get over it if you want to see them....


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## Gomjaba (May 25, 2009)

SW-morelia said:


> I know that a new shipment of Kings have been in the news lately and I guess some of them will need snake supplements until they can be changed over to rodents... I would imagine that a lot of keepers would bite your hand off for an offer like this... It may not be everyones cup of tea but there again.... King cobras eat snakes, get over it if you want to see them....


A lot of snake keepers are hypocrites really .. part of the game I guess.


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

It would be nice (perhaps nice is the wrong word) to see more, then people would be more keen to get snakes like Bungarus flaviceps etc in!


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

I'd obviously have preferred every corn I hatched to have romped away and slithered off to a new home, but that isn't the reality. And as someone breeds the mice I buy to feed my corns, it's a no-brainer that someone has to produce what the Kings need too. And yes Mike, I really do want to see those Kings again, just let me know in time to arrange my shifts!


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Gomjaba said:


> A lot of snake keepers are hypocrites really .. part of the game I guess.


Unless their snakes eat broccoli, something dies to keep their pets healthy. At least this way my culls won't go to waste.


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## Gomjaba (May 25, 2009)

diamondlil said:


> Unless their snakes eat broccoli, something dies to keep their pets healthy. At least this way my culls won't go to waste.


Indeed .. :notworthy:


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

diamondlil said:


> I'd obviously have preferred every corn I hatched to have romped away and slithered off to a new home, but that isn't the reality. And as someone breeds the mice I buy to feed my corns, it's a no-brainer that someone has to produce what the Kings need too. And yes Mike, I really do want to see those Kings again, just let me know in time to arrange my shifts!


We ought to make a day of it and get over for a meet.... I'll have a chat with Pete and see what he's up to... I know he has a base nearer you now, but I'm unsure as to what is kept there.... Leave it with me and we'll try and sort something out... BTW did you offer the corns to him... He may want some.


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

SW-morelia said:


> We ought to make a day of it and get over for a meet.... I'll have a chat with Pete and see what he's up to... I know he has a base nearer you now, but I'm unsure as to what is kept there.... Leave it with me and we'll try and sort something out... BTW did you offer the corns to him... He may want some.


Erm, I've already said someone can have them all, but I'll check if he needs all of them?


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

diamondlil said:


> Erm, I've already said someone can have them all, but I'll check if he needs all of them?


I can guess who as well I think... LOL
Chances are they know each other anyway......:whistling2:


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

SW-morelia said:


> I can guess who as well I think... LOL
> Chances are they know each other anyway......:whistling2:


He is going to want them all if he can.


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## diamondlil (May 7, 2008)

Owzy said:


> He is going to want them all if he can.


Ok, seeing as he asked first.


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

Dunno... These guys all seem to know each other so share-zies may come into play..


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## Owzy (Jan 19, 2009)

SW-morelia said:


> Dunno... These guys all seem to know each other so share-zies may come into play..


Sharing is over rated :whistling2:

All jokes aside these will be a waste on adult Kings, they snack on pit vipers in the wild in some places but do not seem to fill them up in the slightest. Useful for younguns though!


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## Azemiops (May 1, 2008)

Many thanks for your offer on the baby snakes. Im sure any level-headed reptile keeper will see that feeding baby corns to a king cobra is no different to feeding baby mice to a corn snake.

As Owen stated, i would appreciate the lot, as kings require much more regular feeding than other species of snake. Half of them will be going to another keeper who has also picked up a baby chinese banded king cobra, so i will not be hoarding them all for myself : victory:

Pete, being a reptile shop owner, is in a far better position than us for getting feeder snakes for his babies, so im sure he will have no problem with me taking them. 

Cheers,

Tom


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## SWMorelia (May 15, 2007)

Off topic a bit, but, Tom how long/hard is the conversion to rodent diet?


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## Azemiops (May 1, 2008)

SW-morelia said:


> Off topic a bit, but, Tom how long/hard is the conversion to rodent diet?


Thats completely dependant on the indivdual snake. There are a few different factors that come in to play, including stress, environment, size and locality. Malaysian locality king cobras are thought to be the easiest to convert, where as king cobras from Indonesia seem to be much harder. That said, you can get difficult kings from Malaysia and easy kings from Indonesia. Time will tell what these chinese bandeds are like, but i think we will have a greater chance of success because these are young snakes.

My large male Malaysian king cobra came in as fresh wild-caught, and i had it feeding on large unscented rodents within 3 weeks. 

cheers,

Tom


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## pythonsandboas (Oct 7, 2010)

I have a large supply of live mice for last results and reckon i could get them feeding but unfortunately your a bit far :lol2:


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## pythonsandboas (Oct 7, 2010)

your welcome to come and get some live pinkies iff you wanted to try, 200 miles though:lol2:


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## leptophis (May 24, 2007)

thats it tom, your not my friend now, lol you and dave are hoarding all the food, lol


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