# Apart from Rats, Mice and Multis, what other random weird and odd things do you feed them worms ?



## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

This is not to ask 'what else can I feed' - more like a thread about wondering what other feeders people come across to feed their snakes.

I tend to mix it up ... a lot .... lol

So far, apart from the usual, I fed the other usual ones


Guinea Pigs
Rabbit
Quail
The more unusual stuff I have fed so far - which are hard to come by. Whilst farms supply them, a lot of them are shot, hence you risk having shot in them. But so far I managed to get my hands on

Squirrel
Duck
Chicken
Pheasant
Pigeon
Partridge
and the weirdest so far

Blue tongue skink

Obviously none of them were live, pet shop bought or otherwise from a dodgy source. Birds were from a farm that died from natural or otherwise (non illness related) causes. The skink was a pet and died of old age and was in a freezer for months as the owner wanted to preserve it - never got around it so may as well make the best of it.

Had a chance to get an opossum as well but that died of an illness so I didn't take any chance.

Anyway, what have you fed your snakes that isn't on the normal list ? Even better - if it isn't the usual rodent, where did you get it from  ?


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## Elly66 (Feb 27, 2021)

How can you be sure they died from no illness related issues? Not sure I'd be using birds where risk of bird flu, so intrigued.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

In this case some birds were from private keepers that killed them for food and they tend to be in freezers for months. In this case the Pheasant and Patridge were initially raised as pets (rescues eggs) then decided to have for food and changed their mind as they couldn’t go through with it (gutting and the sorts). They were despatched and put in freezer until they get around it so I ended up with them. Pigeon was a pet as well that hit a window and broke its neck. Squirrel was a rescue that died after being killed by their cat. Duck and chicken are from a reptile food shop so I have to believe they do it properly.

so yea you need to know the story behind it. It is a shame that there aren’t breeder out there that breed variety.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Jibbajabba said:


> It is a shame that there aren’t breeder out there that breed variety.


It's probably not commercially viable. Small birds may produce just two or three eggs, and it can take 3-4 months before they reach fledgling size suitable for a corn snake or young royal. They would thus be sold as a premium, which might make most of us walk away. In that same period of time rodents that we normally feed may have had 30-50 young, with some of those reaching maturity and had their own litters of 6-8 young.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Oh yea I get it .... I am thinking more like a side 'gig' of farms that have them around anyway - like ex-layers etc.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Jibbajabba said:


> Oh yea I get it .... I am thinking more like a side 'gig' of farms that have them around anyway - like ex-layers etc.


TSM have for some time now listed "grown on chickens" 300-500g, and 2-3kg ex layer ducks...at £5 and £6.50 each respectively.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Oh REALLY  

Don't I know it


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Let me know how the boa manages with a chicken... Mine takes 30-40 minutes with a quail (half of that is making sure its dead  )


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

She struggle with a quail due to the feet actually. After three hours with feet sticking out of her mouth I cut them off lol


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

@Malc 

just a size comparison as to how large they are. Here next to a jumbo rat


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Well I think I'll be having words with Simon, the ex-layer quail received on my last order weren't that large, but they were fatter, which is why my boa take so long, its like swallowing a grapefruit !

I always cut the feet off just to be safe - he has been observed taking a quail feet first, well by that he's grabbed it mid body and then proceeded to swallow, folding the head to the feet !


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

I gave all quails away last time I ordered some (don't know a 'Simon' but I ordered from kiezebrink) - they were tiny and my boa just won't have seconds unless I really time it well it chuck it down her throat when the first one is almost done. Can't be bothered with that - I just want to feed and walk away. 

I am actually surprised how small the chicken is from TSM so I think it'll be another feed in 2 weeks. 

She smashed a large rabbit once too but OMG - the worst part ? The poo ... that was the first time it made me gag lol ... huge massive smelly mess lol (TMI, sorry). She didn't get anything for almost 7 weeks after. 

Tonight I feed her the chicken so I let you know ... 

Oh my local reptile shop I order my rabbits and rats from is good. Rabbits and birds come with legs cut almost off already.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Damm I thought that was a quail hence my comments...That looks thin for a chicken, and we used to keep chickens (wife said no when one died and I wanted to give my boa a fresh meal !) and they were plumper than that !

Simon is the S in TSM, his partner is Tanya,


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Yea that isn't bigger than a quail ... shocking I know ... Might even have to give another one in a week - assuming she eats it. I mean she had chicken before but that was freshly killed and plumber ...


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

@Malc Looks like I can't even complain - they advertise it as 300-500g and it weighs 380g. Based on that the previous chickens I fed must have been around 600-700g.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Butt first so far .. but yea - looks small ... that's a 2 week meal


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

@Malc Took her about 50 minutes butt first


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Does look small. No much bigger than the quail I give mine every fortnight (other than the last lot Simon sent which were on the small size compared to previous orders. Mind you I tend to feed small and often rather than a huge meal once a month !


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Yea I mix it up.


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## LiasisUK (Sep 30, 2019)

Quails are a good food source, get them from Kiezebrink sometimes. 

I have fed all manner of bird species to snakes, though mainly pigeons, a friend used to give them to me.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Would love to know where your friend gets them from. Any source I found cannot guarantee shoot free birds.


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## frogeyed (Nov 8, 2012)

Jibbajabba said:


> Would love to know where your friend gets them from. Any source I found cannot guarantee shoot free birds.


When I used to fly Steppes Eagles in the Middle East, I had plenty of offers of pigeons, all turned down.
Pigeons did not receive the nickname " Rats with Wings" for nothing.
Pigeons are the potential carriers of just about every avian disease going.
There is even a disease that can be passed onto humans causing respiratory problems from air borne particals from infected droppings.
Some of the pigeon deseases are visual, many are not. 
There is also a Nile Virus with mosquitos being blamed, until it was proven they pigeons were the source and the carriers.
I personally wouldn't touch them as feeders.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

The one pigeon I had came from a private breeder. I wouldn’t touch wild ones.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Just as a follow up this is the size of quail my boa is getting each fortnight.- This one was 267g










And in true boa fashion he took it mid body and folded the head round. As I mentioned, these are not slender like rats, so take a little longer to get down. If you ignore the 25 minutes spent making sure it was dead, it took him 35 minutes to swallow !



















I must get a longer pair of feeding tongs.... the bugger nearly had me rather than the quail !


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

And as you see, he ties himself in knots in the process !!


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

@Malc Where you get your from. Because last batch I had from Kiezebrink and they were tiny.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Jibbajabba said:


> @Malc Where you get your from. Because last batch I had from Kiezebrink and they were tiny.


TSM... I get all my from Simon & Tanya. I thought these were small compared to some I've had in the past....!!


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## ian14 (Jan 2, 2008)

Jibbajabba said:


> Yea that isn't bigger than a quail ... shocking I know ... Might even have to give another one in a week - assuming she eats it. I mean she had chicken before but that was freshly killed and plumber ...


Given the feathered feet I'll take a guess it's a bantam chicken, which are small.


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## Pirate7 (Apr 7, 2008)

To spice things up a little I use frogs legs (from a local Chinese supermarket so suitable for human consumption) for the false water cobra, he normaly gets a rat or two. For the Boigas and Baron's their treats are quail chicks (as they are still a bit small for full size) but their diet is either rats or mice, depending what's in the freezer. My boa gets an XL rat every 2 weeks, I tried a quail once and he regurgitated it, so I never tried that again, he's a sensitive little dude.

Also, I have fed a non-feeding boiga a mourning gecko (never again!), and I used to breed my own mice which was great for non-feeding baby boigas as I was able to do fresh kill diet.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

ian14 said:


> Given the feathered feet I'll take a guess it's a bantam chicken, which are small.


Whilst I get it - as a customer I shouldn't care which breed that is  

I think the issue is that they advertise quite a wide range of weight and then you receive the low end .... 200g difference (between top and bottom end) is quite significant for birds that size. 

Also notice they don't advertise weight for quails ... I ordered some ex layers from them and a medium rabbit so will see what the size is.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Pirate7 said:


> To spice things up a little I use frogs legs (from a local Chinese supermarket so suitable for human consumption) for the false water cobra, he normaly gets a rat or two. For the Boigas and Baron's their treats are quail chicks (as they are still a bit small for full size) but their diet is either rats or mice, depending what's in the freezer. My boa gets an XL rat every 2 weeks, I tried a quail once and he regurgitated it, so I never tried that again, he's a sensitive little dude.
> 
> Also, I have fed a non-feeding boiga a mourning gecko (never again!), and I used to breed my own mice which was great for non-feeding baby boigas as I was able to do fresh kill diet.


What was wrong when you fed a gecko @Pirate7 ? When I fed the skink to my boa I think the worst part was the poo - smelled worse than usual. But the worst poo was when she had a big rabbit - it was the smell and amount that made me gag lol ... But yea I mix it up ... small feeds for a while and more often, followed by a rabbit and then 6-8 weeks nothing ... the boa certainly looks solid muscle and proper square so I think it works for her. 

She is my first and only boa - I bred balls for 10+ years and hots but boa is the first non venomous large one for me. So refreshing being able to park her on the banister for cleaning. Was a heck of a lot more fuff when cleaning out a 6ft gaboon or 12ft king


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Jibbajabba said:


> Whilst I get it - as a customer I shouldn't care which breed that is
> 
> I think the issue is that they advertise quite a wide range of weight and then you receive the low end .... 200g difference (between top and bottom end) is quite significant for birds that size.
> 
> Also notice they don't advertise weight for quails ... I ordered some ex layers from them and a medium rabbit so will see what the size is.


 I have to agree on the sizing and weight... and nothing is consistent. I ordered small rats and weaner rats on my last order and with some I'm pushed to find the difference, the weaner are large. Also you can order XL of one thing as you were impressed with the size and weight the previous time you ordered it, only to find that the items received are nowhere near the size and weight of the previously provided items. Granted you will get some variation, but 200g over a range is very wide margin. Be interesting to hear what you receive on this occasion. Largest rat I had from TSM was just shy of 500g, it was huge, and made for a nice meal for the boa... most XL females I have received since seem to average around the 390 - 400g mark

But on the whole I'm happy with the service I get from Simon and Tanya. The fact you can call their mobile number and they will speak with you to discuss your needs, even outside business hours means a lot to me. Most of the newer companies seem to be strictly web based and don't publish their contact number. If I had to complain about something it would be the images they use on their website as it doesn't reflect what you actually get. The chicken being the prime example, the image is of a normal egg producing chicken, where you appear to have received a bantam.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Shops should really stop advertising sizes - i.e. small / medium / large. Because it just shows what is large / medium to THEM. 

The ex-breeder / jumbo rats I am getting from Kiezebrink are 460g-500g .. A MEDIUM rabbit I got from a local reptile shop is 1.2KG whereas a second MEDIUM rabbit from the same shop was 450g ... It's nuts ... I mean thankfully the boa is large enough to take whatever, so if I feed that huge rabbit I just know there won't be food for 6-8 weeks and I'll puke when cleaning poo lol .. but when I was breeding balls I would have wasted a lot of money by getting unpredictable sizes - hence I bred them myself.


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## Pirate7 (Apr 7, 2008)

Jibbajabba said:


> What was wrong when you fed a gecko @Pirate7 ? When I fed the skink to my boa I think the worst part was the poo - smelled worse than usual. But the worst poo was when she had a big rabbit - it was the smell and amount that made me gag lol ... But yea I mix it up ... small feeds for a while and more often, followed by a rabbit and then 6-8 weeks nothing ... the boa certainly looks solid muscle and proper square so I think it works for her.
> 
> She is my first and only boa - I bred balls for 10+ years and hots but boa is the first non venomous large one for me. So refreshing being able to park her on the banister for cleaning. Was a heck of a lot more fuff when cleaning out a 6ft gaboon or 12ft king


Honestly I felt so crap for days after doing it... Never happened before. Haha agreed - her poo was vile! - Haha Boa poo is like dog poo, but just super super warm. Agree varitiy is key, all animals like a change, im sure thats why snakes sometimes refuse their regular food. 

Haha that's amazing. My goal is getting some squams, eyelash vipers, rattlers and monocled at some point in my life - but for now just rear fanged colubrids - so I can imagine they are a bit exciting when it comes to cleaning out. I bet their feeding response was mental too, the King is it/was it on snakes or did you get it onto a rat/bird diet?


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Jibbajabba said:


> Shops should really stop advertising sizes - i.e. small / medium / large. Because it just shows what is large / medium to THEM.


Yup what is a medium mouse to one supplier is another ones adult. - No consistency between suppliers.

I tried a rabbit with my boa a while back and he just refused it. Granted we all know they can take large meals, but often the stress and strain it puts on them makes them prefer smaller meals more often.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Pirate7 said:


> I bet their feeding response was mental too, the King is it/was it on snakes or did you get it onto a rat/bird diet?


@Pirate7 When I received them as a rescue they were on live unfortunately. So yes they had a rat / mouse diet but not f/t ... They did have the occasional snake. I think I mentioned it in another thread or here somewhere, but I was mainly using 'feeder corns' for my baby King Cobras and any still born or otherwise destroyed corn (for one reason or another) was happily eaten by the King Snake. So yea - rodent live or snakes freshly killed. 

I did have a pair of mexican kingsnakes and they happily had mice or rats f/t ... just really depends. I really try for a LONG time to get snakes onto f/t ... but most snakes (bar royal / balls) I had were rescues and some were just really hard to get onto rodents and / or f/t ..


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Malc said:


> Yup what is a medium mouse to one supplier is another ones adult. - No consistency between suppliers.
> 
> I tried a rabbit with my boa a while back and he just refused it. Granted we all know they can take large meals, but often the stress and strain it puts on them makes them prefer smaller meals more often.


It seems my boa smashed everything and anything. No matter the size or type. The only thing she doesn't do is having seconds. So if the meal is too small - I cannot get her to take another one.


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

@Malc

Ex Layer Quail received from TSM compared to their chickens










Chicken def. not worth the premium at that size.


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Thanks for the comparison... Maybe we should try and switch them to shop bought chickens.










1kg - 1.3kg - £2.79 form Sainsbury's - twice the weight and half the price 😯 - wonder if they would like stuffing to go with that


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## Jibbajabba (Jan 31, 2011)

Stuff em with a quail lol


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