Thoughts on rodents as feeders?

Realevil1

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Any thoughts on rodents as feeders? obviously for bigger T's.
Any for or against with strong opinions and some knowledge on the subject?

I can see the benefits of feeding pinky mice to large t's, but feeder mice bigger than a fuzzy just seems like playing with fire imo not to mention messy after. And i personally would not even be feeding pre killed and certainly not thawed.
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
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In a word?

Don't

It is not worth the risk and honestly it is unnecessarily messy. Save rodent feeders for your snakes and carnivorous/omnivorous lizards.
 

Jones0911

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Any thoughts on rodents as feeders? obviously for bigger T's.
Any for or against with strong opinions and some knowledge on the subject?

I can see the benefits of feeding pinky mice to large t's, but feeder mice bigger than a fuzzy just seems like playing with fire imo not to mention messy after. And i personally would not even be feeding pre killed and certainly not thawed.
You can but I'd do pre killed to avoid injury /death of your T.

Also dont do adult rodents if/when they dont eat it all the smell left over is vile.

:yuck:
 

WeightedAbyss75

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I have done it, and it went alright. The problem is possible injury AND where it leaves the leftovers. It seriously smeels, and not really worth it. Crix and roaches work out way better IMO :D
 

Misty Day

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I've never done it before, but if I did it'd be a thawed one. Live rodents pose too much of a risk to the T.
 

Teal

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Is the issue still the amount of calcium effecting molts? That is what I heard way back when.

I gave my OBT girl who had just laid a sac a f/t pinkie that my snake didn't want. She ate the whole darn thing. And she is fine. I wouldn't do it on a regular basis, but variety is good.
 

Flexzone

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Is the issue still the amount of calcium effecting molts? That is what I heard way back when.

I gave my OBT girl who had just laid a sac a f/t pinkie that my snake didn't want. She ate the whole darn thing. And she is fine. I wouldn't do it on a regular basis, but variety is good.
No, The vertebrate feeder calcium molt myth is just that a myth the issue is iether the feeder is strong enough to overpower the T and possibly cause an injury or the leftover meals vile smell.
 

viper69

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Any thoughts on rodents as feeders? obviously for bigger T's.
Any for or against with strong opinions and some knowledge on the subject?

I can see the benefits of feeding pinky mice to large t's, but feeder mice bigger than a fuzzy just seems like playing with fire imo not to mention messy after. And i personally would not even be feeding pre killed and certainly not thawed.
As a regular diet I would not do this as they don't eat mice regularly. They are opportunistic predators in the wild.

Feeding pinkies is OK. Below are statements regarding more mature mice.

Also, feeding mice that are not pre-killed, is not smart. Now you MIGHT say "well they do it in the wild" Aside from needing to support that claim with data, the real reason one shouldn't feed a live mammal to a T is you are feeding them in a CONTAINED environment.

If you end up with an aggressive mouse, the T has no where to go initially. In the wild the T can back up. In a container, the T could be cornered and it's only retreat defense is to go up. Going up is a slower form of retreat than simply moving backward, even for a T.

So, one to ask themselves, are you doing this for entertainment or the Ts benefit, feeding a live mouse, instead of a pre-killed. It's certainly not for the Ts benefit.

EVEN snakes fed a live feeder are at risk when fed live, and they are a far more efficient predator in killing mice than a T.

Good luck, your T will need it!
 

Venom1080

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there is zero reason to feed mice, even pinkie mice. tomato hornworms are as fat and make a great meal for very large spiders, and are cheaper than mice. if you really want to, go for it, but just know that theres a feew cons and no benefits.
 

viper69

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there is zero reason to feed mice, even pinkie mice. tomato hornworms are as fat and make a great meal for very large spiders, and are cheaper than mice. if you really want to, go for it, but just know that theres a feew cons and no benefits.
What are the cons to feeding the occasional pinkie?
 

viper69

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the smell after, the cost of a single pinkie, the fact that its not any cooler than feeding it insects.
Ah, I see. I thought maybe you knew of some health issues. Yeah the cost is obscene compared to insects, same w/the smell!
 

Chris LXXIX

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No way. I don't want to put at risk one of my precious T's. Trust me, "you" never know at the end. A mouse wouldn't remain exactly calm when hot, and full of powerful venom, chelicerae enters. They try to resist before dying, and quite frankly that's normal if we try to consider their point of view, now. They can scratch the T's or worst. Is all of those possible scenario/s that 99 out of 100 will force someone to create a thread here asking and seeking for a "remedy" for, so much worth? Only because "happens in the wild" ?

That's a thing I can't stand. First, we aren't in the wild, but at our homes, in captivity. It's completely different and I feel like a total idiot only for point such a Lapalissiano statement.

Second, I see no reasons when, for adults, a couple of well hydrated adult B.dubia are by far equal if not better.

Third, I do not enjoy the sight of (and hear the scream) animal* suffering.

With a cricket is different... they die, but it's like a man hit by a full truck in the highway, dead in no time.


* Animals, I've said, because if I could been rich enough to own a giant African crocodile, rest assured, I will feed him certain humans without remorse, not joking. And my list is long :)
 
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jigalojey

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Dec 23, 2012
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I feed by big girls pre-killed hopper mice after a molt, I find it much easier than sticking 7 crickets in.
 

EulersK

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The argument of a "big meal" doesn't really hold. Horn worms can get as large as a grown man's thumb, hissers are a big meal even for a T. stirmi, and gravid dubias are abundant in a colony.

I just don't understand why anyone would want to deal with the smell, that's my main thing.
 

Realevil1

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Sep 7, 2016
Messages
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I agree with all these comments. I have not and never will feed bigger than a large fuzzy. I honestly cant see any big benefit from large rodent feeders.

Now keep in mind in Alberta and most of Canada actually we have no access to roaches (illegal), so feeding large LP or Brachy takes a larger number of prey items, mainly crickets.

Even a large horned worm is still a small (and messy) meal for a large hungry T. I find it a bit frustrating to feed large T's crickets but not enough to justify feeding mice.

I see alot of video and pictures out there of people feeding T's mice and all i can think is, what are they gunna do if that mouse decides to take a big chunk out of that spider, it'll be toast. Just really frustrating and disappointing to how many careless keepers there are in the hobby.
 
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