Would you buy a snake feeding on ASFR?

I have seen a few ads pop up lately for baby BP's (morphs) that have it listed that they are feeding on ASFR's and it really bugs me that the sellers would start them on these. I would definitely NOT buy any animal that is being fed soft furred rats. We are not talking about an adult import that you cannot get feeding. We are talking about CBB morphs. I think it is stupid to start hatchlings feeding on this when common feeders are readily available. Realistically, how many people have access to a steady supply of these feeders? If you want to sell a CBB baby, you should have it feeding on readily available rodents if you want to sell it. Why get them established on soft furred rats and make the buyer have to deal with trying to get them to switch to normal mice or rats?

It would not bother me one way or the other. Every snake I own will readily eat rats or ASFs from one week to the next. My personal opinion on CBBs is that they are not picky like some imports are as long as you are making the adjustments needed to keep each individual Ball happy. I have racks that are kept at 88-90, some racks are at 90-92 and some at 92-94. All because some of my snakes prefer different temps. Some need hides, some dont. Some like 32 quart tubs some like the bigger CB-70 Iris tubs. In my experience, if you are addressing their environmental needs they will eat anything.

I can understand people using nothing but ASFs, they dont get too big to feed off like rats do. An adult ASF is the perfect size for adult BPs. I know when my rats get too big I have to start scrambling to get rid of them. Not with my ASF colonies. I just have a holding tub for weaned males and a holding tub for weaned females. They never get too big to feed off!!

I do understand your concerns to a degree. And out of common courtesy I dont let any of my CBBs that I am going to sell touch anything but a rat. But like I said above, if you are taking the proper care of a CBB, then getting it to eat any rodent should not be a problem in most cases. But I think you are being a bit closed minded thinking everyone should do things a certain way. Like when I hear people griping about getting CBBs that are not converted to F/T yet. Or getting CBBs that are not on rats yet, or that are on rats and not mice.

Not everyone is going to do things the same way. It dont make them wrong or stupid. If you dont want to deal with a person that is selling a snake started on ASFs then dont buy from them. Same with the people who insist on them already eating F/T. Or eating whatever way they personally want it to be. Just go buy from someone else, no need to insult people just because they dont do things the way you want them to. That is really lame in my book.

This just bugs me. Even though I do have access to soft furred, I just think it is wrong to be feeding hatchlings these and offering them for sale when there are still many people out there who don't.
I have no problem feeding them these if they are holdbacks but if you are selling a snake and ship it across the country where people may not have access to them, I don't think that is right. Shipping can cause a great feeder to go off feed until it settles in. Now add to it that you may not have access to what it has been feeding on.
I just feel that if you want to sell a snake online, that you should have it feeding on readily available rodents. This way the person buying it can go to any petstore and get live feeders if needed or buy frozen ones online. Some BP's can be stubborn feeders and prefer one type of food.
It just bugs me to think that a person may get stuck with a BP morph that refuses regular rats or mice because it wants soft furred ones.
I think the seller should look at what impact this might have upon buyers and not feed these just out of convenience.

I think as long as they clearly state its feeding on ASF's there really shouldnt be a problem. If you want something feeding on rats, look for an animal that is feeding on rats.

BUT. maybe its possible that if you REALLY want said animal, that the breeder can work on switching it to normal rats, or have a few trial feedings to see if it will readily take them before you buy it.

Again, this falls back to people not doing things the way YOU want them to do things. I turn away people every year who insist I convert my babies to F/T or mice. I refuse to do it. I dont feed F/T or mice and dont have the time or inclination to deal with it.

It is real simple, if you dont like how the seller is feeding their babies then buy from someone else who will cater to your specific wants. Expecting the whole world to do things the way you think it should be done is just plain narrow minded.

Originally Posted by shrap

I turn away people every year who insist I convert my babies to F/T or mice. I refuse to do it. I dont feed F/T or mice and dont have the time or inclination to deal with it.

See now I have gotten animals taking f/t for people who asked me to do it.
If someone wanted an animal and they could provide a good home for it, and it was currently taking live, I have no problem trying to switch it from live to f/t for them if I could. Granted some don't switch easily but I would try to do for them if asked.
Perfect example of that from a customer.

had them both on F/T for me

.

I think you should do everything possible to ensure the buyers sucess with the animal and although you cannot control everything once it leaves, having it feeding on rodents not readily available is one thing you can control.

Maybe I'm getting jaded due to some bad deals lately and this is probably just a dumb topic but it seems a lot of people out there nowadays just don't care about customers anymore and do whatever is easiest for them.

I'd really feel bad if I sold someone a snake feeding on soft furred rats and it didn't convert to normal mice/rats for them and they couldn't get them easily.

In our rodent colony we have ASF rats, mice, gerbils and siberian hamsters. Some ball pythons tend to prefer one over the other. They will sometimes hesitate with a mouse (and they have eating before) but they don't even "think twice" with an ASF. There's something with the ASF hoppers it might be the smell but they really move faster than the common mouse and some baby balls really like something very active. Having said this there are other baby balls that get scared when something is hyperactive, particularly when it hits them on the run. In short, nothing's perfect

It isn't a dumb topic at all, Steve...but if the seller is being upfront about the fact that they are feeding ASF rats, I don't have a problem with the idea of them doing it. Many of us do, however, sometimes forget that a lot of people really are uninformed about the animals they are purchasing. They don't know that some balls can be problematic feeders, wouldn't have a clue what ASF stood for, and wouldn't think that there might be a problem feeding their new snake mice from the local pet store. I think that if one is feeding a specialty item by choice, it would be a good practice to mention it during communications with potential customers...possibly going as far as asking if they have a source for feeders should the animal choose not to accept standard fare

There is nothing wrong with a person doing what something that is convenient/easy for them in the course of caring for their animals. I have a few baby milks that are feeding on ASF pinks, because my mice stopped producing and I ran out of frozen. Does that make me a bad keeper? A bad seller (not that I have advertised these yet)? I don't think so - I am just feeding them what I have available.

As far as the ad goes the only thing I like to see is a description of what they are actually eating. That's probably among the first questions one should ask when purchasing a snake but if you look at the current ads most sellers disclose what they are feeding their animals.

Regards.