Feeding Live Birds to Ball Pythons

[Madd Season Morphs]

what????

If the birds work out, you should try bearded dragons next

Maddseason

 

[bamagurl76]

My ball python is commin around to ist 1st birthday. I want to feed it a live parakeet. Is this a ok or HORRIBLE idea? I know they eat birds in the wild, and ive heard people talk about feeding them, but I have never done it. I know snakes could care less about thier b-days, it is more for my sadistic pleasure. Any thoughts???
Her hatch date is March 17 (St. Patricks Day), so whatever my pole says on that day is whats gonna happen.
Hopefully ill b drinkin a green beer, watchin my snake strangle the life out of some helpless lil yellow parakeet.

After reading this again. I think maybe you are in the wrong hobby. As I said before I think it is a bad idea. And I stand by that still!!! Grrrrrrrrrr

 

[akaangela]

I will agree with everyone else. Bad idea. If it was a live you might get your ball hurt.

If you want to give your ball something special for his b-day special try just singing to it I wouldn't play with what it eats as it might get imprinted on that item.

If you just HAVE to give it something special to eat try an ASF or a gerbil, keep in mind the snake might get imprinted on them and not want to go back to rats.

If you want to feed a snake a bird get a bird eating snake then you can watch it strangle the life out of a helpless little yellow parakeet every time you feed it.

 

[Madd Season Morphs]

Sing him a song

Now thats great. I suggest Welcome to the Jungle ( Guns N Roses ) or as your feeding the Parakeet -- sorry for the spelling -- Blind ( Korn )

ARE YOU READYYYYYYYYY. Dunna Dunna Dunna Dunna

 

[GREGORY J HALL]

DUMB!

 

[[email protected]]

I will agree with everyone else. Bad idea. If it was a live you might get your ball hurt.

If you want to give your ball something special for his b-day special try just singing to it I wouldn't play with what it eats as it might get imprinted on that item.

If you just HAVE to give it something special to eat try an ASF or a gerbil, keep in mind the snake might get imprinted on them and not want to go back to rats.

If you want to feed a snake a bird get a bird eating snake then you can watch it strangle the life out of a helpless little yellow parakeet every time you feed it.

I appreciate the somewhat cynical non-demining perspective. I realize you guys are serious about your animals and dont want them hurt, neither do I. I love my snakes. But seriously you guys need to lighten up a little bit.

 

[Twizted Paths]

Sure we'll all just jump right on the band wagon while you not only practice bad husbandry, possibly endangering your snake, but make us keepers look like scum too

 

[Utta]

Sure we'll all just jump right on the band wagon while you not only practice bad husbandry, possibly endangering your snake, but make us keepers look like scum too

"lighten up" are you kidding me? You should get out of this hobby if you feel the need to feed you ball a parakeet for "sadistic pleasure"...

 

[garweft]

If you want to feed a snake a bird get a bird eating snake then you can watch it strangle the life out of a helpless little yellow parakeet every time you feed it.

What makes a parakeet's life worth more than a rats?

Maybe if he killed and froze the parakeet first it would be better?

 

[Twizted Paths]

1.

Why not puppies then?

The line between pets & prey for our herps is blurry but it does exist, just as it does for our own human food.

Feed it a chicken or quail chick, they are food.

2.

Yes, f/t or p/k would be better if he really must prove his machismo through his snake.

 

[Riyo]

It's not even that that I am hung up on (though I agree with Twizted Paths that the line has to be drawn somewhere) It's the fact that it is for his sadistic pleasure that he's doing it.

 

[Madd Season Morphs]

He must be a young gun. after checking out his user file, you will notice things like:

Signature
I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me... So getting mad at a kid will get us no were.

To answer your question though. I would not feed my balls birds nor would I suggest you do so. Birds have bugs on them if I am correct. and mabe just mabe that might not be so good for your snake. If you love your snake and want to give him a happy b-day. hook him up with a bigger enclosure, mabey take some Sexy pics of him, Mabe even just give him 2 rats instead of one. Then sing to him.

All in all -- bird probly not such a good idea

 

[bamagurl76]

He must be a young gun. after checking out his user file, you will notice things like:

Signature
I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me... So getting mad at a kid will get us no were.

To answer your question though. I would not feed my balls birds nor would I suggest you do so. Birds have bugs on them if I am correct. and mabe just mabe that might not be so good for your snake. If you love your snake and want to give him a happy b-day. hook him up with a bigger enclosure, mabey take some Sexy pics of him, Mabe even just give him 2 rats instead of one. Then sing to him.

All in all -- bird probly not such a good idea

ROTFLMAO!!!!!

 

[Utta]

He must be a young gun. after checking out his user file, you will notice things like:

Signature
I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me... So getting mad at a kid will get us no were.

To answer your question though. I would not feed my balls birds nor would I suggest you do so. Birds have bugs on them if I am correct. and mabe just mabe that might not be so good for your snake. If you love your snake and want to give him a happy b-day. hook him up with a bigger enclosure, mabey take some Sexy pics of him, Mabe even just give him 2 rats instead of one. Then sing to him.

All in all -- bird probly not such a good idea

Nothing wrong with being young... I'm 18 but I have the pressence of mind to feed my reptile the appropiate food items. Birds are not good feeders (aside from chickens to picky eaters but there still not good feeders) again. You would feel real dumb if your ball caught something and died. But maybe you need to see it.

 

[[email protected]]

Sure we'll all just jump right on the band wagon while you not only practice bad husbandry, possibly endangering your snake, but make us keepers look like scum too

I am not practicing bad husbandry. I posted the question to see if it would be a bad idea. Obviously it is. CHRIST I JUST ASKED!!! Yes I like 2 watch my snake kill freakin rats, so I call that sadistic pleasure. I was curious about birds. Whats the difference between a rat and a bird? Now everyone is going on about feeding bearded dragons, puppies, children (i know it was a joke, a funny one too, but it serves my purpose) If i was asked, i would say some of you have some dark secrets. TURN THAT JUDGEMENTAL FINGER THE OTHER WAY!!!

 

[Madd Season Morphs]

glad to have srayed you away

Im sorry y man, I just felt it was funny. I am not trying to hate on you, I remember not to long ago thinking man this s--t is awesome ( My balls eating/killing rats ). I was not grown up around Reptiles everything I learned I learned on my own.

Be careful of what you ask and say, as we vultures will attack when we feel someone may be out of line. Snakes in General are kind of Taboo to some and feeding live prey is even more so. I wont lie -- I love to watch the hunt and the kill. But it isn't sadistic to me in any way. Just life.

Take care and please no more bird questions. OH! and I was just kidding about the Bearded dragons.

And if you do take sexy pics of him, make sure he is only wearing his Birthday suit.

 

[Twizted Paths]

No, I will not stand by and watch anybody advocate live feeders of any kind.

I have kept reptiles since before frozen thaw. I know, from personal experience, what live food can do & how quickly it can happen.

I also know the damage a little bird's beak can do.

If you don't want my judgmental finger in your face don't put a living creature's well being in danger just so you can get your rocks off.

I really don't want to be woken up fielding a phone call because some moron read your post and thought it was cute so their snake got it's eye bit out by a budgie.

I don't want to log on and see pictures of it happening either.

I don't care who's panties get in a twist, I care about the animal stuck with an irresponsible selfish owner.

 

[Utta]

I am not practicing bad husbandry. I posted the question to see if it would be a bad idea. Obviously it is. CHRIST I JUST ASKED!!! Yes I like 2 watch my snake kill freakin rats, so I call that sadistic pleasure. I was curious about birds. Whats the difference between a rat and a bird? Now everyone is going on about feeding bearded dragons, puppies, children (i know it was a joke, a funny one too, but it serves my purpose) If i was asked, i would say some of you have some dark secrets. TURN THAT JUDGEMENTAL FINGER THE OTHER WAY!!!

Ok.. let's point it my way. I get live rats/mice. But. I kill them ethically and morally correct by Co2. This prevents harm to MY animals from subcomming to harm. I practice proper husbandry and deeply care for my animals. If you wanted to ask, try "hey is it a good idea to use feeder birds)" that way you don't reveal your true reason for doing this. *you like to watch my snake kill rats" proof of bad husbandry. The only time this would be SOMEWHAT acceptable is if you literally had 100's of snakes to feed. But even then, if you truly CARE about animals you'd take the time to freekin kill the rats! What's the diffrence between a rat and your finger? Wanna try feeding your ball that?

 

[StrictlyExotics]

I am not practicing bad husbandry. I posted the question to see if it would be a bad idea. Obviously it is. CHRIST I JUST ASKED!!! Yes I like 2 watch my snake kill freakin rats, so I call that sadistic pleasure. I was curious about birds. Whats the difference between a rat and a bird? Now everyone is going on about feeding bearded dragons, puppies, children (i know it was a joke, a funny one too, but it serves my purpose) If i was asked, i would say some of you have some dark secrets. TURN THAT JUDGEMENTAL FINGER THE OTHER WAY!!!

I wish a picture was worth a 1000 words in this case. You need to see how a "little" bird deformed my pinky. Now, a my pinky is smaller than your balls, not by much, but a lot stronger. My range of motion is gone, permanently bent. Just think what happens if that lil 15.00 feeder get ahold of your ball. Its gone man.

Ive seen firsthand what bad feeding does to a snake. Ever see a lil mouse actually EAT a boa? think it doesnt exist. You have the world of the internet at your fingertips. I suggest you use them before attacking the people with experience.

 

[Abby]

My personal opinion is if you want to do this for your own sadistic pleasure, rehome that ball python and go play a video game. Animals are not here for anyone's sadistic pleasure. I'm going to pretend you didn't say that to address further issues with bird-feeding though:

Not only is there risk of the bird injuring your snake, but also what if that bird is diseased, or has parasites? That is a bigger worry than physical injuries IMO. Unless you raised the bird and know it's origins there is no way for you to know it is 100% safe to feed to your snake. I personally don't think there is a difference morally in feeding a bird or rat, the problem lies with the nutrition and the risk involved. Then you have to consider the fact that the snake could get hooked on birds. That would make feeding the snake expensive and a real PITA. Also, since the nutrition of a bird is probably much different than that of a rat you could run into deficiencies with long-term feeding of birds. I'm not saying that is a definite, just saying that there have been no studies of long-term feeding of birds to ball pythons to prove it either way and that it is a possibility.

On the topic of injury, I've worked with many species of exotic birds big and small, including parakeets. They can and will inflict serious damage if they feel threatened. Those sharp little beaks can tear flesh very easily, trust me on that!

In short, this is a bad idea and should be avoided.