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Live vs Frozen POLL

Live vs Frozen Poll

  • I feed live only!

    Votes: 12 13.2%

  • I feed Frozen only!

    Votes: 35 38.5%

  • I feed both and see a need for both Methods!

    Votes: 44 48.4%
  • Total voters
    91
tinmantribe5

tinmantribe5

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Hello I would first off like to say I really dont want to start a thread of wich is better or better Morally rather a thread soley for the purpose of gauging true feeding %s I personally feed mostly live but on occasion for the snakes that dont care will feed frozen when I get a good deal or somethin!
I raise my own rats in Racks so Live is a convience.It would cost way to much to buy frozen for all my snakes plus then you have to worry about mites and Quality of product and may I say a Delivery charge of as much as the rodents you are buying.I would also like to add that when you have newborn clutches of corns or balls sometimes you will have some out of a clutch that will starve them selves until you give them a live that Wiggles all night in their box and they Eat.I have actually did a experiment with ones trying to wait a baby snake out and trying all the Tricks in the book with Frozen all to waist money on smelly dead stinkie pinks that never get ate and the snake Died!.I will choose live over frozen any day when it comes to That! remember when we were kids Not all of us liked Brocolli Remember!
 
Shawn this is sure a hot button topic. And you start off by saying how this thread is only to poll percent not to determine which method is better, and then you spend the rest of the post telling us how you think live is better.

I don't think live is better, but the topic has been debated at length.
It will be interesting to see the poll results though.
 
I agree maybe I didnt Phrase exactly right I just was trying to stay away from the Arguing of points but all opinions are expected! I also Value your Opinion Greatly Lucille
Did you Poll?
 
I have Totally been their wich is more Humane starvin the snake or feedin a Live one!
I am not at all saying Either way is better I use both live and frozen 80% live 20%frozen(Pinkies)
 
I voted frozen only but I had fed live in the past and will do so again if it's absolutely necessary.
 
I voted frozen only, though in the past with one very picky Ball Python, i fed live. I would feed live, if it was absolutely necessary.
 
You know how I roll Shawn, Live only here. The fact of the matter is, even though I breed my own rodents and it is more conveniant, most of the animals in my collection that I have purchased were on live when I bought them, including all of them that I purchased from the "big name breeders". It is my belief that more people feed live than FT, most just won't admit to it. But as Lucille stated (and I also value her opinion) the topic has been debated at length, and think at best, we all should just agree to disagree. To each their own I say.
 
It isn't a moral or ethical issue for me, it's one of convenience. I don't like breeding rodents, and I don't have a reliable source for live. I feed f/t. If something refuses to eat f/t, despite my best efforts, it will be going to live someplace else...unless it is one special critter.
That said, I don't much care if a snake is picky about what f/t prey items it will take...once I figure out what it is that they'll eat, I'm generally able to provide it.

I do start a small breeding group in the spring for getting babies going, though I usually only have to resort to live with BPs and some dumerils boas.
 
+1
Primary reason I got away from BP's years ago,they are worse then spoiled cats IMO.
I never feed completely "alive",I stun them and the twitching and flailing generally draws the response.

Transitions to F/T is much easier if the temp is correct before presentation,what is the correct temp for a prey item ?
3-4 degrees warmer then the animal being offered is my guide.

If the animal being fed is at 83-85*,prey is at least 88-90*.
Ground level animation is much less intimidating then the "hovering menace from above" most attempt.;)

hhmoore said:
It isn't a moral or ethical issue for me, it's one of convenience. I don't like breeding rodents, and I don't have a reliable source for live. I feed f/t. If something refuses to eat f/t, despite my best efforts, it will be going to live someplace else...unless it is one special critter.
That said, I don't much care if a snake is picky about what f/t prey items it will take...once I figure out what it is that they'll eat, I'm generally able to provide it.

I do start a small breeding group in the spring for getting babies going, though I usually only have to resort to live with BPs and some dumerils boas.
Click to expand...
 
I voted for both, but I actually use frozen very little. There wasn't an option for fresh killed, but I figure that equates to frozen for the purposes of the poll.
Most of the balls get live because they feed better that way. Everything else, along with the best feeding balls, gets fresh killed, partially to avoid any accidents, but mainly so I can feed and leave and not worry about a live rat in the cage.
Since I raise my own feeders it's become more of a hassle to thaw rats when I have them ready and warm in the rat building.
The species I have that takes pinkies as hatchlings gets thawed, but it only takes two minutes to thaw a batch of pinks.

As far as I'm concerned neither method is "better" than the other, it's a matter of what the snake responds to best and the preference of the keeper.
 
I have always fed my 2 snakes FT but that doesn't mean I wouldn't feed them live if need be. Live is less convenient for me, I don't have feeding stock because of my small collection and buying live is a lot more expensive than order FT for me. My major fear of feeding them live, especially with the milksnake who's not an aggressive feeder, is that that mouse would turn on him and hurt him.
 
Hello my name is mr Mouse and would like to say although being choked till I pee does hurt a lil but have you ever tried to peel your frozen body off that of a Stranger "geez how da grading"
 
My boas get frozen thawed only, my balls that will eat FT get FT, and everyone else gets prekilled. Like Clay, I raise my own rodents and like that convenience but don't want to leave a live rat in the tubs. Just makes me too nervous. The only live feeding is usually when getting babies going, and it's something small like hoppers or crawlers.
 
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