saying hi / feeding live mice

[The Bernd]

Hi all,

just registered as a member. I currently own a 3yr old female royal who apparently has been feeding on live mice but does take defrost, too.

I owned a royal back in Gemany (where I grew up) and only fed live - it's common practice there and you get them from any pet shop. It never occurred to me that this could be a tricky topic.
Can someone please help me with the legal situation over here. I've gone through documented debates at the house of commons, spoke to DEFRA as well as people at a CITES hotline and got very mixed responses.

None of the local shops are prepared to sell live mice for feeding.

Now, I'm not sure why I'm trying to get live. I guess it's what I am used to. It seems far more natural to me (I know there's the argument that the mouse has no chance of escaping).

The royal hasn't fed yet - only got her 3 days ago. Seems to settle in well and is calm and tame and seems ready.

Can I get a few opinions on live feeding as well as possible suppliers, or do I just have to get used to the fact that defrost freeding is common practice in the UK?

Cheers,

Bernd

[PrettyxPerfection]

Hiya,

I have the same problem with our Royal Monty he wont take defrosted only live, And I could not get a pet shop to sell live mice to me, So we got a supplyer off the net but after feeding to mice to Monty we gave 2 defrosted to our other snake Angel and Monty ate the defrosted aswell, so try feeding a live small mouse then try a defrosted, this works with our male when he stops eating when it comes to the mating time of year.

[The Bernd]

thanks. That's helpful. I'll try that. Can you remember where you got the mice from?

[Juzza12]

If you go to the snake bit i think there is a sticky thread with regards to the legal issues. As for getting live mice try the food classifieds on here

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by The Bernd

Hi all,

just registered as a member. I currently own a 3yr old female royal who apparently has been feeding on live mice but does take defrost, too.

You've answered your question here in the first two sentences.

None of the local shops are prepared to sell live mice for feeding.

Many of them believe it is illegal to feed live mice.

It is of dubious legality (i.e. you COULD be prosecuted by the RSPCA for animal cruelty - both to the mouse AND your snake - although there is no guarantee they'd WIN) to feed live in the UK without a vet's confirmation that the animal will die without it. It's not illegal, but you're running a risk if someone reports that you've fed live, and you'd need to be able to prove that it needed to be done.

Can I get a few opinions on live feeding as well as possible suppliers, or do I just have to get used to the fact that defrost freeding is common practice in the UK?

I would get used to the fact that you will find it quite difficult to find a consistent supplier of live mice/rats - the pet shops are geared towards selling mice as PETS. Some folks here on the classifieds do sell rodents, but if you're dead set on feeding live mice/rats, get used to the idea of breeding your own. That's about the only way you could guarantee you'd have a supply.

As your royal WILL eat defrost, I would recommend feeding it defrost - safer for the snake, saves you having to deal with a smelly colony of live rodents (believe me, my dining room has a distinct eau de ratpiss sometimes...) and means you don't have to worry about some busybody sticking their nose in and TRYING to get you in trouble.

[The Bernd]

Thanks for the comments mate! I just got a frozen mouse. Looks like I'll have to get used to it - let's see how the royal takes it. Breeding is, at this stage, not an option as it'll have to be in the garden, which is inhabited by the neighbours cats and a few foxes, too.

[Ssthisto]

Most snakes don't really notice a difference, especially if you use tongs/long tweezers/forceps and do the "mousey dance" at them.

I have quite a few who will strike, constrict and "kill" their frozen-thawed food just the same as they would if it were alive.

[The Bernd]

That's exactly what happened yesterday eve!
Took it without problems, and that only 3 days after the move. Fingers crossed she'll carry on like that.

[saxon]

Originally Posted by The Bernd

Thanks for the comments mate! I just got a frozen mouse. Looks like I'll have to get used to it - let's see how the royal takes it. Breeding is, at this stage, not an option as it'll have to be in the garden, which is inhabited by the neighbours cats and a few foxes, too.

'What' will have to be in the garden?????????

[joeyboy]

his mice if we were to get them to breed, but he's going with frozen now so it doesn't matter.