Pet Feeder Mice?

[outfishin7]

Is it ok to let my son handle the mice that will eventually be fed to our snakes? Will his scent keep the snakes from wanting to eat them? Should i rinse them off first?

And when the time comes, do newborn snakes eat newborn pinkies, or do i let them(the pinkies) grow a bit first?

 

[toyah]

Is it ok to let my son handle the mice that will eventually be fed to our snakes? Will his scent keep the snakes from wanting to eat them? Should i rinse them off first?

And when the time comes, do newborn snakes eat newborn pinkies, or do i let them(the pinkies) grow a bit first?

I handle my feeder mice all the time - your scent on them is tiny in comparison to the amount of mouse smell they give off, so don't worry about it

Very small hatchlings will eat newborn pinkies. I tend to let the pinks have their first feed of colostrum from the mother before taking them (you can see a white "milk band" on their tummies when they've been fed), as they will be much more nutritious full of colostrum than running on empty.

Bigger snakes obviously will need more grown on pinks, but the beauty of growing your own is that you can take the mice when they're exactly the right size for your snake.

 

[VinnyJ]

Is it ok to let my son handle the mice that will eventually be fed to our snakes? Will his scent keep the snakes from wanting to eat them? Should i rinse them off first?

And when the time comes, do newborn snakes eat newborn pinkies, or do i let them(the pinkies) grow a bit first?

I tell my son "don't play with the food'. Lol. The scent of the mouse if pretty strong. I'd worry more about getting the scent off your hands before handling the snakes.

Yes. Hatchlings eat day old pinks to 1 week old pinks depending on the snakes size. When the hatchlings first start eating it will be day old pinks to start for sure.