Refrigerating?

[Albino Billy]

Ok, I decided to stick with feeding Billy two rat pups a week until he gets bigger. I got him two for this week around the size of the two he ate last week. I thawed them and did one at a time but he refused the second one. Probably because my kids were not being still (they wanted to watch) and he got irritated. So, I warmed it up with warm water again and offered it and he just roamed around his viv. I finally put it back in it's bag and stuck it in the fridge to try again this morning. That should be ok shouldn't it? I mean, the rat smells fine and it looks great, just like it's sleeping. Not mushy or anything. What do y'all think?

 

[Roy Munson]

Ok, I decided to stick with feeding Billy two rat pups a week until he gets bigger. I got him two for this week around the size of the two he ate last week. I thawed them and did one at a time but he refused the second one. Probably because my kids were not being still (they wanted to watch) and he got irritated. So, I warmed it up with warm water again and offered it and he just roamed around his viv. I finally put it back in it's bag and stuck it in the fridge to try again this morning. That should be ok shouldn't it? I mean, the rat smells fine and it looks great, just like it's sleeping. Not mushy or anything. What do y'all think?

I wouldn't try another prey item so soon if he just took one last night. I'd give him the full period until his next intended feeding date. I'd leave him alone next time too. Of course, that pup won't last THAT long in the fridge, so get rid of it.

Personally, I probably wouldn't go the two-item route anyway. I'd give him a single, appropriately sized prey item next time.

 

[Albino Billy]

Okie dokie... I would much rather use just one prey item, trust me. We ordered the breeder mice for him and they were too big. This is the only local place that carries frozen mice and rats and he didn't have anything frozen that was smaller than the breeder mouse but bigger than the pups. So, I got the two pups. I decided to go with two smaller prey items until he is bigger and can take a mouse. What would be in between the two? Do you know? A hopper maybe? I don't know much about rats and mice. I look at them in his freezer and most are too big and the others are too small. He will order whatever I want but I just don't know what to order. LOL! Would it absolutely hurt to let him have the second one today? The pups are little and I want him to have enough. I read on a snake website that some people actually do that, feed them one prey item one day and then give them another the next day or day after.

(And no, my kids being in there won't happen again, hehehe, lesson learned )

 

[Roy Munson]

Okie dokie... I would much rather use just one prey item, trust me. We ordered the breeder mice for him and they were too big. This is the only local place that carries frozen mice and rats and he didn't have anything frozen that was smaller than the breeder mouse but bigger than the pups. So, I got the two pups. I decided to go with two smaller prey items until he is bigger and can take a mouse. What would be in between the two? Do you know? A hopper maybe? I don't know much about rats and mice. I look at them in his freezer and most are too big and the others are too small. He will order whatever I want but I just don't know what to order. LOL! Would it absolutely hurt to let him have the second one today? The pups are little and I want him to have enough. I read on a snake website that some people actually do that, feed them one prey item one day and then give them another the next day or day after.

(And no, my kids being in there won't happen again, hehehe, lesson learned )

I don't use rats, so I'm not familiar with the sizes. Billy's definitely big enough for weaned mice (size in between hoppers and adults), and he's probably big enough for adults too. You'd be surprised what they can handle.

I don't have any studies to back it up, but I think you run the risk of regurge if you toss another item in the chute while he's in digestive mode taking care of the first from the day before. Some snakes don't handle multiple prey items that well even when they're offered together. :shrugs:

 

[Albino Billy]

Ok, thanks so much. I'll check in to the ones between hoppers and adult size mice. He just didn't have anything that small that wasn't too small like these pups. If that made any sense at all. I know snakes can handle quite a meal but these breeder mice were as big as the rat he refused after only getting part of it's head in his mouth. Billy is long but thin and I know you shouldn't go bigger than 1 1/2 times their girth. These mice were wayyy too big. Miracle grow all the way! He is getting more in Monday and I will go up and see what he has as soon as the shipment gets in so I can have first pick...

 

[BeckyG]

IN the meantime, check out some of the online rodent sites. They all have pictures/charts showing what size their mice and rats are. I don't remember how big you said Billy is, but my two almost 2-year-olds are taking medium adult mice with no problem, and will soon move up to large adults.

Here are some links:

Mouse Factory

Big Cheese

Though I would not order from them personally, (had a BAD experience with their quality), Rodent Pro shows pics of their mice/rats with a quarter for perspective.

 

[Albino Billy]

Thanks Becky.. Billy is 4 feet long... In looking at the size charts on the sites you sent, the rats he was eating are only about the size of the fuzzies on the rat chart and in the mouse chart, about the size of a hopper. The one he didn't eat, I measured and it is only about 3 inches long. To me this is a bit small but like I said, they didn't have anything of an appropriate size so I got the two. I think, from looking at the charts, he could eat a weanling rat or a regular size adult mouse. Thanks for the links, the Mouse Factory one helped a lot! :wavey: