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the wild mouse dinner

D

danz

One Twisted Member
I bought a live mouse trap - a large box type - and I plan on saving a lot on the snakes food bill. Just wanting to know if anyone else HAS DONE THIS, I dont want to start one of these famous mouse debates, just if anyone has done this. I plan on quarantine for a period of time before they become lunch.

Oh yeah and Hi everyone! I haven't posted for a long time.
 
I've always been reluctant to use mice and rats from the wild to feed my snakes because of potential parasites that an be transmitted to my snakes. If you choose to feed wild mice, just make sure you regularly check your snakes for worms, etc.
 
yeah, I was told about someone who fed his snakes (carpet pythons I think?) on wild caught mice/rats. His snakes got parasite infection and one died :(
 
Methinks, I would downsize my collection ;)

If keeping livestock is a financial burdon,
One should downsize there collection to a financialy acceptable level rather than resorting to ill conceived schemes such as Feeding wild caught mice
IMHO :)
This can get to be an expensive hobby, obviously,once you own more than a couple snakes,than you either buy in bulk frozen or raise one's own usually.

Wild caught mice can carry real,actual,life threatening diseases.
The disease carrying parasites will not only cross contaminate (infect) your livestock but also possibly you.
Worming,antibiotic regimen,tick dip,what a hassle.

I know,your from wyoming and you guys are tough up there...but please reconsider that aspect of your animal husbandry practices for safety reasons :)

This response is more for anybody new to keeping snakes and considering such a thing.
danz a big boy and he'll do as he please's,I'm sure. ;)

respectfully,
cowboyway
 
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feeding mice that you've captured doesn't see like a good idea to me. Even though you would keep them in quarintine they could still pass something onto your snake. Where would you put the trap? Would there be anough mice around anyway?
 
K, here's my story. A kid I used to know from back in highschool caught a live mouse that was running around one of his kitchen drawers and got tangled in a cheesecloth bag. He thought it'd be smart to feed the mouse to his kingsnake thinking his 3 ft king should take the mouse down alive no problem. 2 seconds after he introduced the mouse into the king's enclosure, the mouse attacks the king, 5 minutes later of trying to separate the mouse from the king's neck, the king bites the kid, coils his hand and starts to constrict the kid's wrist while the mouse is furiously biting into the king's neck. 15 minutes later, after some help we separated them, I managed to kill the mouse via cervical dislocation (while still attached to the king, which promptly leg go), but the king suffered a deep spinal injury and died later that night. SO, moral of the story, do not feed live wild mice to your snakes as they are bloody vicious little things.

Second story. The same kid, has his redtailed boa escape on him. Mr. Redtail shows up 2 months later in the laundry hamper particularly full looking. Turns out he raided a mouse nest (after necropsy), because it died a couple days later due to some strange GI tract infection (swollen, purple, bleeding stomach and intestines?). Its last meal consisted of one rather plump (probably pregnant) mouse and two smaller mice. So, do not feed wild mice to your snakes period. Even if you prekilled and froze them for a time, it probably won't kill all the bacteria, fungi, virii, or any other organisms that may harm your snake. Microwaving is not an option since that would cook the mouse. Gamma irradiation is expensive, dangerous, and turns the mouse insides pulpy. So, no easy way to do it, just steer clear away from wild mice.

I hope you reconsider.

-13mur 6
 
Stupid is as stupid does

Wild mousee's for supper, :( very bad idea :( ,although I hear they taste alot like chicken ;)
"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits".
~Albert Einstein~
 
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Another hazard of feeding wild caught mice, that no one has mentioned, is the possibility that the mouse may have eaten some rat poisoning. Putting the mice in quarantine for a period of time would reduce this risk.

I just thought I'd mention it in case anyone decided to not quarantine wild caught mice.

If any of you haven't seen the results of rat poisoning...just take my word...it's not a pretty thing.
 
Cowboy whatever

And what the hell does good ol Albert Einstein have to do with any of this? Or this this some sort of validation process you're going through? I just wanted to know if any one else "has done this".

I did get some good insight from some of the others Posts, Thanks
 
I thought maybe I would add this thought to the pot.

In some parts of the country, wild rodents carry pathogens that are medically significant to humans. Hantavirus comes to mind, which has killed people. In the west bubonic plague has been identified in ground squirrels, if I remember correctly. There are probably others I haven't even heard of, but when that mouse is dead and getting cold, all of those fleas on it are going to be looking for some warm blood filled animal (like YOU!) to get their next meal.

So it is not only your snakes that you will be putting into jeopardy. I doubt it is worth risking for the price of a mouse from the local pet shop.

Good luck!
 
no need to be angry

ok...everyone just wanted to give advise about not feeding wild mice....
the mice we feed are bred and have eaten healthy to provide our snakes a good meal...ofcourse we all want to keep the budget in line when it comes to feeding...but life mice are just not an option......keep your own mice collection and breed them if you are worried about the costs, feed them well and you will have excelent mice to give to your snakes...
maris
 
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