Ground Beef?

[abcat1993]

I know that you can feed garters steak, (at least I hope so:p) but how about ground beef? I've heard some pretty nasty things about ground beef (I think, it might have been sausages though, or both). On the other hand it's from Canada, and I've heard some really good things about steak and pork from Canada.

Wow I haven't been on here for a while

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

i think as long as its raw..you could put it in a bowl they might like it mine like steak so y not?

I know that you can feed garters steak, (at least I hope so:p) but how about ground beef? I've heard some pretty nasty things about ground beef (I think, it might have been sausages though, or both). On the other hand it's from Canada, and I've heard some really good things about steak and pork from Canada.

Wow I haven't been on here for a while

[brandon0133]

u just put raw meat in for the snakes and they will eat it?

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

depends on the snake my pugets are pigs and eat anything that smells like meat or fish or mice or worms or frogs eeven my fingers somtimes, so im sure they would but you could give it a try

u just put raw meat in for the snakes and they will eat it?

[RZL36]

I've never heard of this. I would be very apprehensive about feeding my snakes anything that used to be 1000 pounds.

[anji1971]

I would be more than a little cautious about ground beef, it can carry lots of bacteria, and we have had outbreaks of Mad Cow disease, even in Canada!

[drache]

I don't imagine that even if it was safe, it would be very appealing, since snakes are not really used to eating mush

[adamanteus]

I guess some Garters would eat it. But why would you want to use it? You would have to ensure that there was nothing else in there (homogenized proteins and other crap we feed to ourselves).

[ssssnakeluvr]

plus I have yet to find a garter big enough to eat a cow in the wild..not a normal part of their diet... :eek:

[zooplan]

I know that heart of beef is used as snake food in Germany?
I´ve tried it and use chicken hearts as an addition to fish and rodent diet.
ground beef and ground pork contains a lot of hidden fat.

[adamanteus]

I have also used beef heart in the past. I know Cazador uses caribou flesh. Personally I would avoid anything 'processed' as you can't be really sure of the content. As Udo says, fat is often added to increase the weight for sale.

[abcat1993]

OK, so from what I've read from this is you shouldn't only use steak for garter food. And my question was answered and I don't think I'll be feeding him ground beef just in case. Would a diet of just steak, worms and occasionally fish work?

[CrazyHedgehog]

I have used 'minced beef' before I got my mouse breeding up and running and when there was a lack of trout in the supermarket, .
Here it comes with full ingredients: just beef.
it is in small lines where it has gone through the mincer. tried each tank with a few loose lines of it. A few of my snakes wolfed it down, others kept well away.

I think not as a main diet, but in the absence of anything more suitable, (its better than them starving right?) the odd meal should not hurt. I had no problems, but chose not to use it as a main food item because it wasn't a natural food.

[sschind]

plus I have yet to find a garter big enough to eat a cow in the wild..not a normal part of their diet... :eek:

That may be true but we as humans force a lot of unnatural foods on our captive. Just because they don't eat it in the wild doesn't mean it is bad for them. My guess is that a lot of the garters we switch over to mice would never encounter one in the wild.

[Lori P]

I was also wondering... would they eat carrion in the wild? Like if they come across a large dead animal-- a deer, say-- will they crawl in and feast??

[sschind]

I have heard of instances of snakes eating road kill? cant point any out right off the top of my head but it has been known to happen.

[Stefan-A]

I've seen a picture on this forum of a garter eating a roadkill bird and I've heard many stories about them eating roadkill frogs.

[Lori P]

But not large animals... of course, maybe they are just never seen...

[adamanteus]

I doubt they ever feed off larger road-kill animals. They just don't have the appropriate dentition for biting pieces off!:D

[Lori P]

Ooooooh good point James. Thanks!! Hadn't thought it through obviously!

[Lori P]

James-- do you think Mordecai's dentition is ok?? Because I'm afraid he may need braces....


http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/Mordecais_teeth_crop.jpg


:D:D:D

[adamanteus]

It's fine. This is normal dentition for pickeringii.:D

[Lori P]

Oh, thank goodness. Reptile dentists are so expensive, you know. :D

[ssssnakeluvr]

I posted the pic of the one eating a road killed bird, and have seen one eating a flattened toad.....