Feeding - the overkill subject...

[bkhuff1s]

I have a pair of garters in one cage, and they both take to flopping fish like thier hypnotised, but the female wont take a pinky for anything. I've even rubbed the fish against the pinking and she's struck it, latched, and then let go. I was thinking about using trout to rub on the pinkies. I want to know what an appropriate trout + pinking sizing should be. I don't want to over feed.

[jitami]

bk, while you're transitioning her to mice I wouldn't worry too much about over feeding. One or two extra large meals won't hurt. It's over feeding over time that causes obesity and the resulting health problems. General rule of thumb is one or two prey items 1 to 1.5 times the width of her head(I've also heard the widest part of her body, but most here seem to agree that slightly smaller is better). Good luck :)

[Lori P]

Have you put the pinkies in the water dish with the fish? This seems to be very successful. They lunge for the fish, hit the pinky instead, and down it goes!

[bkhuff1s]

Actually I don't feed them fish in the water bowl, I put them on the ground and have them flop around. It drives the snakes crazy...

[Lori P]

Ah. Well... I couldn't do that to the fish, personally, but, if you put them in a small bowl of water and add the pinkies you'll quite possibly have success.

[bkhuff1s]

Will do, thanks

[infernalis]

Grab the pink by its tail with tongs or hemoststs, then move it around a lot.

I have one puget that will spit out the pink 2 out of 3 times:D but he always eats it before we are done.

[bkhuff1s]

I've gone so far as trying to force feed a couple of times at this point. I bought tilopia (walmart fresh fish section frozen) fish from the store I am going to try and scent the pinkies w/ as well as night crawlers. Let me know what you think :) Thanks again!

[Thamnophis]

And when a garter snake refuses pinkies and nothing will help... just accept it and keep feeding fish.
There is no garter snake that cannot do without pinkies.

[infernalis]

Feeding milestone - Since I have 400 frozen mice (oops 365) I wanted to see who wanted some thawed rodents.

Every single adult garter in the collection consumed multiple pinkies today!

I cut up Tilapia and salmon, put in the same bowl, and they all ate. I teased a couple with tongs, but in all everyone readily accepted pinks:D

[Aundrea]

WOW That sure is alot of mice :eek: But im sure it will go fast LOL. I might go buy a frozen pinky for Swiper but im scared to see the dead pinky LOL. I know im such a sap and a wimp :rolleyes:

[jitami]

Very cool Wayne! Congrats :)

[infernalis]

They were so darn cheap this way...... 400 mice for around 100 dollars.

I could not breed that many that fast that cheaply:eek:

They wont last, once those baby milks start taking pinks, they will eat a lot of them.

With all the garters eating them, I have to thaw a dozen at a time, so they will be gone before I know it.

The hopper mice, Chomp, Oreo, CY and Carmella all eat those, so that's 8 mice per feeding gone!

[jitami]

Shipping must be quite a bit less to you than it is to me :) I priced Rodent Pro and at 100 using my supplier is cheaper. At 200 Rodent Pro is, but not by much. Since I only have 4 snakes I don't think I could use more than 200 in a reasonable amount of time :)

[infernalis]

Yeah, I live close enough for ground delivery, so it's like $30 to ship.

The pinks were on sale for .12 and the mice for .22 perfect size for adult Corn or Milk snakes, and 2 foot lizards:D

[infernalis]

Here is some of those RP pinks at work.... Nearly all my garters are readily eating pinky now.

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/PP1.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/Pink.jpg

[Garter_Gertie]

Have you put the pinkies in the water dish with the fish? This seems to be very successful. They lunge for the fish, hit the pinky instead, and down it goes!

Unless they're MY children! Then they consider the guppies in their swimming pool (going on 4+ weeks now...) their pets! I'm now feeding the guppies!

[Garter_Gertie]

That's YOUR BLACKNECK!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!

[infernalis]

That's YOUR BLACKNECK!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay!


Where??? There is an Eastern and a red sided there.

[infernalis]

And a few more newly reformed pinky eaters:D

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/FBpink.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/masubipink.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/RSPKY.jpg

http://www.danceswithreptiles.com/garter/radixpink.jpg

[bsol]

Those are some nice pics man.... I might try making the switch to pinkies with my easterns.

[jitami]

Wayne, how's little Muttley doing? My guys have had three meals of whole pinkies now :) They still finish up with some worm or tilapia, too... piggy piggy piggies!