Anyone use pygmy mice as feeders

[sschind]

I will be getting my snakes out of brumation in a short while (as soon as the guy cooling them for me can deliver them) and I am getting ready for my first real season of breeding. I was wondering if anyone has tried pygmy mice (Mus minutoides) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Pygmy_Mouse)as feeders. I have an opportunity to get a colony and I though that the small size of the pinkies might make it easier to get the babies going on mouse pinkies sooner.

[Stefan-A]

Nope, but good luck with the experiment. :)

[MasSalvaje]

To be honest I have never even heard of them, But I have used Deer Mice pinkies with some success. That is pretty much the only thing my Rubber Boa will eat and some of my thams have taken well to them.

They do seem to take better to the smaller pinks.

-Thomas

[sschind]

I've heard of people having luck getting finicky eaters going with deer mice. More so with certain species of Lampropeltis but I'm sure the principal is the same for Garters. I think the smell is more ingrained into their instincts.

I'll let you know if it works with the pygmies. If not I don't really care, they are really fun to watch anyway.

[infernalis]

In the end a few hundred frozen XS pinkies will be a ton cheaper.

The only economical way to breed rodents is in large volume, a small colony costs more to support than just buying a few bags of extra small frozen pinks.

for wee babies I will sometimes split a pink in half lengthwise, easier to swallow.

Sounds gross but usually when they get a whiff of the blood, they chomp down and eat.

[sschind]

In the end a few hundred frozen XS pinkies will be a ton cheaper.

The only economical way to breed rodents is in large volume, a small colony costs more to support than just buying a few bags of extra small frozen pinks.

for wee babies I will sometimes split a pink in half lengthwise, easier to swallow.

Sounds gross but usually when they get a whiff of the blood, they chomp down and eat.

Yeah but these pinkies are about twice the size of a grain of rice. Even the newborn garters would be able to eat them right from the start. No cutting them into pieces. As far as the rodents, tell me about it. I've got 20 mouse colonies and about 50 adult rats that keep my 20 whelping tubs full. I'd say ove the years I have sold probably 20 groups of feeder mice (anywhere from 1.2 -2.10) to customers intent on breeding their own. I think only 1 still does.

Besides, the pygmy mice are so cool to watch.