Could a Red-sided Garter snake eat doves?

[Venti]

Less then a week ago I got a pair of ringnecked doves, a male and a female. Would it be possible to use the chicks as feeders? Their eggs are between the size of a pinkie and a rat pup(Which my snake has gobbled up in thirty seconds flat).

[guidofatherof5]

Don't see why not as small birds or eggs could make up part of their wild diet.

[RedSidedSPR]

Yes. I've heard of people feeding baby birds... As long as they aren't from the wild.

[Mommy2many]

Here's a question, that may have been asked before, so please excuse my ignorance...

I know they eat baby birds, will they consume bird eggs as well?

[Venti]

Don't worry, these doves are captive bred, they just went to the vet yesterday too, and they were deemed healthy.

Well, thanks guys, now I know what to do if I can't find good homes for some of the chicks.

I hope it doesn't come to that though, as the parents are really adorable, and I'm sure they would hate me if I started snatching their babies for snake food.

I would like to know if they can eat eggs too though, as it would be nice just to end it there.

[RedSidedSPR]

I really doubt it.

[Mommy2many]

I believe some snakes do. I do not know for sure if garters will.

[guidofatherof5]

I've read that bird eggs are part of the T.s.parietalis' diet.
HerpNet.net - Iowa Reptiles and Amphibians - Eastern Garter Snake - Thamnophis sirtalis (http://www.herpnet.net/Iowa-Herpetology/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=48&Itemid=26)

[RedSidedSPR]

I believe some snakes do. I do not know for sure if garters will.

Lots do. There's even an egg eating snake. Feeds only on eggs (big ones)

[Mommy2many]

Good to know. I always wondered about quail eggs. Just a question...

[RedSidedSPR]

I'm not convinced it's a GOOD food... Heck, they'll eat goldfish, doesn't make it a good food.

[Mommy2many]

True. Just wondered if it was something they would normally consume if they came across it. You know, a common staple so to speak.

Bird eggs are more commonly found by garters than goldfish:D

[guidofatherof5]

Hunger can be powerful.
Heck, we eat hotdogs:D

[Mommy2many]

But they are sooooo good!!!

Ok, I really shouldn't admit to that.

Humans will eat almost anything. That says enough. And we have choices.

[RedSidedSPR]

True. Just wonderedBird eggs are more commonly found by garters than goldfish:D

If a garter lives a house with a goldfish pond, what's gonna stop him? The fact that it carries a heavy dose of thiamnaise?

[Mommy2many]

Goldfish ponds are not that common; so I would say that they are not a common food found in the garter snake diet. However, I do not disagree, that if a garter were to "stumble upon" a pond of said fish, that he would not par take of the offering.

Question remains, if a garter snake were to come across a bird's nest, would it consume the hatchlings or the eggs as well? Is it that common a food item that the garter will par take of it?

[RedSidedSPR]

They are opportunists. I wouldn't be surprised. They eat whatever they can find. Again, that doesn't make it good

[Mommy2many]

Ok, point taken. Frogs aren't good either but are on many an Eastern's menu.

[RedSidedSPR]

Well, they aren't BAD they just have a lot of parasites.

[Mommy2many]

My question is, if the eggs can be a food item, are they bad for the snake? If so, how?

[RedSidedSPR]

Well I can't answer THAT!

[Mommy2many]

Ok, then.

[guidofatherof5]

I can't imagine eggs would possess anything dangerous or bad for the snake.
The shell is calcium carbonate which snakes need.
The inside is mostly protein.
From what I understand.

[Mommy2many]

I always wondered if by ingesting the eggs whole and then crushing them, would they/could they harm themselves in some way from the shells?

[guidofatherof5]

I don't think is thick enough to cause a problem plus the powerful stomach acids were already working on the shell.
Still a legitimate concern.;)

[Mommy2many]

Thanks! That has always been my question and my concern.

[kibakiba]

The yolk of an egg has a lot of vitamins. I wouldn't be surprised if snakes liked it as a little treat every now and then. It's higher in fat than whites, but whites also have barely any useful stuff in them.

[count dewclaw]

The yolk of an egg has a lot of vitamins. I wouldn't be surprised if snakes liked it as a little treat every now and then. It's higher in fat than whites, but whites also have barely any useful stuff in them.

Umm, I think the whites are mostly protein...

[kibakiba]

I worded it wrong. I explained what I meant to Steve on Skype. Nutrient wise, yolks are more dense, but, yes, whites are high in protein, but not much else.

[d_virginiana]

I saw a picture a while back of a puget sound garter that had just been seen eating a nest of baby birds... I wonder if a bird's claws could harm a garter if it was fed live or if it would have to be pre-killed to be safer?

[guidofatherof5]

Pre-killed is always safer and more humane for all parties involved.;)

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I feed snakes to my eggs all of the time. i buy them from a local bird farm and I have a LOT of snakes that eat them. I havent tried my garters, but if you can get your snakes to eat them, it won't hurt them. The shell is a great source of calcium and a fertilized egg is chock full of nutrients!

[RedSidedSPR]

I feed snakes to my eggs all of the time.

Learn something new every day...:p

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Learn something new every day...:p

I have tried everything else but that's the only thing they will eat! I am running out of snakes!

[RedSidedSPR]

Weird.

[ConcinusMan]

I don't think garters will eat eggs but they certainly will eat quail or dove chicks. My Big Bertha hadn't been eating very much lately until I started offering her starling chicks. Now she's pigging out again. She's even been refusing night crawlers, which she has always loved, but she's not turning down the baby birds. (frozen thawed)

[d_virginiana]

Geez, I need to find some snakes and send them up into the paneling on my house if they like starling chicks... :p That'd probably be a bit too big for my snakes, but I'm sure I could find a volunteer to help me with my pest problem somewhere in the woods around here....

[ConcinusMan]

I only use them if they're less than a couple of days old. I find a nest with eggs and check it every day until they hatch. Even my tiny babies can eat them. I simply freeze them and cut off bite-sized pieces for them while still frozen. I know, gross, but it doesn't bother me and they love the stuff and grow fast on it. Then of course, my larger snakes can eat them whole.

Been thinking about doing this with quail too. I have an incubator and I can buy fertile eggs or male hatchlings dirt cheap.

[RedSidedSPR]

Cool food item, but is there a reason? Does it have something other foods don't?

[ConcinusMan]

Not really. It's just as good as rodents. About the same, but depending what's available where you live, it could be much cheaper than rodents. If you are what you eat, then young birds have everything a snake would need, nutritionally. Most of my county is rather rural and so lots of people raise birds and are always advertising quail eggs, chicks, pigeon or dove culls, etc. for much cheaper than rodents. I've already stated my reasons for using starling hatchlings, plus the price is right - free.

In the summer I can get rooster chicks or ducklings for $1, quail chicks, eggs, etc. Lots more meat on that than there is on a pinky, if you don't mind cutting.

[RedSidedSPR]

I don't mind cutting. Never bothered me. But I have no clue where is get em, I'll stick with pinkies.