Feeding pinky bits?

[tress29]

When I thaw a pinky for Sweets, I boil some water in the microwave, then drop the pinky in for 5 minutes. What do you do for garters? Do you heat the pinkies up? Let them thaw and come to room temp? I just fed some worm bits last time, but the radix is big enough to eat a small pinky. I want to cut another one up for the coast and offer some to the eastern as well. (Even though he's refused them in the past!) What's a gal to do?

[kibakiba]

Cut them up frozen. They thaw faster like that.

[tress29]

Cut them up frozen. They thaw faster like that.I already did that, said eeewww with every cut! Do I warm them to thaw? Or just let them sit on the counter? Some snakes need them to be hot, to simulate a prey response. What about garters? Can't imagine the cut up worm giving off much heat!

[kibakiba]

I let them thaw at room temp. They don't need it hot, they eat cold fish in the wild.

[infernalis]

I let them thaw at room temp. They don't need it hot, they eat cold fish in the wild.

Yes! my garters prefer slightly cold pinkies. Seems more natural.

[kibakiba]

Mine wont eat worms that are warm, sometimes. Sometimes they don't care, but I'd never feed one hot.

[tress29]

The worms were room temp, just wasn't sure about pinkies. Thanks everyone! I gotta go dig out the radix, I've seen/held everyone else!

[EasternGirl]

I put mine in a little dish of warm water to thaw it faster...it thaws it really quickly like that and it's room temp when done...why does everyone get so grossed out by cutting up pinkies? I cut them up thawed all the time...you guys should see the stuff I have to cut in the dissection lab in nursing school...;).

[kibakiba]

I have a small blood phobia, blood can be associated with pain and death... Which aren't fun things at all.

[infernalis]

I have a small blood phobia, blood can be associated with pain and death... Which aren't fun things at all.

I am not afraid of either, Pain reminds me I'm alive, and death just means my problems become someone elses.

When I spent a lot of time with Herb ( MacDonell, Herbert Leon - eNotes.com (http://www.enotes.com/macdonell-herbert-leon-reference/macdonell-herbert-leon) ) I was exposed to a lot of crime scene evidence, blood and guts don't even phase me anymore..

[ssssnakeluvr]

thaw them in warm water....boiling hot water can cook the pinkie a bit... I just use warm tap water to thaw. I chop frozen ones for my little ones and thaw in warm water and mix with chopped worms or fish....works good for me

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...blood doesn't bother me at all...which I guess is a good thing considering the whole nursing career...now if it's my blood, that is a different story...you should have seen me when I had to prick my finger in class...I almost passed out! Julian's dad is like that with blood though...if he sees any blood at all he passes out.

[infernalis]

thaw them in warm water....boiling hot water can cook the pinkie a bit... I just use warm tap water to thaw. I chop frozen ones for my little ones and thaw in warm water and mix with chopped worms or fish....works good for me

I crush up a little reptomin and mix with that Don, works great.

http://www.reptard.info/garters/gartergrub.jpg

[kibakiba]

I'm not as afraid as my uncle... a drop of blood makes him have a seizure.

I used to get sick from playing video games with blood in them, because it freaked me out that much but... You could say blood doesn't phase me in games and I'm a certified maniac in them.


On topic, though, cutting up pinkies and worms doesn't bother me. The chicken hearts disgusted me, with the coagulated blood stuff in them seeping out.

[EasternGirl]

You really wouldn't want to be in my dissection labs then...I won't go into details. On topic...Wayne...I made a little garter goulash and put it in with Hermes and I'm waiting to see if he eats it...fingers crossed.

[kibakiba]

I cut up worms, pinkies, fish and heart into something that's like the goulash, but thinner and... well weirder... Haha. The snakies love it though, they eat it right up :D

[EasternGirl]

Well...Hermes did not eat the Garter Goulash....I guess he just isn't ready to eat yet... I'll keep trying though...because I don't want the poor little guy to get hungry...

[infernalis]

Give a break between attempts. Trying too frequently is not only unproductive, but unless you have a piggy snake to eat the food, it will go to waste.

I have a few ravenous feeders that are fantastic for eating "leftovers"

[EasternGirl]

Good point...Cee Cee is a piggers...she will gladly take the leftovers.

[indigoman]

I don't know if it has been suggested but i use a pair of scissors to cut up small portions of worms and pinkies,fish.

[EasternGirl]

Good suggestion...I also use scissors to cut up the worms...I have never tried it with the pinkies or fish though...

[d_virginiana]

I have a tackle knife for the worms. For pinkies I just use a really sharp kitchen knife..

Though I've noticed that my baby prefers pinkie 'parts' instead of pinkie mush. Even when I first got her, should wouldn't touch anything that was all mixed up like that. So that's why I usually pull out the individual organs to give her. She'll also take whole legs and tails. But if you put a random chunk of globby mouse goop in front of her she just gives it this look like 'righhhhhhttttt' and heads in the other direction. Houdini on the other hand would chomp down on anything remotely food-like as soon as you put it in his cage before he went blind.

[Stefan-A]

http://koti.mbnet.fi/thamnoph/photos/snakes2011/tools.jpg

[EasternGirl]

You pull out the individual organs? How do you do that? I don't really see any organs...just blood and guts...

[Light of Dae]

I was really blonde the other day n thawed a pinkie before cutting it, and found I could see the whole digestive tract lol mmm yummy. My snake has turned into a pig since I started chopping up salmon n worms into a goloush mash. As far as pinkies go I have a ziplock bag I put them in (cut up) with worm n or salmon bits then run luke warm water over it, or just hold it in my hand till it don't feel like a squishy ice cube anymore :P

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...I am going to try that because putting the pinkies in water to thaw them always leaves them a bit waterlogged. Thanks! I don't have any worms right now...I need to go to the bait store and buy some...it's too cold to find any outside now. But I am going to try making a mixed plate of chopped up pinkie and salmon tonight for the new baby and see if he will eat since he hasn't eaten yet.

[tress29]

I bought tilapia tonight.:D

[EasternGirl]

Cool..Tress...have they eaten anything other than worms yet?

[tress29]

Cool..Tress...have they eaten anything other than worms yet?

The radix didn't eat his pinky, but I cut another into 6 pieces and 4 were eaten. Unfortunately, I didn't see who ate what. I'm getting ready to thaw some fish, I'm just now getting to MY dinner as well! I've been on Fishlore reading about aquatic plants for my ADF tank!

[EasternGirl]

Sounds good...yes, make sure you have time to eat too :). Cee Cee ate a bunch of pinkies and salmon tonight...I'm fearing that she may already be gravid because the only time I have seen her eat like this is when she was before. Seely is refusing to eat...I guess he's boycotting on account of being taken away from his girlfriend...lol. I put some pinkies and salmon under Hermes' hide for him and stuck him in there with it...I'll go check in a bit to see if he ate any.

[d_virginiana]

You pull out the individual organs? How do you do that? I don't really see any organs...just blood and guts...

Make a cut just above the genitals, hook the knife or whatever you're using just up under the skin, and pull upward toward the head. The 'guts' will usually spill out all at once, and the liver, heart, spleen, and intestines almost always come out in-tact. I do this partly because I really do think that the organ meat is more nutritious, and also because I'm OCD, and the idea of just chopping something with no consideration to its organization kind of bothers me (yeah, I know, it's the opposite of most people's problems with it lol).
Also, since the baby doesn't usually eat a whole pinkie at a time, this leaves me with a whole body I can just hand-feed to the adult, which is a lot easier than trying to give him mush-leftovers which he just crawls through and trails across his cage.. :p

[katach]

I pull my pinkies out of the freezer the night before meal day, then get them out about 30 prior to feeding so they are room temp. I mix worm chunks and frozen chopped pinkies for the baby.

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm...all ideas I may have to try...the dissection of the pinky may be good for my baby albino who will not eat. I have tried pinky parts, garter goulash, pinky parts and salmon bits..nothing seems to interest him yet. I think that maybe he is just still adjusting and not ready to eat yet. Perhaps I will try pinky organs next. He was eating a half a pinky whole with his breeder...but he will not eat for me yet.

[snakehill]

I'd rather chop up a dead pinky than a live worm anyday!!! :p

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...I cut the worms with scissors...it is really gross when they squirm all over and squirt out brown stuff...and I'm such a bleeding heart...I actually feel bad for the worms...:rolleyes:.

[kibakiba]

The brown stuff is poop. Yum!

I used to care, I don't anymore though... I just cut 'em up like it's part of my daily routine.

[tress29]

I just cut 'em up like it's part of my daily routine.
Well, isn't it?!

[kibakiba]

Technically, yes. ;)

[EasternGirl]

Yeah....you know...my snakes have to eat..so the worms have to deal with it.