Frozen or Fresh killed

[Seijin]

I am just curious as to what the board members use more often in feeding there boas, fresh killed or frozen prey items.

thanks for your input

[woodman]

Freshly "thumped" b27.gif But I am started to realize a good arguement for popsicles.

[chris_peterman]

Freshly Thumped..Thats a good one!

 I use f/t just because its easier than raising rats and it saves a trip to the pet store that would get real expensive really fast.


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[Panama_Red]

What ever way my snakes like them, and is most convienant at the time, freshly thumped b24.gif or frozen is better than live either way you look at it, a big live rat can do some serious damage to your boa!

[woodman]

 I use f/t just because its easie
                                                             

                                                                                             
Hey Chris
Is that a freshly thumped f/t or a frozen thawed f/t?

[chris_peterman]

Sorry ,frozen thawed,Got a small chest freezer full of rats and rabbits.I would have switched over to rabbits completely ,but I have a few snake that are dedacated rat consumers.

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[dragons182]

I like to try to feed freshly killed if I can; but I like frozen because you can order in bulk and they are cheaper than pet stores.

[Steve_M.]

I was talking to a friend who lives in Florida and he was telling me about a veterinarian who recently spoke at his local herp society meeting the Dr. believed that freezing food items destroyed the amino acids and other nutrients and that by feeding a diet of only pre-frozen food items could lead to neurological damage in reptiles. Now obviously the Dr. supported his belief’s much better than I'm repeating them here and there's more to it than just amino acids My friend now believes this to be true I'm not as sure anybody else ever hear anything like this?

[Doug]

Hi,
I read on a forum in germany by a reptile expert, Quote:
http://www.boa-constrictors.com/com/com.html
(One disadvantage of frozen prey should be mentioned: Vitamins are lost in the freezing process. It is therefore necessary to add a vitamine supplement occasionally.

Best suitable for this are liquid supplements (available at pharmacies).)

(Herman,S)  feels that freezing destroys some of the vitamins and such, what I do know is that freezing destroys all the rat parasites round worms, tape,hook, most protazoa,and all the loverly insects ( mites,fleas)that rats can carry..Hey you gotta keep the prevent-a-mite if your a thumper... So I only use that ratsickles, I may inject them in the future with a vitamin supplement when someone explains to me what is being lost by freezing and this would be done about ever 5th to 6th feeding so the animals donot get vitamin toxicity. I am not convinced its a serious problem, heck some of the boa experts have snakes that are numerous years old that have never had a fresh killed rodent..  My vote's for the thawed ratsickle...
   My 2cents$    b10.gif
   doug

[chris_peterman]

Good point doug. Jeffs bolivion(sp) that just dropped was,I think, 20 some years old. As far as I know all he feeds is frozen/thawed,But I could be wrong.


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