Small birds??

[Lee]

I know that Vagrans have one of the most diverse, if not the most diverse diets of all garters, and I've read many times that they will eat small birds. Is this practicle at all? Any cheap birds that are easy to aquire (not looknig for chicken/turkey meat or chicks)? Would it be safe to get a small sparrow or will it be filled with parasites and have lice? Don't kill me for asking this bird lovers! Just trying to mix up my snakes diet as much as possible.

[ssssnakeluvr]

I have read they eat birds, actually have a pic of one eating a roadkilled bird, but have never fedmine birds. I have heard of some melanistics a year or two ago that were fed baby chicks, but I wouldn't feed that for myself....

[Stefan-A]

You could probably consider raising quail or finding someone who does. They're small and produce a lot of offspring. Wild birds are going to have parasites, but you can kill some of them by freezing the bird for a few days.

[KITKAT]

Remember that birds are common carriers of salmonella. Freeze for 30 days before feeding.

[GarterGuy]

My very first garter that I had ( a T.s.parietalis about 3ft long) would not only eat fledgling sparrows (they would fall out of nest during storms where I lived), but also would eat strips of boneless chicken breast. Now this was a LONG time ago (I was 10 yrs. old!), and now I don't think I'd ever feed a wild bird to any of my snakes for fear of parasites and who knows what else. As far as the praticallity of it, mice are a lot cheaper and a lot easier to get a hold of. If you find some one who raises finches or quail or another small bird and you want to give them a "treat" it should be fine, but I don't think it'll really work as a practical food source.
Roy

[adamanteus]

I would be worried about parasites, unless as Stefan said, you could find captive bred birds.

[abcat1993]

I guess if you go dove or quail hunting (or smaller game) you could use some if you have a lot.
I misread one part of Roy's post and I thought it said he fed them shrimp, instead of strips of chicken (don't ask me how), so, in theory, could you feed shellfish to garters?

[drache]

Originally Posted by abcat1993

in theory, could you feed shellfish to garters?

not that I know, but I kinda doubt it
I can't think of anything else they eat that has an exoskeleton

[Stefan-A]

I don't know if it's ok, but the shop I bought my first garter from said they loved shrimp. That would be f/t cooked ones with the shell removed (shouldn't contain any extra salt). I was a bit skeptical, so I never tried it myself.

[adamanteus]

I would also be sceptical about using shell fish, I don't know why. Pretty irrational really. I'll stick to trout etc.