pinkies

[CrazyHedgehog]

Are we talking from newly born? if so I have found a mix of chopped pinkies and a little chopped trout will usually be enough for any baby garter to start with, as they grow (very rapidly) go to half pinkies then full, eventiually dropping the fish all together, or giving as alternative food.

If I have difficult eaters, I give them the same chopped mix, but add a few small worms (or cut worm pieces), the writhing of the worm usually sparks interest, once it starts to eat the worm, it generally just carries on eating!

If you are trying to change over food, I have found adding a pinkie to the fish, well rubbed so that all the food smells fishy, gradually more pinkies, less fish, until you need no fish at all.

[a.l.e.x]

I've read that pinlies aren't very good because they don't have lots of proteins and those things. I would better give them frogs, which I've heard are good for them.

[ssssnakeluvr]

Pinkies are the most nutritious food for them. They provide all the nutrition they need. Frogs are a normal part of their diet inthe wild, however, they can transmit parasites to your snakes. If fed pinks, they don't have to be fed as often as with other foods.

[a.l.e.x]

Well, where I read it is a page in spanish, but they said they weren't so good for corn snakes and ball pithons. Maybe for garter snakes they are good.

[ssssnakeluvr]

thats interesting......corns and balls are mainly rodent eaters....pinkies are good for them.....makes ya wonder about the site you visited...

[Thamnophis]

Pinky's are good food, especially when they are a fwe days old and already have been fed by their mothermouse.
But pinky's from one day old are also not bad.

[a.l.e.x]

mmmmmm, well, I say it in a site in spanish, is www.ophidia.es, where it says "Alimentación".

[Thamnophis]

Alimentación means "diet", I think.
Don't know what they mean with this.

But ik do know that almost every newborn ratsnake the first month(-s) is fed wit pinky's. This must be hundred of thousands snakes worldwide.
And this goes well.

[sschind]

Originally Posted by a.l.e.x

I've read that pinlies aren't very good because they don't have lots of proteins and those things. I would better give them frogs, which I've heard are good for them.

They are not saying that pinkies are not good food. They are saying that as your snakes grow you should move them up to larger rodent prey as soon as possible.

They are saying is that pinkies are not as nutritionally complete as adult, or even fuzzy, mice. The bones are not completely calcified thus there is not as much calcium in a pinkie. As far as other nutrients go, I don't know about that but I have read that about pinkies and calcium in a few places. I don't know how true it is.

From the limited translation I could do, and the little time I had to read it, this seems like a pretty decent site that he visited.


Steve

[ssssnakeluvr]

Interesting....mine grow real fast and healthy on pinkies...haven't had any problems....