feeding live pinkys??

[mtolypetsupply]

Parasites and diseases aside, I don't see a problem with feeding the mice found in a human-inhabitated area to the snake. Having been around barns and horses for nigh on 30 years, I've seen many mouse nests deliberately crushed with the heel of a boot. To me, that is cruel and a waste of food. (PS- the barn cats no longer got so much Meow Mix available to them after the humans found the nests.)

Taking parasites and disease into account, I'd just put them outside for the predators.

That's just me though.

[Stefan-A]

Parasites and diseases aside, I don't see a problem with feeding the mice found in a human-inhabitated area to the snake.

Ingested poisons and other toxic substances they may have come in contact with. You have no control over what they eat. If you want to use wild rodents, you're better off catching them far from any human-inhabited areas, which sort of prevents the use of wild house mice. There was even a story in a recent issue of a local gun magazine about a case where mice had actually chewed on wax-covered lead bullets. The interesting thing was that there were no pieces of lead left lying around, so the mice must have actually swallowed the lead. Frankly, mice will chew on and eat anything and there's plenty of harmful stuff in human-inhabited areas.

[mtolypetsupply]

Ingested poisons and other toxic substances they may have come in contact with. You have no control over what they eat. If you want to use wild rodents, you're better off catching them far from any human-inhabited areas, which sort of prevents the use of wild house mice. There was even a story in a recent issue of a local gun magazine about a case where mice had actually chewed on wax-covered lead bullets. The interesting thing was that there were no pieces of lead left lying around, so the mice must have actually swallowed the lead. Frankly, mice will chew on and eat anything and there's plenty of harmful stuff in human-inhabited areas.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I should have said something to the effect of, "Contaminants of any kind aside, I have no ethical problems with feeding...."

I see how feeding wild caught anything could be problematic. But I have no problem feeding live pinkies, even with f/t being readily available.