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  1. #1
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" Selkielass's Avatar
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    Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    I was cleaning out my bee hives last week and as usual, found several field mouse nests, complete with pinkies and fuzzies.

    I saved them, euthanized them, and tucked them away in the freezer, but now I'm wondering if they would be safe to feed after a few months.

    The nests were in overwintered wooden hives placed in the middle of a meadow. No fleas or external parasites were visible. The only domestic animals nearby are some chickens 1/4 mile away and the neighbors dogs, a couple acres over.

    Whatcha think? My first thought was "Free snake food!", but I'm obviously having second thoughts.

  2. #2
    T. radix Ranch guidofatherof5's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    A concern I would have is, What was the Mother eating?
    Mice will eat anything. Good or bad.
    There's always a risk with wild caught food.
    Steve
    5 awesome kids!
    Emmy, Kale, Molly, Gabby, Hailee
    They are not just snakes. They're garter snakes.
    http://www.youtube.com/user/thamnophis14?feature=mhee

  3. #3
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" Selkielass's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    Well, Honey and pollen for one thing!
    Lots of wild grasses and grains in that meadow, and the nests were made from soft grasses and vegetable fluff.
    No pesticides or rodenticides in this part of the property.
    Fruit trees on the front half of the 5 acre property may have been sprayed this season, but they are quite a distance away.

  4. #4
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" BLUESIRTALIS's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    I would be concerned if there is a chance that the mother could have ate any rodent poison or anything toxic that could be passed to the babies which might could harm the snakes. I found a nest when i was younger that i caught in a wooded area away from any houses or businesses that i kept and monitored for a few days they seemed fine so i froze them and did not ever have any problems with the snakes.
    Bluesirtalis

  5. #5
    Forum Moderator infernalis's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    I leave the wild mice in the wild.

  6. #6
    I have a condition! RedSidedSPR's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    YOU CRUEL INHUMANE MONSTER!!! Just kidding. I would have done the same thing Except... I would be kinda concerned... but I don't know much about this. I just buy the food, and the wild stuff in the wild.

  7. #7
    "Second shed In Progress" RdubSnider's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    I think the odds are you'll be fine. However since pinkies are so cheap I would never risk it
    Randy

  8. #8
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    Keep them at around 0 degrees F for a month or two. I really don't see any problem with using them. I've done it before. They're probably fine to use.

  9. #9
    "PM Boots For Custom Title" d_virginiana's Avatar
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    Re: Wild caught pinkies- would you feed?

    They probably wouldn't hurt anything, but I'd still be paranoid about using wild-caught mice.

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