# Chicken necks and Drumsticks....



## BROWNS (Mar 13, 2008)

Hi Peoples,

Just thought i'd let you know i tried the devils idea of feeding my pythons chicken necks and drumsticks and was very very pleased with the results.My BHP's went nuts on them and after a couple of necks which for an adult bhp isn't a big feed i tried a couple of drumsticks instead with the skin taken off and they both just loved em and wanted more.I also thought i wonder if anything else will take the necks so i tried them with quite a few jungles and out of every jungle i tried only 2 knocked the necks back and my adult black and white took 3 necks one after another which still wasn't a big enough feed for me so i offered a drumstick and her usually being a very fussy finicky feeder on rats was on the prowl as soon as she smelt the chicken and also took the drumstick and scoffed it down with ease and looked to thoroughly enjoy it!!!

I'll definitely be buying a kilo of necks and drumsticks again every week from now and and feed what i can rodents 1 week and chicken the next which cuts down on the cost of your food bill tremendously and i'm really really happy that so many of my animals loved the chicken when some were fussy on anything!!!

Just thought i'd share the experience and definitely recommend it to anyone else who hasn't tried them before!!

Cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## reptalica (Mar 13, 2008)

LOL. I feed them to my greyhound and she loves them, as well as chicken frames. Nice and cheap too.


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## Glider (Mar 13, 2008)

And you know the first place to look if any of your snakes ever escape- the chook pen! It's going to be a massacre!


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## ishka (Mar 13, 2008)

We haven't tried the drumsticks but we have tried a number of our snakes (both pythons and elapids) on chicken necks with success.

To those who haven't already, it's definately worth a try 

Cheers,
Ishka


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## zulu (Mar 13, 2008)

*re Chicken*

Works hey browns,been feeding drumsticks and necks off for years,havent done so lately as it gets like a chore sitting down and peeling all the fat of the drumsticks and drying them out.


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## The Devil (Mar 13, 2008)

Good one Browns....in a way it's funny to watch the snakes hammer the chicken d/sticks, it just makes a good and cheap feed.
One of my bhp's would rather eat d/sticks than rats.

Interesting that your fussy B&W really went for the necks in a big way.


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## Jozz (Mar 13, 2008)

Interesting. I tried necks with a tiger snake and spotted black snake a week ago, and neither showed any interest. I warmed them to room temp? I will be trying them again with a bit of rodent hair sprinkled over them?


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## zulu (Mar 13, 2008)

*re Chicken*

Necks and drumsticks are at least better for bhps than useing the day old chicks the yolks in the chicks makes for stinking running poo.Drumsticks are good for large adult BHPs with a few rats for variety if you have a shortage of panoptes running around in you backyard.


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## jay76 (Mar 13, 2008)

I feed all mine necks once a month. coastals, bredli, jungles, diamonds, maccies and they all love them. I got the idea from the devil as well and am very happy with the results.


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## Lozza (Mar 13, 2008)

Drumsticks have quite a large bone - I'm just wondering how big a snake needs to be to be able to feed them drummies? (I have a 2yr old BHP and wouldn't mind trying them)


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## arbok (Mar 13, 2008)

hmm so you just get raw chicken neck? does it have much meat on it? might get my babies eating there rats for a month or so then give them a try....


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## herptrader (Mar 13, 2008)

One of the reasons for feeding whole rodents to pythons is that it is a complete and balanced meal.

I would not underestimate the value of the gut content when you are feeding whole animals. If you feed just bone and muscle protein (and some fat too I suspect, despite removing skins) this could be deleterious to the long term health of the animal.


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## blurb (Mar 13, 2008)

i tried chicken with my 2 darwins and neither took any interest at all. so i rubbed a rat all over them and still nothing. i'm going to stick with the rodents.


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (Mar 13, 2008)

I feed them to my green tree frogs, 
pink tongues,bluetongues and snakes...
with the frogs and lizards i roll them in insectavore..


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## redbellybite (Mar 13, 2008)

i am with herp on that one i have always been told for a good healthy diet the snake needs the whole animal from its fur to it blood and all inbetween ...........chicken necks and drumsticks may seem ok but you know living on maccas u can survive but you wont be totally healthy .......as long as you alternate your feeding it probably is ok i suppose for you guys that live in the subs and cant own your own chooks and area big enuff to breed your own rodents its a cheaper alternative.....


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## gillsy (Mar 13, 2008)

As already mentioned great for a treat, no nutritional value in them.

I normally feed my Stimson's Chicken Breasts if i'm having some for dinner myself.


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## tempest (Mar 13, 2008)

I might have to give this a go with my Diamond. He became a really fussy eater after winter last year, refusing rats whereas he used to love them before. Now a days he'll only eat a large mouse every month or so... think I might call past the pet food shop on the way home!


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## spilota_variegata (Mar 13, 2008)

I've toyed with the idea about making snake sausages using the ground up carcasses of chickens. I approached the local butcher and asked if he could do it and he said no because sausages are not allowed to contain 100% animal product :shock: Evidently they have to contain a certain amount of fat and "other substances" to be defined as sausages. I thought snake sausages using chicken would be a nice treat for some of the snakes.


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## Lozza (Mar 13, 2008)

spilota_variegata said:


> I've toyed with the idea about making snake sausages using the ground up carcasses of chickens. I approached the local butcher and asked if he could do it and he said no because sausages are not allowed to contain 100% animal product :shock: Evidently they have to contain a certain amount of fat and "other substances" to be defined as sausages. I thought snake sausages using chicken would be a nice treat for some of the snakes.


yep one of my dad's mates who's a butcher got fined for having too much meat in his sausages :shock: ***


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## Earthling (Mar 13, 2008)

Roos good too!

If someone could convince the State and National Governments and the roo shooters, Joeys from the shot female roos still in the pouch, up to 2 Kilos, would be joy! Guts and all! Just got to get over that cute factor too. I find that last one too hard to get over everytime. Next time I tell myself.......


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## cris (Mar 13, 2008)

Just because the necks have no guts doesnt mean they have no nutritional value. I feed my snakes a combination of rats and chicken necks(mainly).




Earthling said:


> Just got to get over that cute factor too. I find that last one too hard to get over everytime. Next time I tell myself.......



They tend to lose the cute factor after being headshot IMO, rats are just as cute anyway and more of them would need to be killed for the same size meal.


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## Earthling (Mar 13, 2008)

cris said:


> They tend to lose the cute factor after being headshot IMO, rats are just as cute anyway and more of them would need to be killed for the same size meal.


 
Head shoot Joeys:shock:? Im guessing you mean the roo doe head shooting? Their just meat now. I was talking joeys hard to kill and bring home. I can kill them...cause you have too....but cant bring myself to bringing one home for snake food.....next time....such a waste to leave them for fox food. Most at the moment are at the 5" long nose to vent stage and still hairless...poor wee buggers.


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## cris (Mar 13, 2008)

Oh i thought you meant bigger ones(its not like me to read something wrong lol). Still i dont see it being any worse than using pinky rodents, killing them isnt a plesant job either, but a snake has to eat.


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## The Devil (Mar 13, 2008)

(Gillsy.... As already mentioned great for a treat, no nutritional value in them. )

That's an interesting statement, am I to understand that the lean meat on a c/drumstick has no nutritional value.
Further the large bone in a d/stick is of no value and the bone morrow is nothing but jellied water.

That being the case most of my snakes should not be growing and breeding.

A friend of mine has a BHP about 6 y.o. that has NEVER had anything but chicken, big snake and looks great.


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## LennytheGecko (Mar 13, 2008)

Just wondering if u could suppliment the chick necks and drumsticks with vit + min? Mayeb some gound grains or something similar to mimic what would be in the stomach of a snakes natural prey. and maybe some chicken liver/heart/kidney all pumped inside teh drumstick or neck.....Chicken, to me, would be an excellent food for any animal, being a nice gentle food on the stomach and full of protien(to help u grow nice and strong) Have always given dogs and cats chicken frames..... and ducks eat chicken too, mostly KFC thou


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## snakecharma (Mar 13, 2008)

hey there all 

i have all my adults BHP's and Woma's eating drumsticks except 1 annoying male woma who likes his rats too much lol. And for the rest of my collection i have most of my jungles onto chicken wing drumsticks (get a ful chicken wing and break it into 3 parts) my bredli's are all on the middle wing section and alot of my yearlings will down the occasional wing tip as its nice and small. 

I agree that its probably not an all round meal thus why i still feed rodents every 2nd-3rd feed but am looking into injecting the chicken parts with some vitamins such as rep cals hertivite to add some extra goodies for my snakey friends 

cheerz


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## cris (Mar 13, 2008)

You can supplement them by making a cut to form a little pocket or simply put stuff under the skin on the drum sticks.

If you are having trouble getting them to take necks/legs, make sure they are warmed up and just dip the end of it in some rat blood, guts or whatever and they should eat it. The rat can then be fed to the snake aswell.


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## mrmikk (Mar 13, 2008)

zulu said:


> Necks and drumsticks are at least better for bhps than useing the day old chicks the yolks in the chicks makes for stinking running poo.


 
How true!


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## crush the turtle (Mar 13, 2008)

were do u buy chicken necks from?


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## Tatelina (Mar 13, 2008)

I was thinking the same thing...
Personally I wouldn't jepordise (sp?) the health of my animals to save money.



herptrader said:


> One of the reasons for feeding whole rodents to pythons is that it is a complete and balanced meal.
> 
> I would not underestimate the value of the gut content when you are feeding whole animals. If you feed just bone and muscle protein (and some fat too I suspect, despite removing skins) this could be deleterious to the long term health of the animal.


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## Dan19 (Mar 13, 2008)

I was desperate for food one time so i just went and got a bucket of kfc's non-spicy chicken, they loved it!!


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## ihaveherps (Mar 13, 2008)

I dont agree that the chicken has no nutritional value, but no-one in their right mind would argue that a chicken neck or drumstick has anywhere the nutritional value of a full carcass, be it bird or rodent.


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## mcloughlin2 (Mar 13, 2008)

Franklins, woolworths and most butchers sell chicken necks.


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## Helikaon (Mar 13, 2008)

yeah nah i cant imagine id ever feed chicken bits, just seems wrong that you are feeding a snake a part of an animal that the snake couldn't consume whole hence the calcium on the bones may be too difficult to consume or the jaggard vertebrae may irritate if not cut the digestive wall. as read in a kids post a while back when he thought feeding chicken necks was fine till the vertebrae got stuck in his snake. i can see why people would turn to these for snakes that need a lean diet but i can assure you there are several essential amino acids that they would not get from just a drumstick. it seem if cost of food is that much of an object why own so many snakes. one of the reasons snakes don't need uv is because they eat entire animals. but yes i would suggest if you decide to go down this path to also mix it up with rats or another similar food stuff. because i simply dont care if it seems to work it is not best practice so in my opinion should not be described as if it is.


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## Jason2 (Mar 14, 2008)

I've not heard the bit about snakes not needing UV because they eat entire animals.
I figured it might have had something to do with the fact that pythons spend most of their day out of the sun, hiding from predators ect.

I guess it possible for a chicken neck bone to get caught in a snakes throat but then again how many people remove the teeth and toe nails from rats before feeding.

Helikon...if you think that pythons can't eat whole chickens, chooks ect maybe you should talk to people who live on farms.


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## Nikki. (Mar 14, 2008)

Do you reckon i could feed Pretzel my 11month Bredli (almost his birthday soon!!) with a chicken wing or drumstuck?  i agree , you could be saving heaps of money if you buy rats or mice from the petshop


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## ishka (Mar 14, 2008)

I think when it comes to feeding reptiles it is no different to feeding humans (apart from our tastes being a little different). I don't doubt that chicken (necks or drummies) doesn't fill all the nutritional requirements of the snake but i don't think that matters as long as you look at the over all diet and they are not eating the chicken solely. When we eat, we do not expect to fulfil our dietary requirements in one meal but instead fulfil those needs with the different things we eat over a period of time.

Basically what I am trying to say is that although necks and drummies won't fulfil all of a snakes dietary requirements there is no reason why they can't be used as part of a balanced diet because like humans i don't believe that they need to get all the nutrition they need out of every single meal.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers,
Ishka


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## ishka (Mar 14, 2008)

Helikaon said:


> it seem if cost of food is that much of an object why own so many snakes.



I don't think anyone here is saying that they don't want to fork out the money for food but at the end of the day if you can cut down food costs without adversely effecting your collection... why not do it?


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## mcloughlin2 (Mar 14, 2008)

I think that if the cost of food is that big a deal, you should not be keeping a snake, or in that case many snakes. Too often do you read on here about how expensive it is to feed snakes and how they want cheaper alternatives. However before you buy your snake you should have already checked to see how much food will cost ~.

I think majority of people have come to the conclusion that chicken necks and drumsticks are not good as a staple food diet. Every so often yeah they would be fine but on a regular basis your snakes will be missing out on many important vitamens and minerals. The diet will need to have a variety of things so they can fulfill whatever dietry requirements they have. So lets remember whats best for your snake - not whats going to save you the most money.

Sam.


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## Meechee (Mar 14, 2008)

Would you have to make sure they were organic? What would the growth hormones and chemicals do to your snake?


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## Adzo (Mar 14, 2008)

Meechee said:


> Would you have to make sure they were organic? What would the growth hormones and chemicals do to your snake?


Snake boobs.


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## BROWNS (Mar 14, 2008)

I never mentioned to feed your snakes soley on chicken necks or drumsticks but if you alternate from rats one week to necks n drumsticks the necks i don't see any problems with that whatsoever and it would definitely cut down on your food bill which isn't the main objective here but having a decent alternative food which has plenty of goodness in it wether it hasn't got all the gizzards etc doesn't mean it's still not good for them.You eat drumsticks and chips for a meal here and there many of you i'm sure but also eat different foods at other times if you are actually eating a decent diet full of all the necessary requiremaents which i bet many don't???

All i'm getting at is that they make a great alternative food source and if fed occasionaly such as rodents one week and chicken necks etc the next wek or even next 2 weeks then back to rats again i don't see how it would harm the pythons in anyway at all from not getting the right nutritional meals or diet!It also just happens to cut down on your food bill and the pythons absolutely love them.Using my adult black and white as an example which has always been a fussy finicky feeder with rats and it takes a heap of mice to make the same amount of feed as one decent sized lean rat i think the fact that she just hammered down some necks and a drumstick unreal and will be much easier to get condition on her now for breeding purposes which i'm hoping will go well this season if i get enough condition on her as she's pretty well right to breed now she just wen off her food for ages since last winter and only in the past couple of months has she been taking scented rats but even then sometimes she would spit them out after constricting and i thought she'd definitely eat the rat only to find it uneaten in the enclosure the next day which is a pain in the butt but now with necks and drumsticks to choose from i'm stoked!!


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## Retic (Mar 14, 2008)

Browns, I totally agree, people have been feeding chicken necks and legs for years as PART of a snakes diet and there is certianly no reason I know of why it shouldn't be done.


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## Australis (Mar 14, 2008)

Ive fed chicken necks to most of my pythons largely with great success.
Ill have to give the drumsticks a go...also.

Ive previously only used them when my rat colony slows down in the heat 
and fails to meet demand!


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## solar 17 (Mar 14, 2008)

*old wives tales*

MEECHEE.. l would LOVE you to explain to me about the growth hormones used in poultry today as they have been outlawed for sixteen years and unavailable to the average person..there are very big fines in place for the use of these products today as apposed to 16 years ago the growth promotents used today come from the proteins used in the anti biotics which are used today......BUT what about the sprays that are used on our cereal crops where the cereal then goes to rat and mouse cubes and then to your rodents and then onto your snakes / lizards etc....l personally use only fresh killed rats and mice but l do have one female bhp that will only and l mean only eat chicken drumsticks as several people on this site will verify but what l do is hide a multi vitamin capsule in the flesh and on this feed plan she has bred the last 3 years in a row...my point is l am not immune either but facts are facts...cheers solar 17


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## The Devil (Mar 14, 2008)

The is an old saying that goes something like this......a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous ...... and having read some of these post I would have to agree with it.

I've seen the bhp Solar17 refers to, seen it many times since he got it about 6 years ago and know that it will ONLY eat chicken.
It came from a guy in Toowoomba who had a chicken farm just down the road from him and was feeding most of his snakes day old chicks ect.

This female bhp looks great, she is about 5kg and has laid the past couple of years, I'm sure if requested Solar would post a pic.

Anyone who thinks that meat be it white or red meat has no nutritional value needs to have a triple flat black coffee.

Also I guess those that say if you can't afford or complain about the cost of rodents you shouldn't keep so many snakes......well I guess they are the same people who NEVER buy anything on special or sale and NEVER worry about trying to buy say petrol at a reasonable price.

Yes feeding chicken is cheaper than feeding rodents, it's human nature to try and save money. Also buying and defrosting drumsticks is a lot simpler that raising rodents.


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## Earthling (Mar 14, 2008)

Whats the deal with not saving money as the reason to feed roo or chook?

I will admit to feeding chook necks and roo to my snakes to save money. Whats wrong with that? Is saving money bad? 
I have 'rat breeders' which at certain times of the year fail to produce the quantity of rats needed for python food. Rather then spend my money on exorbitant 'feeder rat' prices, I will use roo or chook for an alternative feed. Alternatively, I sometimes choose to not feed the snakes at all for that period of low rat numbers. 

As people have said in other threads, you can feed just roo, or just chook but you must give supplements. If thats what it takes for someone to feed their much wanted python who am I to say they are wrong?


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## The Devil (Mar 14, 2008)

Earthling.....your bit about roo meat is interesting, hadn't thought of that and will look into maybe getting some.


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## Earthling (Mar 14, 2008)

The Devil said:


> Earthling.....your bit about roo meat is interesting, hadn't thought of that and will look into maybe getting some.


 
Yes great stuff roo. Low fat. Organic too! I have a couple working on some arms as we speak. 

Most Vets Ive spoken to only advise roo tails for the larger pythons as of the large amount of calcium in the tail. 

I usually try to give them fur as well...not sure if it gives them much, but may assist somehow in digestion/flow. Otherwise just strips of meat. They pythons have a bit of difficulty sometimes with the meat bunching up into a ball but they soon work it out.


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## Lozza (Mar 14, 2008)

I think its a great idea - especially for species like BHPs. They don't eat many rats in the wild and large fatty rats aren't very healthy for them at all. 
Atm I feed several smaller rats in one feed to my BHPs so I think adding a bit of chicken to cut down on the amount of rats is awesome. They would still be getting rats, just not as many and it would also add a leaner component to the mix as well as a different flavour 
I certainly wouldn't want to eat the same thing for every meal - what's wrong with adding a little variance, they eat a wide variety of foods in the wild.


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## wokka (Mar 14, 2008)

Do you ever consider the environmental cost of food or for that matter keeping reptiles. it does worry me that we are invoved in a hobby which chomps through power in order that we create artificial environments for animals. How many heat a cage which lives in an airconditioned cooled room? Roo meat is definitely kindedr to the environment than Chook meat or for that matter rats. Let us know how the roo meat goes. I hear they are culling 400 roos in Canberra but doubt that they have considered recycling them through snakes.


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## tempest (Mar 14, 2008)

wokka said:


> Do you ever consider the environmental cost of food or for that matter keeping reptiles. it does worry me that we are invoved in a hobby which chomps through power in order that we create artificial environments for animals. How many heat a cage which lives in an airconditioned cooled room? Roo meat is definitely kindedr to the environment than Chook meat or for that matter rats. Let us know how the roo meat goes. I hear they are culling 400 roos in Canberra but doubt that they have considered recycling them through snakes.



Wokka, that is something I have thought about often. It isn't the most environmentally friendly hobby and that causes me concern, however, I love my snakes dearly. Roo sounds like it could be a good occasional substitute for larger snakes. My diamond is a little too small for that but small chicken necks or wings sound good when interchanged with mice especially given his fussiness.

Solar17, would you please post up a pic of your BHP? I'd love to see it and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Thanks


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## cris (Mar 14, 2008)

wokka said:


> Do you ever consider the environmental cost of food or for that matter keeping reptiles. it does worry me that we are invoved in a hobby which chomps through power in order that we create artificial environments for animals. How many heat a cage which lives in an airconditioned cooled room? Roo meat is definitely kindedr to the environment than Chook meat or for that matter rats. Let us know how the roo meat goes. I hear they are culling 400 roos in Canberra but doubt that they have considered recycling them through snakes.



Well i voted for a government that would have provided clean nuclear power, i blame the government for the polution caused by electricity production. I dont really think the impact of keeping herps would come close to the impact of many other hobbies or lifestyle choices.

You are spot on about saying roo is great choice if you are concerned about the ethical issues and environmental impact of chicken and rat farming. Using other wild harvested foods is the same. I often catch fish to feed my herps too. 

I use roo meat occasionally.
http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/australian-snakes/snake-eats-kangaroo-45523


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## solar 17 (Mar 14, 2008)

*Bhp Female*

This pic was taken this morning, she;s 6.1 kgs and has produced 22 off-spring in the last 3yrs. and only eats chicken drumsticks as she WONT eat anything else....cheers solar17


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## The Devil (Mar 14, 2008)

Earthling......I love it....forgotten that roo meat would be organic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## geckodan (Mar 14, 2008)

Nev, whats the smallest snake that can happily accept a chicken neck?? Would you offer a chicken neck to a stimmie or mac???


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## NicG (Mar 14, 2008)

What size python (say diamond) would you (occasionally) feed the following to:
a) chicken mini-drumsticks (half-wings)
b) chicken necks
c) chicken drumsticks
d) kangaroo limbs

And where would you get kangaroo limbs from?


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## cris (Mar 14, 2008)

Danny what are your thoughts on using them as a regular food for snakes as far as nutritional value goes?

I feed my macs chicken necks, i just use necks that arnt much wider than the snakes head. A 2' python can easily eat a small neck(the sizes vary alot). You could probably get away with feeding larger necks but i think it may be a bit risky with the vetebrae that can stick out.


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## Fester (Mar 14, 2008)

wokka said:


> it does worry me that we are invoved in a hobby which chomps through power in order that we create artificial environments for animals. How many heat a cage which lives in an airconditioned cooled room?


 
Very valid point! I was just in the herp room, 40C outside, 26C inside and the enclosure heating is on. I have tropical fish in the air conditioned house, not much difference I suppose. I was looking at a 1KW solar system, still too expensive to justify. Back to the chicken. I tried a neck on my oldest Bredli last week and he loved it.


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## Snake Catcher Victoria (Mar 14, 2008)

> Nev, whats the smallest snake that can happily accept a chicken neck?? Would you offer a chicken neck to a stimmie or mac???


Dan, my hatchy childreni happily took a piece of chicken neck that i had cut down last night..Looks like it wants more today to.
When feeding it to the smaller snakes its a good idea to make sure the bone inside the neck has been crushed a bit..I do this with the back of a large knife.
You dont want to have a large chunk of bone inside your snake as this could cause problems.


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## The Devil (Mar 14, 2008)

Any snake that can take an adult mouse or fuzzy/weaner rat could easily take a chicken neck.

The attached file was sent to me by the largest chicken company in Oz.
I did try a cut and paste but me and computers don't mix real well.


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## Helikaon (Mar 14, 2008)

Jason2 said:


> I've not heard the bit about snakes not needing UV because they eat entire animals.
> I figured it might have had something to do with the fact that pythons spend most of their day out of the sun, hiding from predators ect.
> 
> I guess it possible for a chicken neck bone to get caught in a snakes throat but then again how many people remove the teeth and toe nails from rats before feeding.
> ...



ok one they don't need uv because they get their vitamin D3 from their meals because they eat whole prey items.. second i am not talking about it getting caught in the throat i am saying it could get caught somewhere down the digestive tract. and thirdly i didn't say they cant eat chickens i said that you are feeding a python (referring to the individual python) that couldnt eat a whole chicken. for example a yearling Stimson eating a chicken neck is eating a desinisty of bone of an animal that it would never eat due to the animals being to big. antoher example. a year carpet python of chicken wings is once again the exact same ans that individual yearling carpet python couldn't possibly swallow a whole adult chicken. ok so now lets ask someone who lived on a farm............................oh thats me. 

oh and just on the side as explained before.. it is not saving money that is the issue it is the method in which you save money. and in my opinion this is a method that if used incorrectly is extremely detrimental to your animals health and for this reason i don't think the info within this thread should be taken as dogma. and i feel if it is, especially by the new people to owning snakes we may run into a lot of problems.


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## geckodan (Mar 14, 2008)

cris said:


> Danny what are your thoughts on using them as a regular food for snakes as far as nutritional value goes?


Compared to home grown, often obese rats and mice I see no issue. The bone of a commercial chicken are only partially calcified as commercial chooks are still only babies when harvested so digestion should be no issue. I would be a little less inclined to use the limbs of mature large mammals (e.g roo) as the bones are far more calcified and harder to digest (you would be surprised how much undigested bone comes through in dog faeces at times). Otherwise the results speak for themselves. Greater fibre than a neck can supply is needed at times so alternate feeding with rats /mice/birds is a fine option.


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## NicG (Mar 16, 2008)

I just fed two Diamond Pythons (6 foot long, 2 inches diameter) two drumsticks each for the first time. They both took them very quickly.

I simply bought a four-pack from the supermarket and peeled the skin off. I decided that I didn't want to feed the whole length of the bone, so I cut the end off, just down from the 'meaty' part of the leg. Then I soaked it in hot tap water for approx ten minutes and offered it to the snake. It was taken without hesitation and swallowed relatively quickly. The second drumstick disappeared in a similar fashion.

I will incorporate this into my feeding routine from now on - probably fourth feed or so ...


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## PimmsPythons (Mar 16, 2008)

i have also used chicken necks for the last 3 years whenever i am running low on rats through the warmer months or just to vary their diet a bit . had no problems what so ever.


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## meshe1969 (Mar 16, 2008)

Would there a chance that a Diamond might then refuse to eat rats again after trying the chicken products?


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## PimmsPythons (Mar 16, 2008)

meshe1969 said:


> Would there a chance that a Diamond might then refuse to eat rats again after trying the chicken products?



mine haven't


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## GSXR_Boy (Mar 16, 2008)

mine either.


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## cement (Mar 16, 2008)

Rats and chickens eat much the same thing anyway, grains and seeds etc
Rats even taste a bit like chicken :shock:
Every now and again is fine.
Have a friend who feeds chooks to his scrub.


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## deadflesh (Mar 16, 2008)

meshe1969 said:


> Would there a chance that a Diamond might then refuse to eat rats again after trying the chicken products?



I doubt it; they eat a variety of things in the wild; and should do in captivity. If it does refuse though; just soak your rat in chicken stock (without preservatives/chemicals) or something similar... it should work fine. Though I doubt there would be problems if you mostly stick to feeding rats and chicken on rare occasions.


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## Australis (Apr 2, 2008)

Australis said:


> Ive fed chicken necks to most of my pythons largely with great success.
> Ill have to give the drumsticks a go...also.



Well, i gave them a go, for some reason the fussiest (and ugliest) animal i have ever owned
(and just like last time with the chicken necks) this girl is the first to smash the chicken drumstick.


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## Miss B (Apr 2, 2008)

Could smaller pythons (yearlings for example) eat those mini drumsticks that you can buy in the supermarket deli?


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## Jonno from ERD (Apr 2, 2008)

G'day guys,

I decided to have a crack at this last week. Had a very mixed response that seemed to run with species...I know other people have had different results but here's mine...

Diamonds, Stimsons, Childrens, Colletts, Red Bellies, Spotted Blacks, Death Adders, Olive Pythons and some Carpets went crazy over them.

Jungles, Taipans, Tree Snakes (no suprises there), Macs, Brown Snakes and Water Pythons ignorned them. Spencers Monitors and Laceys loved them.

I was feeding some of our Carpets that are housed in aviaries on them yesterday, and forgot that I left the plastic tub with a kilo of chicken necks in the aviary...I went out an hour later and there was one enormously fat Carpet Python and an empty tub...


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## Australis (Apr 2, 2008)

Miss B said:


> Could smaller pythons (yearlings for example) eat those mini drumsticks that you can buy in the supermarket deli?



I don't see why not, just feed a appropriately sized drum stick in much the same way you feed a appropriately 
sized rodent to any given snake.


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## tfor2 (Apr 2, 2008)

Sounds like a great idea, but can someone explain to me how to prepare the chick necks and drumsticks, and with the drumsticks what about the big bone, i would have to remove it wouldnt I?


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## Australis (Apr 2, 2008)

tfor2 said:


> Sounds like a great idea, but can someone explain to me how to prepare the chick necks and drumsticks, and with the drumsticks what about the big bone, i would have to remove it wouldnt I?



Leave the bone in, at least i did anyway... :?
I also removed the skin, although as you can see in the photo
i put up i missed the last little bit..


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## rebeccalg (Apr 2, 2008)

Why do you have to remove the skin? Don't snakes need fat in their diet as well? I don't think I will remove feathers and skin when she is big enough to eat a whole chicken.. I have only just managed to kill a rat!


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## Chris1 (Apr 2, 2008)

is it better to use the hormone free chicken?


its funny, my bredli has helped me prepare chicken (welll, he sits on my shoulders while i'm preparing stuff and cooking)) heaps of times, had a bit of a sniff and ignored it,...does it have to be warm to get a response?


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## Chimera (Apr 2, 2008)

Looking at the raw data available in Reptile Medicine and Surgery (Mader et. al., 2006) and The Reptile Keepers Handbook (Barnard, 1996) I would not think that there is a great difference in fat content for the meat on either item.

The data put up by The Devil shows that per 100g there is 17.5g of protein and 5.3g of fat. Mader states that the figures for a 330g adult rat as 22g Protein and 7.39g fat. The ration of protein to fat is similar for both items however for growing reptiles and females putting on condition for/after breeding I would think that rats would be a better option. It must also be noted that there would be a greater level of trace minerals and vitamins in whole food items than chicken legs.

Given that these figures were given for a 330g rat you may be able to assume that the fat content _may_ be lower for smaller rats (~200g). It has been a long accepted fact that larger older rats contain more fat then younger rats. Probably also worth noting that these figures came from a US text in the context of reptile nutrition, it would not be a huge leap of faith to assume that these may have been raised in lab rat style tubs.

Basically it comes down to what you are willing to use, the fact that people have sustained both pythons and elapids on chicken necks/legs suggests that they may contain everything a snake needs, personally though, I think I'll stick with rats as the staple diet but may suppliment with the occasional piece of chicken


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## hornet (Apr 2, 2008)

Earthling said:


> Roos good too!
> 
> If someone could convince the State and National Governments and the roo shooters, Joeys from the shot female roos still in the pouch, up to 2 Kilos, would be joy! Guts and all! Just got to get over that cute factor too. I find that last one too hard to get over everytime. Next time I tell myself.......



i dont know about other states but in qld we need tags for every roo we shoot, i wonder if i would need to put a tag on joeys if i was bringing them home for snake feed or if tagging the doe is good enough


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## hornet (Apr 2, 2008)

Jonno from ERD said:


> I was feeding some of our Carpets that are housed in aviaries on them yesterday, and forgot that I left the plastic tub with a kilo of chicken necks in the aviary...I went out an hour later and there was one enormously fat Carpet Python and an empty tub...



lol, i started feeding chicken necks to my coastals a couple of months back and they love them, easly take 2-3 per feed and i get them for about $2 a kg


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## The Devil (Apr 2, 2008)

Just finished feeding yearling jungles chicken necks, loved them.
3 of my adult jungles go crazy over drumsticks as do adult bhp's. At the moment I'm looking after a couple of 2y.o. woma, they also loved the chicken necks.

I guess it is debatable as to whether they have the same value as rodents. They do make a GREAT stand by when rodents are running low. I know of a couple of guys who feed about 75% chicken and their snakes are fine,look good and breed each year.

Someone mention the hormone factor, State and I think Federal legislation banned the use of hormones in chickens about 15 years ago.


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## wizz (Apr 2, 2008)

tempest said:


> I might have to give this a go with my Diamond. He became a really fussy eater after winter last year, refusing rats whereas he used to love them before. Now a days he'll only eat a large mouse every month or so... think I might call past the pet food shop on the way home!


That is ok Diamonds are speose to be slender 7 good rats a year they get lots of problems when they get feed to much and r not likely 2 breed when over weight....


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