Mullet
Not so new Member
Does anyone know of or feed Reptile Sausages? I found them today at my local pet food shop and was curious. The owner told me Taronga Zoo and The Reptile Park use them all the time. Tell me what you think.
Reptile Sausages
- Thread starter Mullet
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spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
I remember emailing a breeder a while ago about their snake sausage recipe (was having a hell of a time getting rats/mice in Alice Springs). He sent me the recipe but I've somehow lost it. If I find it, I'll post it here.
spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
Found it ... And thanks to Michael Cobar for this info (and John Weigel).
You are giving me credit for something that John Weigel really deserves. He was the one who posted the following on this list.
Here is John's original email and my variation at the end.
We experimented with snake sausages as a staple for snakes with
unsophisticated taste requirements - ie our venom production snake colony in
the mid 80's. Though we developed a workable, palatable outcome based on
ground kangaroo meat, there was one substantial problem. The recycled
sausage contents would be used to spray paint/decorate inside of cages. The
old expression: 'through the eye of a needle' was well deserved. This
despite inclusion of wheat bran - which I would have thought would
significantly bind the 'load'.
Then a breakthrough in thinking. In about 1990, while revisiting the
concept, we tried using same recipe - but boiled the sausages prior to
bagging and freezing. The result was a much easier to clean cage after the
end of the line for the snags. The sausages were a fantastic success up
until a few years ago when their usage fell aside for no good reason. We are
now back into the snags, and I'm sure the guys here will learn to love 'em.
The important thing is that they are boiled. Not 'par-boiled', but
full on boiled 'til cooked. A production line process can speed
production - but if you don't have a sausage making machine or pal with
same, you may have trouble getting past first base.
In say, 10kg of snags, we mix:
8kg roo mince
1.5kg oat flakes (or bran)
appropriate mix of vitamins and minerals (including D3 in correct proportion
to calcium, appropriate quantity of calcium.
10 fresh eggs
Please do not to write me to argue about heat damage to vitamins or
non-natural contents. This mix is miles ahead of what most of us raise our
dogs and cats on. I don't know how many list-readers have dissected adult
lab rats or lab mice - but those who have can attest to the ridiculously
high fat-content of these usual dietary mainstays. The sausages are
'training table' fodder. Still, we do compliment the diet of principally
sausage eating snakes with occasional rodents.
Its surprising what species will learn to eat snags. Generalist
feeders such as non-adder large elapids, olive pythons, goannas and the
likes are easy - but many sophisticates - such as diamonds, adders, etc,
will learn to eat them. The initial feedings requires the scenting of the
snags with traditional food items. Easy to do, just mix equal number of
snags, and say, thawed lab mice in a plastic box with lid. Shake, rattle and
roll, and woi-lah, snags that smell like thawed lab mice (which of course
smell nothing like real mice!).
Hope all above is interesting. But don't hassle me for source of
sausage making gear/persons, as your adventure of discovery is the price for
such an old family recipe.
John Weigel
My variation for smaller collections and amounts
per kilo sausages:
800 g minced meat ( I use the 1 kg packaged cat or dog mince)
200 g oat or wheat bran
1 egg
calcium ( about 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate)
vitamins I use Womabaroo reptile mix ( about 1 tablespoon full)
Mix all together and stuff into sausage gut ( you can get it from the
butcher, a sausage maker really helps here. I bought one from Crazy Clint's
for about $ 60 some time ago, but you could also use a funnel if necessary)
boil sausages until done and freeze.
When I want to feed, I take the amount of sausages required, pour boiling
water over them and when the water is cooled to luke warm, I feed the
sausages by putting them on the blunt end of a skewer and let the snake
"catch" it.
All the best and happy herping
Michael H. Cobar
You are giving me credit for something that John Weigel really deserves. He was the one who posted the following on this list.
Here is John's original email and my variation at the end.
We experimented with snake sausages as a staple for snakes with
unsophisticated taste requirements - ie our venom production snake colony in
the mid 80's. Though we developed a workable, palatable outcome based on
ground kangaroo meat, there was one substantial problem. The recycled
sausage contents would be used to spray paint/decorate inside of cages. The
old expression: 'through the eye of a needle' was well deserved. This
despite inclusion of wheat bran - which I would have thought would
significantly bind the 'load'.
Then a breakthrough in thinking. In about 1990, while revisiting the
concept, we tried using same recipe - but boiled the sausages prior to
bagging and freezing. The result was a much easier to clean cage after the
end of the line for the snags. The sausages were a fantastic success up
until a few years ago when their usage fell aside for no good reason. We are
now back into the snags, and I'm sure the guys here will learn to love 'em.
The important thing is that they are boiled. Not 'par-boiled', but
full on boiled 'til cooked. A production line process can speed
production - but if you don't have a sausage making machine or pal with
same, you may have trouble getting past first base.
In say, 10kg of snags, we mix:
8kg roo mince
1.5kg oat flakes (or bran)
appropriate mix of vitamins and minerals (including D3 in correct proportion
to calcium, appropriate quantity of calcium.
10 fresh eggs
Please do not to write me to argue about heat damage to vitamins or
non-natural contents. This mix is miles ahead of what most of us raise our
dogs and cats on. I don't know how many list-readers have dissected adult
lab rats or lab mice - but those who have can attest to the ridiculously
high fat-content of these usual dietary mainstays. The sausages are
'training table' fodder. Still, we do compliment the diet of principally
sausage eating snakes with occasional rodents.
Its surprising what species will learn to eat snags. Generalist
feeders such as non-adder large elapids, olive pythons, goannas and the
likes are easy - but many sophisticates - such as diamonds, adders, etc,
will learn to eat them. The initial feedings requires the scenting of the
snags with traditional food items. Easy to do, just mix equal number of
snags, and say, thawed lab mice in a plastic box with lid. Shake, rattle and
roll, and woi-lah, snags that smell like thawed lab mice (which of course
smell nothing like real mice!).
Hope all above is interesting. But don't hassle me for source of
sausage making gear/persons, as your adventure of discovery is the price for
such an old family recipe.
John Weigel
My variation for smaller collections and amounts
per kilo sausages:
800 g minced meat ( I use the 1 kg packaged cat or dog mince)
200 g oat or wheat bran
1 egg
calcium ( about 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate)
vitamins I use Womabaroo reptile mix ( about 1 tablespoon full)
Mix all together and stuff into sausage gut ( you can get it from the
butcher, a sausage maker really helps here. I bought one from Crazy Clint's
for about $ 60 some time ago, but you could also use a funnel if necessary)
boil sausages until done and freeze.
When I want to feed, I take the amount of sausages required, pour boiling
water over them and when the water is cooled to luke warm, I feed the
sausages by putting them on the blunt end of a skewer and let the snake
"catch" it.
All the best and happy herping
Michael H. Cobar
Mullet
Not so new Member
He gave me a sample of what he sells and gave me the ingredient list, but just wondering if anyone uses it before I try it.
Mullet
Not so new Member
The ingredients are:
Reptile Sausages (filled inot natural gut casings)
Lean fresh kangaroo meat
water
fresh whole eggs
rolled oats
unprocessed bran
Feramo - concentrated vitamin mieral and ireon supplement
Feramo content:
Thiamine Hydrochloride (b1)
Riboflavin
Nicotinamide pyridoxine hydroshloride (B6)
Calcium pantothenate-cyanocobalamin (B12)
Retixol (vitamin A)
Cholecalciferold (vitamin D3)
Di-alpha Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e)
Yeast
Iron FE++ (as iron amino acid chelate)
Zinc (as Zinc Oxide)
Copper (as copper carbonate)
Cobalt (as cobaltous sulfate heptahydrate)
Reptile Sausages (filled inot natural gut casings)
Lean fresh kangaroo meat
water
fresh whole eggs
rolled oats
unprocessed bran
Feramo - concentrated vitamin mieral and ireon supplement
Feramo content:
Thiamine Hydrochloride (b1)
Riboflavin
Nicotinamide pyridoxine hydroshloride (B6)
Calcium pantothenate-cyanocobalamin (B12)
Retixol (vitamin A)
Cholecalciferold (vitamin D3)
Di-alpha Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e)
Yeast
Iron FE++ (as iron amino acid chelate)
Zinc (as Zinc Oxide)
Copper (as copper carbonate)
Cobalt (as cobaltous sulfate heptahydrate)
mickousley
Very Well-Known Member
they have been doing this in the US for years i have gotten some chicken ones from my butcher dusted in calcium and found my tiger snake dont even look twice, as soon as i put it in there cage Bang there on it
Mick
Mick
spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
Supply - or more correctly lack of supply - is what made me consider the sausage option (sounds a bit sus that statement, but I'm not going to touch that one)
There was a period of several months where it was impossible to get rats in Alice. Fortunately there are several suppliers now whom we can get rodents from more or less all year round.I still toy with the idea now and then. If I ever use them, I'll post a thread about it...
Reptile_Boy
Very Well-Known Member
could thay be wused for beardies and lizards?
spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
Beardies and most lizards are omnivorous, there are many options available for them. I feed my beardie beardie pellets, vegetables (he loves brocolli), crickets, grass hoppers - you name it, he'll eat anything. I also feed him the occassional pinky mouse or rat. When I had pink tongues, I fed them cat food, snails and the occassional pinky also. My EWDs ate anything, particularly if it moved... Sausages??? Not really sure...
spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
I think it would be easier force feeding a snake a pinky than a sausage. I've had to force feed a couple of hatchies and found it quite easy using a bit of water and the blunt end of a chopstick. I must admit, I've had a couple of pinkies rupture while pushing, but never hurt any of the snakes. I think a sausage would break to pieces... Could be wrong..
spilota_variegata
Very Well-Known Member
I'm definitely no expert but desperate times called for desperate measures. Common sense and a gentle hand prevailled. Back to the thread. Looks like only one person so far has tried sausages and it sounds like he is pleased (and his snakes)...
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