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Posted by Rob Carmichael on August 28, 2002 at 16:40:05:
In Reply to: re: diet variation... posted by Dean Alessandrin on August 28, 2002 at 16:05:06:
Our indigos seem to really relish variety in their diets. It is not uncommon for us to alternate between mice, rats, quail, chicks and small rabbits. All of these feeders are raised on high quality diets and obtained from very reputable people...for the investment I made in these animals, I am too much of a wimp to take any chances on things like corn snakes and other herps. Our indigos have bred exceptionally well with this variety (along with a little supplementation). I have had excellent success getting my baby indigos kick started on 1-day old frozen/thawed quail.
:I have a freezer full of close to 1000 chicks that I get from a local hatchery. My indigos typically get a mix of rats and chicks. If I need to get weight on them...such as a female after she lays, they get mostly just rats. but as a maintenence, a mix of the 2. Once in a great while I'll toss in a snake that has been frozen first...but that's the rarity. But the chicks are a mainstay. I have always fed them chicks in addition to rats and start them on them at about a year old. I've never had an indigo refuse a rat and get hooked on chicks. don't try this on pits though. I've had pine snakes get totally hooked on chicks and would die of starvation before touching a rodent after eating a chick.
:I like the varition...and they are CHEAP. And everything helps when you are trying to keep up with those appetites.
:As for cleaning...I don't really think they are any messier to clean up after when they eat chicks. They make just as much of a nasty mess after eating a rat.
:Fred makes a great point about the metabolism of indigos. They pass everything so fast...nasty little microbs and nematodes that may effect other snakes may not affect indigos.
