what to feed a hopper mouse

Diet and Nutrition Spinifex hopping mice are omnivores. The feed on seeds, green plants and insects when available.

Full Answer

What is the best feed for mice?

For feed the best and safest feeds to use are lab blocks intended for breeding mice. There are several brands available such as Mazuri and Kent. Depending on which rodent breeder you ask, one brand may be greatly preferred over others.

Can you feed feeder mice to snakes?

We explain how to differentiate between various sizes of feeder mice and how to choose the right one for your pet in this informational article from RodentPro.com. Before you offer feeder mice to your snake, it's important to make sure you've chosen the right size.

What should the temperature be when feeding a mouse to snakes?

The temperature of the mouse should be between 96 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to feed to your snake immediately before it cools. Regurgitation is when your snake expels an undigested mouse. This can be caused by a number of things, such as the mouse being too cold or too big for your snake.

How often should I defrost frozen mice to feed my snake?

Sending... Whether you have a corn snake, a ball python, or something in between, there is a good chance you defrost frozen mice or rats once a week to feed your snake. “Make sure the mouse is hot enough!” and “Be sure to defrost it all the way!” are things you hear all the time, but what does that really mean?

What do mouse hoppers eat?

Hip Hoppers Because their mama begins weaning baby mice between two and three weeks of age, your hopper has already begun eating solid food. Feeder mouse breeders start hoppers on lab or rat blocks when weaning begins, so your little guy has already test driven them.

How long do hopper mice live without food?

They can only go 2-4 days without food of some sort. Keep in mind that this does not mean they need to sit down to a full fest. Mice like to nibble.

How often do hopper mice eat?

In captivity, you'll need to offer thawed frozen mice as the mainstay diet. A young snake (those less than 2 feet long) can eat up to six or so pinkies or hopper mice weekly. Once the snake is a year old and reaches adult status, feed him one to four mice every week.

What do you feed a feeder mouse?

Vegetables: There are also many fresh vegetable options that can be fed to mice. Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, endive, carrots, bok choy/other Asian greens, celery, parsley, corn, beans, peas, and tomatoes can all be used.

How do you raise Hopper mice?

9:5521:50Small Scale Mouse Breeding: Housing, Feeding, and Watering.YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd there's nothing wrong with that but it will require you to feed more frequently and your cagesMoreAnd there's nothing wrong with that but it will require you to feed more frequently and your cages will get dirtier faster. But if you're only going to breed a couple pounds of mice.

Do mice need water?

Like other rodents, mice rely on water sources to survive. Mice need water to aid digestion, regulate their body temperature, and rid their bodies of toxins. Unfortunately, the small rodents can survive for more than a month without drinking any water.

What should you not feed mice?

These foods include walnuts, raw beans, rhubarbs, onions, raisins and grapes. Never feed a mouse any of these foods, period. Wheat, lettuce and corn are all also inappropriate for mice, as they can bring on tummy distress and loose stools in the poor little guys.

Can you keep a wild mouse as a pet?

Wild mice can be kept as pets, same as any tame mouse you buy in a pet store, the only difference is, that wild mice have to be captured at one particular point in their lives, and not earlier or later. Plus, they live longer than the pet store variety of mouse and are generally healthier and stronger.

Do mice eat lettuce?

In addition to lettuce, there are several other fresh fruits and vegetables that make excellent treats for mice. For vegetables, look for leafy greens, bok choy, broccoli, corn, peas, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, endive, or tomatoes.

Can mice eat raw oats?

To prevent your mouse's teeth from growing too long, you can feed it a dog biscuit or dried bread on occasion. Mice should also have carbohydrates in their diets. You can feed your pet mouse prepared porridge, oatmeal, rice or pasta. They also need to have calcium in their diets, especially if they are pregnant.

Are sunflower seeds OK for mice?

They will eat everything from sunflower seeds to cashews and hazelnuts. Just make sure you keep any nutty snacks sealed in their original container. If you like to stock up on these salty snacks, just keep them safely stored in a dry area inside your home and not in the garage.

What human food can mice eat?

Some examples of suitable fruit and vegetables include: broccoli, broccolini, bok choy, capsicum, corn, zucchini, cucumber, herbs, beans, snow peas, peas, carrots, beetroot and celery and apples (remove seeds first), pears, banana, melons, stone fruits and carrots.

Will mice leave if there is no food source?

Mice will leave if there is no food for them to eat. Put your food inside sealed containers. Food is one of the things mice came to your house.

How long can a mouse live in your house?

The average lifespan of a mouse is about 12 months in the outdoors. But when they take refuge in your house, they can live up to 2 or even 3 years.

How long do hopper mice live?

CharacteristicsCare DifficultyBeginnerAverage Life Spanup to 3 years with proper careAverage Adult Size3 inches long, not including tailDietomnivoreMinimum Habitat Size20" L X 10" W X 12" H tank or wire mesh cage for up to four mice; narrow bar spacing

How long does it take a rat to starve to death?

packaged for sale to the commercial pest control market. It's very likely that most would survive for a week but no more than two weeks, without having anything to eat.

What to feed hopper mouse?

I have recently decided to feed live opposed to F/T, since my beeps have refused F/T more often than not, but will eat live 100% of the time. The place I get my hoppers from is a bit of a ways away, so I have decided to just take one monthly trip instead of weekly ones.

Re: What to feed hopper mouse?

I use bread and cheerios but I've only had to keep them alive for a couple days whenever I have a stubborn snake that isn't hungry. I have been considering purchasing a hamster cage just to make it a little easier and for peace of mind that the little buggers won't escape

Re: What to feed hopper mouse?

So basically treat them like hamsters? Sorry for the thread jack. I've been considering breeding feeders when I convert my den into my snake pit and I assumed mice and rats had the same needs as a hamster. I want them to be as healthy as possible so they will be more beneficial to the snakes. The main thing I want to get sorted out is fleas.

What is the most common mouse diet?

There are three main diet types and two different ways to formulate these diets. Natural ingredient diets are the most commonly used mouse diet type as these diets contain agricultural products and by-products. Purified diets contain refined ingredients (starch, cellulose, etc.), and chemically defined diets are chemically pure compounds ...

What is the role of diet in mice?

Diets have an enormous impact on the overall health and welfare of mice, their development, and changes to their microbiomes, and this has a significant effect on research reproducibility and outcomes. What may appear as a simple statement, “mice need ...

Can you test irradiated diets before entering a mouse facility?

However, all irradiated diets are tested via culture before entering any mouse facility. In conclusion, it is best to evaluate diets and utilize the proper diet for your research needs and understand the potential variables that may present. The sterilization method of choice may depend on your facilities.

Does autoclaving feed eliminate viral pathogens?

A recent study demonstrated that the pelleting process for feed does not eliminate viral pathogens and that autoclaving feed is effective at eliminating murine parvovirus and murine norovirus, specifically.

What to do with a live hopper mouse?

I have an extra LIVE hopper that I do not need to feed my snake until a few days, possibly next week. I just fed her one live one and I am wondering what to do with the other.

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

Be kind and whack it over the head first, then put it in a ziploc baggie. Freezing animals alive is just sick and wrong.

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

break its neak..... put it in a small tub with a lid and keep it around... if your snake is eating live you dont wanna kill it and not have food fer your snakie...

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

Why would it contaminate your food, I dont understand They dont need a lot of space, something small to keep it, water and bread or dog food, or anything really... I think it's easier to keep it alive for 1 week than kill it freeze it and defrost next week.

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

You say you don't care about the well being of the mouse and then in the next breath say you don't condone mistreating animals... Snap its neck. Or a stiff, blunt force to the head. Make sure it's actually dead though and not just stunned so that it doesn't wake up in the freezer and panic. As for the dead/frozen mouse being in your freezer...

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

You say you don't care about the well being of the mouse and then in the next breath say you don't condone mistreating animals...

Re: What to do with a live hopper mouse?

Very probably yes - if theres one thing rodents do well it's chew. If they can get a tooth hold then they can do a lot of damage really quickly.

Do you need to produce your own mice?

If a local mouse breeder or shop maintains a constant stock of pinkie to hopper mice, you may not need to produce your own mice. However, having at least a small quantity bred ...

Can you breed your own mice?

If a local mouse breeder or shop maintains a constant stock of pinkie to hopper mice, you may not need to produce your own mice. However, having at least a small quantity bred yourself will likely save money and increase availability.

How old are hopper mice?

Small Mice, sometimes known as hoppers, are generally 14-19 days old and range in weight from 7.00-12.99 grams. They have fully opened their eyes and are starting to eat and drink on their own and are available with white fur, dark fur or without fur.

How much does a medium mouse weigh?

Medium Mice, sometimes known as weanlings, are generally 20-24 days old and range in weight from 13.00-17.99 grams. They are capable of eating and drinking on their own and are available with white fur, dark fur or without fur.

How to choose the right size prey for a snake?

When selecting the appropriate sized prey item for your snake, start by choosing the size that shares the same circumference as the thickest part of the snake’s body. If you're unclear as to what size is most appropriate for your snake, our experts recommend selecting a size too small as opposed to a size that is too large.

Can you feed a frozen mouse to a snake?

Before you offer feeder mice to your snake, it's important to make sure you've chosen the right size. Ultimately, the size of the mouse you need depends on the size of the snake you are feeding.

How big should a snake be for a rodent feeder?

You should offer your snake feeder mice or rats that are roughly the size of the snake at the snake’s widest part (the mid-body area). In other words, the feeder rodent should be 1 to 1 1/2 times the diameter of your snake’s middle. You can go slightly larger than this, but not much.#N#When it comes to eating, snakes do not have the best judgment. A snake will rarely say, “Well, that meal seems a little too big for me. So I better leave it alone.” Instead, the snake’s feeding response will take over, and it will try its best to swallow the meal whole. If it succeeds, it may do just fine with the meal. Other times, the swallowed meal will be so big that it causes the snake to regurgitate. In addition to being stressful for the snake, this is not something you want to clean up!

Can a snake swallow a meal?

A snake will rarely say, “Well, that meal seems a little too big for me. So I better leave it alone.”. Instead, the snake’s feeding response will take over, and it will try its best to swallow the meal whole. If it succeeds, it may do just fine with the meal.

Do boas need rats?

They are larger than a baby corn snake. Likewise, an adult boa would need to be fed rats — mice would be too small for a snake of that size. Generally speaking, feeder rats offer more nutritional value than mice do. Rats have more muscle and less fat than mice, which translates into good nutrition for your pet snake.

Can a baby corn snake eat mice?

For example, a baby corn snake that’s right out of the egg will have to eat newborn mice (pinkies). It will be too small to eat feeder rats, at least at first. A baby boa constrictor, on the other hand, can take newborn and fuzzy rats from day one. They are larger than a baby corn snake.

How to cool down a mouse?

You're going to want to turn your tap to the hottest setting and fill the bowl to the top. As the mouse defrosts, the water will begin to cool down. Each time this happens, dump the cool water and refill with hot water. Thaw the mouse in a ziploc bag in a bowl of the hottest water that can come out of your tap.

What temperature should a mouse be?

The temperature of the mouse should be between 96 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to feed to your snake immediately before it cools.

How does a snake defend itself against a mouse?

A snake’s natural defense against this is to regurgitate the mouse. When a snake regurgitates a mouse, the mouse travels backwards through the snake’s body, eventually being expelled out the snake’s mouth, tearing its insides along the way. This is very painful for your snake and can damage its insides, which in extreme cases can even cause death.

How to tell if a mouse is hot?

To check if the mouse is hot enough, feel the stomach of the mouse. Gently feel around the mouse's stomach for any “ice blocks”. I have sometimes found that even when the mouse’s head is at the appropriate temperature, the body may be too cool. If the stomach is warm and squishy, you're good to go! Another good indicator ...

How to tell if a mouse is coming to the right temperature?

If the stomach is warm and squishy, you're good to go! Another good indicator that the mouse is coming to the appropriate temperature is when the water stops quickly cooling down. Make sure to gently pat down the mouse’s body with a paper towel to get any excess water off of it before offering it to your snake.

What happens if a mouse gets wet?

If your mouse gets wet, it may lose some of its scent making it less appetizing for the snake. Next, put the bag with the mouse into a large bowl, and put the bowl in your sink. The bigger the bowl the better. Once you add a cold mouse to the bowl, it will cool down the surrounding water, and a larger volume of water will be less affected.

Can mice cause snakes to regurgitate?

If a mouse isn’t hot enough it can cause your snake to regurgitate, which can be very dangerous. Here is the step by step guide on how to properly defrost mice to make sure your snake stays healthy.