Finches as snake food?!

[malibu_birdie]

I had an odd phone call today. A person wanted to buy all my young zebra finches to use as food for his snakes! I don't know if this is common practice? I actually really like snakes and other reptiles but these are my pets! I just couldnt give them away knowing that they will be eaten.

[finchbreeder]

Tell them to go pick on mice and rats and leave the finches alone.
LML

[gomer]

some snakes are natural bird eaters.I have thought about giving any dead finches to our snakes myself.But then I thought I maybe introducing a problem from one to another.

[desertbirds]

If they are keen on using birds as food tell them to catch some ferals and feed to the snakes.Most snake keepers use rats and mice as they are easily obtained and disease free.

[jusdeb]

Wow thats very odd.

[TheFinchMan101]

Theres this video on YouTube where a snake is devouring a zebra finch alive, in the end I couldn't watch all of it because it was just so cruel and I just wanted to save the poor zebra

[E Orix]

If they are caught feeding our native fauna to snakes they would be charged,zebras etc. If not our natives then the RSPCA would take them on.

[jusdeb]

Oh dear , that should be reported to the RSPCA .

[gomer]

I hope they were not serious about feeding them alive ones,Mice are cheap enough,So are day old chickens in bulk 3 cents each a person we know buys them for, All are already bought frozen.Naturally live food should not ever be feed to a snake,As the risk of harm to a snake in a confined area is high.More importantly is the moral aspect to it i think.

[jusdeb]

Also these days you can buy frozen food for snakes at most per stores where as once upon a time it was hard to get frozen mice , chickens etc.