Rehoming baby chick question - (snake owners)

[askjcm2005]

I put 5 silkies online today to rehome them. They are tiny, less then 2 weeks old. A guy just emailed me saying he would take all 5 for $25 but his email address is "the.snake.jake@....."

I immediately said I wouldnt sell it to him. Didnt tell him personally.

Would someone pay $25 for 5 chicks to feed to there snakes?

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Yes it is possible, lots of snakes eats chicks. I would ask him, or not sell.

On another note, a famous wrestler's name is Jake the Snake... so... some guys are into that.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I guess I would ask if he is planning on feeding them to a snake as his e-mail implies. Could be that he enjoys snakes but that the chicks are for raising as well.

Would I sell to someone knowing that they are going to have their animal eat it- no...

 

[AKsmama]

How do you know, though, if people are telling the truth if they say no? This is why I (me personally, I'm not judging anyone else) don't fool with Craigslist or eBay or any site like that. You have no idea of anyone's true intentions, no matter what they say to you.

I don't blame you for not selling them to him, I wouldn't have either.

 

[mlove]

I keep corn snakes (they stay very small) and I would never use chicks as feeders because I love chicks so much. I do know of people that use chickens to feed their pythons and boas but $5 is a little high priced for feeders when they can buy rats for much cheaper. There is a company called Rodent Pro that sells tiny feeder chicks for .25 each at http://www.rodentpro.com/catalog.asp?prod=5&label=buy_chicks. Many snake owners enjoy keeping small animals for pets only and not use them as a food source. I would be nervous about selling your pet chicks to a snake owner without first asking their intentions.

 

[malignstar]

Some snakes are egg eaters too. I know of a person who bought quail just for eggs to feed their snake.

 

[Cavendish Chickens]

I wouldn't trust anyone with a snake. You have baby chicks that are really small and to them that means snake food. I would just ignore the response from that guy.

I wish you lived near me. We've been trying to find a couple of silkie chicks to add to our coop, but with no luck. Nearest place we know is almost an hour away. I hope you can find them a good home.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I would at least contact that person and ask him what his intentions were for those chicks. He could turn out to be your new best friend & fellow chicken-keeper. You're assuming a lot from just his email name. I myself keep both snakes & chickens. I couldn't feed a chick to my snakes and I have heard many other snake-keepers say they wouldn't either because the sharp beaks can injure the digestive tracts of their snakes. Many prefer to feed rodents instead. Plus there's more meat on a mouse than on a chick.

I've lost several chicks to snakes over the years, and have yet to have one completely swallowed. They always regurgitate the chick after getting it only half-way down their throats.

Unless you've got other folks responding to your Craigslist ad you should at least give this guy a chance. There should be other places in your town that sell feeder animals for pet reptiles, he could very likely want to buy your silkie chicks for another purpose. Certainly there are all sorts of folks who read CL, but not all of them lack character.

 

[GAchick]

Okay, playing devils advocate here... Why would you not sell to a person to feed their animal, but you would sell to them if THEY were going to consume said chicken? And haven't you ever fed leftover chicken to your dog? or CHICKEN?

 

[PineappleMama]

Son goes on about wanting a snake (big thanks to his bud for putting THAT idea in his head) and I told him "Honey, it's just not a good idea to put a snake and a gerbil (pet he already has) in the same room." He understood that, still wants one, but understands he has to wait until Riley dies of old age, or he has his own place because I am not having a snake in the dining room.

This fella may do the same... snake in the house, chickens in a coop outside (in brooder in another room until then)... no way to know unless you ask. You could mention something like "if you don't already have one there are awesome coop ideas and info on brooding on BYC" and see what he says.. "Already have a coop/brooder" - awesome... "Ohhh we won't be needing a coop" -Not So Much

Or you could mention your spouse, brother, son loves wrestling and his all time favorite is Jake The Snake... that you didn't even realize it was a wrestler name... and if he goes on about wrestling, but not snakes, then okay... if he says I have five just like his... not so much.

There are ways of getting that info without being too obvious... Good Luck, that's a tough call!