I think frozen thawed rodents are %110 better. No chance of injury, and after 2 weeks at 0 degrees F or longer, almost all possible parasites are dead. Most snakes will accept F/T &/or pre killed rodents. Some will be a bit difficult about it, and you have to trick them once or twice, doing "The Zombie Rat Dance". And a few will refuse them altogether. I have never seen it to change a snakes eating habits, but it can change their feeding behavior, if that makes sense. I have owned & seen many snakes, and have one now, that don't even bother constricting much, he just takes the mouse/rat off of forceps, puts it down, and swallows. Almost no "predatory response". It is more like feeding a dog. He has been eating F/T or prekilled rodents from hatching though, I doubt he has ever actually killed his own dinner.
