Switching to Live Food

Question
I've had my corn snake for about a year and a half now and have been feeding her frozen/thawed mice. I'm interested in switching her over to live food, but I don't want to make the mistake of putting too big of feed in with her and having her get injured. She's over 3 feet long, and right now she's eating about 8 gram hopper mice once a week- should I try the same size live food or start out a bit smaller?

Answer
Deanne, 3ft and eating hoppers!?!?!  A 3 foot corn snake can eat a full grown rat!  I've seen a 2 footer put down a jumbo.  Not that you should push it that hard but if your snake is really over 3 feet full-grown adult mice are what it should be eating.  If you are feeding that snake one hopper a week you're staving it.  Perhaps the pet store is telling you to feed it 4-6 hoppers each week?  If so, they are doing so to get you to buy more mice (and I'd switch pet stores).  I have been breeding corns for well over a decade and none of my snakes over 2 feet eat anything smaller than an adult mouse.  3 footers eat either 2 jumbo mice or 1 small rat at each feeding.  

Just make sure the snake takes care of killing the mouse right away.  If for some reason the snake doesn't kill it within the first 2-3 minutes, take the mouse out and try again later.  Never leave a live rodent in with a snake unattended.