Should I throw out 50 small frozen mice, just go through them or feed twice a week.

[nymark]

We bought our baby ball last September along with a bag of 100 frozen small mice – he is awesome.
Anyway, the first few months we had a tough time getting him to eat the frozen mice and ended up needed to feed him live mice – sometimes adult live mice – which was never an issue. And after a handful of live mice, we have been able to get into a weekly routine with the frozen. However, the frozen seem so small. I’ve tried feeding him multiples and while he’s coil around the second, he just ends up leaving him there. I do not want to power feed as it seems unhealthy. So what do I do…?
Should I throw out the small mice and get bigger ones or do I feed him more frequently… he’ll eat another after a few days.

[Ham]

You could cut a larger frozen thawed mouse open, and stuff a few smaller ones inside, and sew it closed with a single knot of white cotton thread, the snake will just pass the cotton with the rest of the mouse fur with his next bowel movement... You know make your snake a double mouse burrito, lol...

Does this make me sound like a sick individual?

At the reptile shelter where I volunteer we do this with large rats, we sew them head to butt, 4 rats long and then feed them to our King Cobra, in the wild they are snake eaters, and this ensures that he gets a decent sized meal when he takes a rat. The thread does not hurt him, he just gives it back to us a little while later...

[nymark]

You could cut a larger frozen thawed mouse open, and stuff a few smaller ones inside, and sew it closed with a single knot of white cotton thread, the snake will just pass the cotton with the rest of the mouse fur with his next bowel movement... You know make your snake a double mouse burrito, lol...

Does this make me sound like a sick individual?

At the reptile shelter where I volunteer we do this with large rats, we sew them head to butt, 4 rats long and then feed them to our King Cobra, in the wild they are snake eaters, and this ensures that he gets a decent sized meal when he takes a rat. The thread does not hurt him, he just gives it back to us a little while later...

Ha! Sick? ....Slightly. It's a good idea - but I'd probably throw them out first. Do you think I should to get him a bigger weekly meal? Or is a small weekly ok? Or is a small meal twice a week ok?

[dr del]

Hi,

I'd feed off the small ones as multiples.

But don't offer them until he has finished swallowing the previous one and reset his jaws.


dr del

[nymark]

Hi,

I'd feed off the small ones as multiples.

But don't offer them until he has finished swallowing the previous one and reset his jaws.


dr del

Mulitples in one feeding does not work. How often do you think I can saftely feed my Ball small mice? Daily, every few days or weekly? Thanks!

[dr del]

Hi,

....... I’ve tried feeding him multiples and while he’s coil around the second, he just ends up leaving him there...

Mulitples in one feeding does not work. How often do you think I can saftely feed my Ball small mice? Daily, every few days or weekly? Thanks!

So you have tried to wait until he has completely finished the first one before offering the second? I took your first post to mean you were offering the multiples at the same time rather than one after the other.

If he won't eat more than one mouse at a sitting then I would say you really shouldn't feed any more than once in a 3 day period - preferably 5.

If that means throwing out the mice then I would probably just do so.


dr del

[zina10]

If he only takes one per sitting, I would either throw out the mice or try to give them to a petstore (might exchange them for a few live or frozen bigger ones?)

[Ham]

No one likes the mouse burrito idea? lol

But you should be feeding him around once a week, a meal that is as wide around as the widest part of the snake.

[GoingPostal]

Rather than throw them out, offer them to a pet store or on craigslist, someone else with a snake or raw fed cat/ferret could use them I'm sure.

[HopingForBabies]

Or you can ad another baby Ball to the collection..