first time feeding... what should i do????

[stealth1291]

hello today is the day i am supposed to feed my new bp for the first time and i have done some research on it but i want to know what worked best for you guys
thanks in advance for the help

[stratus_020202]

How big is he? Do you have a scale? The best way is to feed him 10-15% of his body weight. If he is 100 g's he needs a 10 gram rat/mouse. Or, feed him something that is slightly smaller than he is around at his biggest point.

[stealth1291]

i dont have a scale but he is a little smaller than 1 and a half feet and maybe about as round as a quarter at his fattest.
i have small frozen mice i am going to give him(only one if he even eats it) but how will i know if he is not hungry or if the mouse is just too big?

[stratus_020202]

Just try and eye ball it. A small mouse should be fine. I have hatchlings not even two months old yet, and they are on small adult mice. If he doesn't eat it, then something is wrong. Babies that small are almost always hungry. Lol. He should eat every 5-7 days for you. Make sure you get it nice and warm. You might have to try live for the first time.

[stealth1291]

i wish i could try live but there are no stores around me that have any small live mice that arent like 6 dollars apiece
i spent ten bucks on 6 frozen ones.
i also heard its hard to get him to eat frozen after he has eaten live

[Brstin2flames]

A nice tip that worked for me was to defrost the mouse almost all the way, then place it in a plastic container with holes in it and put that in your BP's enclosure. Let it thaw out for about another hour and this will get the BP into hunting mode. Then I took the mouse out and blasted it with a hairdryer to warm it up, dangled it in front of my little guy and BAM he took it! And I had heard he was a problem feeder from the store I got him from. So I'd definitely suggest pre-scenting the room.

I also feed him when its dark out, leave the lights off in the room and only turn on the red lamp so I can see. I think this probably makes him feel more comfortable. Also, if your BP doesnt strike you can try leaving the (f/t) mouse in there for a little while and leave him alone and he may eat it himself.

[Vypyrz]

A nice tip that worked for me was to defrost the mouse almost all the way, then place it in a plastic container with holes in it and put that in your BP's enclosure. Let it thaw out for about another hour and this will get the BP into hunting mode. Then I took the mouse out and blasted it with a hairdryer to warm it up, dangled it in front of my little guy and BAM he took it! And I had heard he was a problem feeder from the store I got him from. So I'd definitely suggest pre-scenting the room.

I also feed him when its dark out, leave the lights off in the room and only turn on the red lamp so I can see. I think this probably makes him feel more comfortable. Also, if your BP doesnt strike you can try leaving the (f/t) mouse in there for a little while and leave him alone and he may eat it himself.

Since you are going to try F/T, pre-scenting will be important. I also recommend using some type of tongs to present the mouse instead of your hands. Even after you heat it with a blow dryer or heat lamp, once it starts cooling off, your hand will still be at 98 deg. Since your fingers are about the same size as a mouse, and they smell like a mouse, and have a good heat signature, you snake might mis-judge the strike. If you don't have any feed tongs you can use some of those cheap bar-b-que tongs from the Dollar store. It just puts a space between your hand and the prey. Also if you lay the mouse under a heat lamp to heat it up, don't leave it there too long as to start cooking the mouse. I prefer the blow dryer for about 30-45 seconds. Here is a video that may help. Good Luck...

YouTube - 8 Ball Pythons - Feeding Lessons

[Brstin2flames]

I also recommend using some type of tongs to present the mouse instead of your hands. Even after you heat it with a blow dryer or heat lamp, once it starts cooling off, your hand will still be at 98 deg. Since your fingers are about the same size as a mouse, and they smell like a mouse, and have a good heat signature, you snake might mis-judge the strike.

Definitely use the tongs!! I do, I'd be a little nervous not to . I got my tongs from a local pet store for a few dollars.

[Flatheadhunter33]

Definitely use the tongs!! I do, I'd be a little nervous not to . I got my tongs from a local pet store for a few dollars.

Tongs made it easier for me no doubt about it! I got a pair of BBQ type ones from WalMart for $1.99...Ive seen that actual feeder ones go for as much $15.00 at my local store...

[stealth1291]

well i did all that and he seemed like he was really into it when i was scenting the room. i placed the mouse on top of his habitat and after like 20 min he was trying to eat it off the top of the thing so i figured he was ready but when i tried to give it to him in his "feeding area" outside the tank he didnt want it so i put him back and placed the mouse in there but he is just looking at it doing nothing.
what should i do??????