switching to F/T rats

[jharris08]

I just got my first ball 2 weeks ago...its about 15 inches and breeder told me he was feeding on live rat pups. I need some tips on how to get him to switch to f/t rat pups. I got him to take a live mouse 7 days ago while I was waiting on my frozen order to arrive. I have tried the last 2 days with the rat pups with no luck. yesterday he actually struck and constricted the rat, but I went back in a few mins later and he did not eat it. today he shows no interest at all...stresses out when I put him in the enclosure to feed him in...dont want to feed him in his regular cage.

any suggestions on how to make this switch. ive got hides and correct temps in his cage, and ive tried feeding at night too which makes no difference.

[doctor patches]

if he's being picky then now isn't the time to do the switch. i say get him to feed a few times consistently before trying to switch. also, some snakes are shy eaters, offer them a hide in their feeding enclosure so they don't feel "exposed" and offer the food in front of the hide. i offer live fuzzies in a small brown paper bag, laid on its side. this allows the snake to go into the bag to feed and it's a smaller area so less exposure stress.

why are you wanting to switch to f/t anyways? of the 4 people i know who own BP's (including myself now, making 5 total) we've all experienced BPs being picky, especially when it comes to trying f/t. my baby wouldn't feed on f/t, tried live, wouldn't feed, tried the brown bag trick, works every time. she's almost conditioned to know that food is in the bag now, if i put an empty bag in her feeding tub she goes right into it.

[sho220]

I just got my first ball 2 weeks ago...its about 15 inches and breeder told me he was feeding on live rat pups. I need some tips on how to get him to switch to f/t rat pups. I got him to take a live mouse 7 days ago while I was waiting on my frozen order to arrive. I have tried the last 2 days with the rat pups with no luck. yesterday he actually struck and constricted the rat, but I went back in a few mins later and he did not eat it. today he shows no interest at all...stresses out when I put him in the enclosure to feed him in...dont want to feed him in his regular cage.

any suggestions on how to make this switch. ive got hides and correct temps in his cage, and ive tried feeding at night too which makes no difference.

Putting him into a seperate "feeding enclosure" is completely unecessary and will just make it more difficult to switch to f/t...

[TheWinWizard]

Brown paper bag, or put it into his hide.

[mc5guy]

if he's being picky then now isn't the time to do the switch. i say get him to feed a few times consistently before trying to switch. also, some snakes are shy eaters, offer them a hide in their feeding enclosure so they don't feel "exposed" and offer the food in front of the hide. i offer live fuzzies in a small brown paper bag, laid on its side. this allows the snake to go into the bag to feed and it's a smaller area so less exposure stress.

why are you wanting to switch to f/t anyways? of the 4 people i know who own BP's (including myself now, making 5 total) we've all experienced BPs being picky, especially when it comes to trying f/t. my baby wouldn't feed on f/t, tried live, wouldn't feed, tried the brown bag trick, works every time. she's almost conditioned to know that food is in the bag now, if i put an empty bag in her feeding tub she goes right into it.

Thanks for sharing that. But what about the rat come out of the paper bag? I mean if the paper is lay on the side and the rat is inside. the live rat can come out. I have 2 baby ball pythons. I always want to switch to F/T because I am afraid the bigger rat will hurt my python. They are on fuzzy right now, so no harm. What about later?

[PitOnTheProwl]

I have one picky eater (reason for starting ASF colony), but I have found when you get them to strike the f/t it really helps if you hold it by the tail with feeding tongs and wiggle it a little more kind of like it is putting up a fight. (one long run on sentence there)
Sometimes they have to miss a feed or two before they switch, its not easy with all of them.
Good luck.

[jharris08]

i appreciate all of the comments...I will give him a few days w/o disturbing him and try again with a hide of some type. I do want him to switch to f/t if at all possible...just dont want to have to fool with pet store trips weekly and Ive already got 50 rats in the freezer..so hopefully with time I can make the transition.

[hops523]

I'd give it a full week before you try again... You said you've tried the last two days, if he doesn't eat you shouldn't be trying the next day. The more you try to feed him only a few days apart after not eating will stress him out, and make him more less likely to eat.

[doctor patches]

Putting him into a seperate "feeding enclosure" is completely unecessary and will just make it more difficult to switch to f/t...

feeding in the enclosure they live in has been shown to cause snakes to develop a conditioning to you sticking your hand in when you're not feeding. they associate the lid opening and the hand coming in as "party time". basically, it's asking to get bit. feeding in a separate container will prevent this conditioning. my snake is already conditioned to the feeding tub or the brown paper bag...they become more active, flickering the tongue more, etc...

Thanks for sharing that. But what about the rat come out of the paper bag? I mean if the paper is lay on the side and the rat is inside. the live rat can come out. I have 2 baby ball pythons. I always want to switch to F/T because I am afraid the bigger rat will hurt my python. They are on fuzzy right now, so no harm. What about later?

my baby ball python isn't eating full adult rats, it's eating fuzzies or hoppers (mice), neither of them are a threat. and the paper bag thing is only temporary until they're larger and grow out of the shyness, and will be able to take down a rat easier. they're more shy when they're small, when they're bigger its not a big deal.

if you're concerned about feeding a large adult rat or mouse that will cause potential harm, hold the food by their tail and dangle the food so the snake can take it.

once my snakes are adults, i feed in the open in my living room, on the carpet. my mom's snake went to take a mouse or rat, and missed...hit the side of the feeding enclosure and broke its jaw. it died.

[Old Sloppy]

my mom's snake went to take a mouse or rat, and missed...hit the side of the feeding enclosure and broke its jaw. it died.

OMG.....

Harry