Feeding Technique????

[L.West]

Hi, I was just wondering - when I feed live to my snake I always remove his hides and water bowl to keep the rat from hiding in these areas of the tub - is it okay to remove this stuff or does this add stress to the snake??

How do you all feed live.

Thanks.

[Alexandra V]

Personally I don't feed live but the removing of the hides is making sense to me so that if the snake is in the hide it can't get cornered by a defensive rat. You might want to get opinions from others on this one though considering my lack of experience with live. I don't think you'd need to remove the water bowl though, that could stay in without a problem.

[stratus_020202]

It really depends on the snake. I have some that need their hides, and get stressed when I remove them. Others, could really care less. Just remember, if your sticking your hands in his cage on feeding day, and a mouse is close by; you're asking to get bit. Lol. Some of my power feeders can smell the rats at the pet store and know when it's feeding day. You couldn't pay me enough to stick my hand in there. Lol.

[L.West]

My thoughts in doing this was because the tubs are quite cramped with the two hides, water bowl, and moss tray - there would be no room to capture their prey - so I remove everything except the aspen.

Mine are currently fasting and I assume it is just the season - but wanted to be sure it wasn't tied to the fact that I was removing everything from their tubs at feeding time.

I just got a new baby bp that is currently eating live and I was instructed to continue with live for a bit - she is sooo small - do I just drop a small rat/mouse in her tub or should I also empty things out. I've never raised a baby up. Or do I dangle a live prey on tongs - I just don't know??

Thanks

[stratus_020202]

You can try the tongs. Or, just drop it in there. The little one will know what to do. They can miss sometimes too. Lol. It takes a few feeding to get it right.

I only keep one hide in my tubs, and the balls move them around like turtle shells. Are you sure you need the moss tray? Tubs should hold pretty good humidity on their own. But, i understand some places are pretty dry.

I think with it being a newbie, I would try and leave as much in there as possible. Try it with the other snakes too, just to make sure they aren't eating because of stress.

I have one really shy one that will not eat unless he thinks I have left the room and turned the lights out. He is a pain in my....shoe.

[Alexandra V]

I just got a new baby bp that is currently eating live and I was instructed to continue with live for a bit - she is sooo small - do I just drop a small rat/mouse in her tub or should I also empty things out. I've never raised a baby up. Or do I dangle a live prey on tongs - I just don't know??

Thanks

Congrats on the new baby! And if she was on live before, its definitely best that you keep her on live for a while. As for the technique, I know people who just toss them in and I know people who hold the animal by the scruff with their tongs. It's just a matter of personal preference, but you might want to find out how they were doing it where you got her from, so that you'll be sure that she'll understand what's going on a little more.

If it's a baby, and since she's new, you might want to keep her hides in there because she'll still be feeling a little insecure. Maybe to give her some space you could remove her water dish instead of her hides until she's settled in.

[L.West]

Great ideas/suggestions everyone - I will try it.

Oh the hoops we jump thru for our precious babies.

[Alexandra V]

Great ideas/suggestions everyone - I will try it.

Oh the hoops we jump thru for our precious babies.

Haha tell me about it! Good luck with her

[rdoyle]

This is what I do I remove the hide befor I even think about touching the mouse. then I touch the snake to wake it up then I remove the water bowl. then I go and get the mouse from the cage. I might have been stupid for this part but it work for me I would hold the mouse by the tail and let the snake hit it. only becouse he hit the side of the tank and it scared him off of food for 2 weeks. He was scared of the mouse. He would see it and try to clime out of the tank or the tub that he was in. It was crazy. He would hit it at the same time I would let it go. Never been bit.

[L.West]

As with everything else - there seems to be many "right" ways to offer the prey - I guess it boils down to what works for you and what you are comfortable with.

I had a system in place that worked well for me for over 1.5 years and then all of a sudden one went off feed and I began trying other tactics to get her to eat. I am beginning to think that these fasts are simply a seasonal thing and not something that is necessarily wrong in their environment.