Tips for getting your new arrival to feed

[Royal Hijinx]

Hatchling season is upon us! I have been updating the notes section on the Royal Hijinx FB page and wrote up something for feeding new arrivals. I have cobbled together some information over the years from here and other breeders (Wilbanks, Rustich, etc...), and combined that with some personal experience. It does not cover switching from mice to rats or live to F/T, but just simple getting them started in the new home. This also assumes the breeder had them feeding (3+ meals) before you get them.

So for the folks that want to read it, here you go (can also be found at https://www.facebook.com/notes/royal...61675340588889)



Are you having trouble getting that new Ball Python to feed? The stress of shipping and moving to a new home can put an animal off feed for a short time, and it is not uncommon for them to refuse the first meal or two in the new home. Patience is really key here. I will mainly discuss babies here, but these principles can be applied across the lifespan. Your snake will have eaten 3+ meals at the breeder, so they will have sufficient stores to be patient while getting them on feed. This information is by no means the law on these matters, but shows how I do things. This information is cobbled from research I have done as well as personal experience. I feed on a 4 and 8 day schedule depending on size.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Let them get settled before offering a meal! I know your new hatchling is small, and looks like he/she should eat something, but 4-7 days of settle in time will be fine, and may save you a lot of feeding headaches in the long run.

2. Ensure that first meal is of appropriate size or smaller. It is OK to try frozen thawed (if you feed live please supervise as needed). Appropriate size is generally 10-15% of the snakes body weight, or you can ballpark that by looking at the widest point on your snake and make sure the feeder is smaller than that.

3. If your snake refuses the first meal, WAIT 4 DAYS before trying again. I cannot over-emphasize this. Trying every day may just stress the snake more. (Substitute 8 days for a sub-adult or adult)

4. VERIFY your husbandry! Even the best of us can have temps slip or any number of other things. Ensure your husbandry is spot on. If you have questions about it, there are very good online resources like BP.net and the Bush League Breeders Club. If in a rack and they do not have a hide, you may want to give them one as well.

5. After waiting 4 days, try again. If the snake refuses this meal, now we get to work.

6. Wait 4 MORE DAYS. I know this is the hardest part... use a calendar and stick to it!

7. After 4 days try the following:
- Wait until AFTER sunset.
- Place a LIVE rat fuzzy in the enclosure.
- Shut the enclosure, then turn out all the lights and LEAVE until the next morning. A rat fuzzy cannot hurt your snake, so it will be safe.
- Check in the morning.
- If the snake has not eaten, remove the rat fuzzy
- Re-check husbandry
- Wait 4 days

8. After waiting again, you have the option of repeating step 7 or:
- If available, get a live mouse hopper
- Wait until after sunset and place the hopper in the enclosure. Mouse hoppers CAN hurt your snake, so you should leave a little food for the mouse in the enclosure and leave them together for NO MORE than ONE hour (with the lights off, and you out of the room).
- If the snake has still not eaten, remove the mouse immediately.
- Re-check husbandry

9. Rarely does it get to this point on a baby snake that has been feeding at the breeder (adults and sub-adults are a different story) . At this point, we are still less than a month, so no need to panic. It may be wise to contact the breeder to discuss other things to try (there are many), but this depends on your own comfort level.

I hope this helps!

[Mike41793]

I think this is a good routine to follow, except for #1. Seven out of eight of mine ate the day i got them, no problem.

[Royal Hijinx]

I think this is a good routine to follow, except for #1. Seven out of eight of mine ate the day i got them, no problem.

I agree with that and I generally offer day #1 as well, but the guide is written for a relative new guy/gal, who IMHO would benefit from waiting.

[Annarose15]

I would add that substrate can make a difference, also. Hatchlings seem to feel more secure on aspen, since they can burrow in it. Make the switch after the second refusal.

[Mike41793]

I agree with that and I generally offer day #1 as well, but the guide is written for a relative new guy/gal, who IMHO would benefit from waiting.

What would be the benefit? Practicing patience haha

[Royal Hijinx]

What would be the benefit? Practicing patience haha

Now that you mention it, yes. Practicing patience with BPs is a great trait to learn.

Like I said this is how I recommend to do it, so you can do and recommend as you please.

[dkspftw]

Super useful read.

I've always waited about a week after a new arrival comes in. It just guarantees that they're hungry, which logically makes it more hungry they'd eat despite stress, no? And gives them time to settle in, which seems like it should lower stress.

Anyway I'm a noob and don't know much about any of this, but this strikes me as a sticky-quality post.

[Royal Hijinx]

Super useful read.

I've always waited about a week after a new arrival comes in. It just guarantees that they're hungry, which logically makes it more hungry they'd eat despite stress, no? And gives them time to settle in, which seems like it should lower stress.

Anyway I'm a noob and don't know much about any of this, but this strikes me as a sticky-quality post.

Thank you.

Yeah a lot of folks, including myself, will offer food on day 1, and that is fine. The reason I wrote this out is for newer folks and for when they do not take that first meal. You can just as easily skip the first part, offer on day 1, and follow from there if they do not take it.

[Andys-Python]

Good advice - Feeding live fuzzys is what did the trick for my problem eaters. I didn't have a source for live mice and had to assist feed until my pet store purchases of live mice would breed and have babies. That took several months! Mice aren't as easy to breed as I thought they would be. I did find a local source for live rat pups, but they didn't want those either. I'm now breeding mice and rats thanks to my 'problem eaters'. I think one of my problem eaters is now well on the road to being a garbage disposal. The other one will still only eat a fuzzy every week or two. They are both Het Pieds. I was told this is common with some het pieds. I'm not sure how true that is, but it certainly has been the case for these two.

Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge

Andy -

[FireStorm]

Good advice. Only thing I would add is to minimize handling until the new addition is eating regularly.