Hatchlings not eating can anyone help/offer advice?

[Weapon-x]

I wasn't sure which forum to put this under, hopefully this is the appropriate one. I have a 5 egg clutch that hatched out on July 9, 2013. So far all of them have had perfect sheds and taken at least one meal. The problem I'm having is 2/5 have ONLY taken 1 meal. I have offered mouse hoppers/pinkies (even a few small rat pinkies/crawlers every couple of days without any takers on those 2.

I have been monitoring their weight and one dropped from 61 grams to 60grams between 9/28 and 10/2. The other is holding steady at 61 grams. All 5 are setup exactly the same- 6qt shoe box, water dish, on paper towel. Temps are 87.2 hot spot - 80-78 in cold spot. Their clutch mates are eating well and are in the 110gram-120gram range, one is even in it's 2nd shed now.

I've tried putting crumpled up newspaper in the tubs to make them feel more crowded/tight, leaving pinkies in the tubs overnight, etc. Since their hasn't been any weight I'm not super concerned yet. But I am getting concerned and don't want to force/assist feed unless it's necessary. Any advice/tips from others on here?

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Sounds like the food you're offering is too small.

Try live rat pups.

[Crazymonkee]

How often are you offering food to the ones that are eating? Every 5 days, every 7? Keep them all on the same schedule. Offering to often can cause stress as well

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[MrLang]

Hides and Aspen go a long way and I second the above post about not offering too regularly. I would not try pinkies of any kind with them - just pups and hopper mice. After that long without eating I would be getting close to assist feeding. What does their body condition look like?

GL!

[Weapon-x]

I started off offering them all food every 3 days. After the non-eaters refused 2 offerings in a row I held off offering until every other scheduled feeding so I wouldn't stress them out. Right now they have been offered food every 5-6 days.

Body condition on one is a bit skinny and I'm seriously considering assist feeding (already started watching youtube videos on the process). They are both very active in their tubs at night and appear to be hunting.

If I have to assist feed what size food item would you recommend?

Aspen bedding: I was told to keep the hatchlings on paper towels but I do have aspen bedding available if that's the consensus.

Food size: I breed rats and mice so I can offer either. The rat pups/crawlers seem a bit big for them. They even seem large for my larger hatchlings (120gram range) which are currently gobbling down mice hoppers.

[Weapon-x]

- this one seems plumper so I'm less worried about it.

The one I'm more worried about.

Hopefully these pics help

[Don]

They're about the stage where I would assist feed. When I do assist, I use rat pinkies. Hopefully, you can get them jump started. This year, I had only a few that I assisted and only had to do it once. Last year I had a little baby albino in a boob egg that I had to assist a dozen times before he ate on his own. He came out at only 37 grams.

If you do assist feed, hopefully you can find someone with experience to help you. If not, just be calm and confident when doing it. Before assisting, I'd go with one more attempt with mouse hoppers, just to be sure. Good luck.

[Weapon-x]

Thanks.. I'm not sure who is going to be more stressed about assist feeding. The snake or me. But I'll do what I have to help them make it.

[MrLang]

I had to assist feed for the first time recently. I would say this - it is NOT like you see in the videos. I don't know how they sedate those snakes or what. Mine was thrashing and squirming and would pull out of my fingers and twist its body over its face every time I got close to even opening its mouth. I was terrified I was going to hurt it or break its little neck.

My advice for assist feeding is get a mouse pinky for the first time. It's a tiny meal but it's nutrition and it's a hell of a lot easier to get them to not spit it out than a rat pinky. Hold the snake behind the head on the SIDES, not the underside by the throat. Use the nose of the prey to push its lips open - eventually it will pop open its mouth and get VERY UPSET. Just stick with it and quickly get the prey item into the back of the mouth and try to work the head of the prey a little bit in. Just hold it there and SLOWLY ease your grip as the snake calms down a bit. If you're lucky, it won't spit it up.


If I have to assist her again I will try the rat, but I did not have luck with the rat the first time. Very, very stressful for myself and the poor snake.