Hatchling in 'hunting mode' 24 hours after feeding?

[RobertsKitty]

I fed my 80 gram hatchling a hopper mouse last night which she took immediately. It did not make a bump in her stomach that I could notice. This morning she is hunting around her cage and is doing the S head when I walk by. I am assuming I should not try to feed her again today correct?

She was hatched May 11 and the breeder was feeding her every 5-7 days so she is a bit under the weight I would like a hatchling at almost two months to be. I am considering either upping her prey size or going to feeding every 4 days for awhile until she starts to get a bit closer to 100 grams then going to a 5 day schedule. Would this work or should I stick with my original plan of every 5 days? Prior to last night her last feeding was the 18th. She refused her first feeding here of a rat fuzzy which I offered on Tuesday. Should I try again with the rat fuzzy on her next feeding or continue offering hoppers until she gets a good feeding pattern going?

Oh and for now I am feeding live, though once a consistent eating pattern is achieved I plan to switch over to a f/t diet for her like my male.

[kc261]

You can probably give her a small adult mouse with no problems. Of course, if you think she's a little on the hungry side, that might help with switching her over to rats.

[sho220]

I would feed hoppers every 4 days...maybe even every 3 depending on how big the hoppers are. Hatchlings grow fast and are always hungry. Just adjust the feeding schedule as you go...every 3-4 days for hoppers, once up to adult mice every 4-5 days, then on to rat pups every 4-5 days, then to weaned rats every 5-7 days, and so on...

a good eating hatchling is a blessing...take advantage while you can...they're going to eventually hit a wall...a little extra bulk will be a good thing then...