I need a little help with feeding prekill for the first time.

[KeithTN]

I just tried feeding prekill for the first time. She just doesn't seem interested. I'm trying a small rat. She should be on small rats, but when I try to feed them live she shys away when they bump her nose. She has no problem with eating 4 mice at feeding time. Any suggestions. I still have a few more small rats to try with.

[frankykeno]

How did you present the p/k rat and was it still "live" warm? Sometimes you have to give it a quick blast with a hot blow dryer if it cools too quickly. Also if she's used to multiple mice she may not easily go to one larger rat. If you were feeding live mice then you are changing two things for your snake...the food presentation and type of food and that may trigger the refusal. If you were feeding p/k mice then perhaps your BP just prefers mice, some are very prey specific that way. Perhaps trying a p/k fat rat pup which is in size about the same as the mice she is used to might help her transfer to rats a bit easier. Or if she's used to live mice, a live rat pup or a weanling rat or two (or three) might do the trick and then just move up gradually in rat size.


If she's a great mouse eater then why even change her?

[4Khan]

Hello Keith!


wait a few days. then try late at night, dim the lights.
or try getting a paper bag and putting the rat inside with the snake.

good luck!!!

I have one that eats f/t and one that eats live....it happens!

[frankykeno]

Well it is true that some BP's won't go from mice to rats and it is also true that the experience of breeders seems to indicate that fed appropriately, both are perfectly good food sources. So basically if your BP likes mice and you don't mind feeding multiple mice, then don't worry about it. If it's easier for you to feed rats and your snake will take rats, then use rats. In the end it's always about what works for the snake and works for you Same pretty much goes for live, pre-killed or frozen prey...whatever your snake will take and take consistently and you can supply conveniently...that's what's best

[tigerlily]

I can attest to some only taking mice!! I have one girl, who refuses to take rats. I've tried everything to switch her over but to no avail. She just eats better on mice, so she gets them. It's a bit more of a pain, but if that's what she wants then she can have them.

[SatanicIntention]

Mine get mice because I breed them, not to mention I wouldn't bring a live un-quarantined rat into this house even if someone threatened my limbs off muh body, LoL.

One girl gets 5 mice a week(Amani-1550g), one gets 3-4 per week(Breth- 1050g), one gets 2 per week(Arith-560g) and one gets one small adult per week(Ramoth-90g). Amani is not even 2 years old yet and is her size on only mice. My mice are not genetically engineered freakish things, LoL, just normal everyday doofus mice that are fed good nutrition.

If she is eating fine on 3-4 adult mice per week, why change it? Don't fix it if it ain't broke, hun! If mice are easily obtained by you to feed to her, then keep doing what you are doing. I know I spend around $18 when I buy 8 mice from Petco(eew...) when I wasn't breeding my colony. Now that it is up and running again, I shouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

[KeithTN]

I'm beginning to think she's only going to take mice myself.

she shows interest, but when she realises it's a rat she backs away to the other side. My she had a bad experience with the previous owners. She does have a few scars on her back. So I guess mice it is.