yes another feeding question :)

[sweetbeaz]

i have had my BP for a week now, and tomorrow im going to attempt to feed him for the first time. since he stays hidden for most of the day is it better to feed him at night when i see him or try during the day? also im going to try frozen food, what is the best way to defrost them and how warm should it be? any advice will be helpful since im new at doing this and i want nothing but to be a good owner to ROGER-AKA-my new buddy

[jwk811]

i have had my BP for a week now, and tomorrow im going to attempt to feed him for the first time. since he stays hidden for most of the day is it better to feed him at night when i see him or try during the day? also im going to try frozen food, what is the best way to defrost them and how warm should it be? any advice will be helpful since im new at doing this and i want nothing but to be a good owner to ROGER-AKA-my new buddy

Yes, you should feed your ball python during the evening when they are most active and in hunting mode. To defrost the rodents you can put it under a heat lamp and allow it to defrost slowly without cooking it. Once you feel that it's warm inside and not too hot you can try to feed it to your snake. What I do is dangle it by the tail and let my snake grab it. Hope that helps! Good Luck!

[rabernet]

It will all depend on your snake. With my small colony of 17 - I find that they feed better if they are hunting from the safety of their hides. Those that are most active and out and about tend to be shyer and more reluctant about eating than those that had prey introduced when they were already in their hides. My feelings are that when they are not in their hides, they feel more exposed and vulnerable to the prey and not as safe to ambush it.


Again, that's just my limited experience and observations with my own small colony.

[sidhe]

I just had two sucessful feedings of F/T (he was previously eating live and P/K). Here is how I thawed the meal......First, I took out the rat and let it sit out, in a plastic baggie, for 2 hours. Then, I let it soak in hot water for 15 minutes (to get it nice and warm). Finally, I dried it off with paper towel and set it under a heat lamp for a minute or two, concentrating on the head and belly area. Then, I did the "little rat jig" in front of his hide and he took it no problem. Good luck!

[Naf Eeknay]

I let mine thaw at room temperature then hit it with a hairdryer for a few seconds to get it warmed up.

[bonez]

i like to drop in a rat and let nature take its coarse, lol im having a feeding problem to though, seems like hes just not hungry so i gues imma just wait a couple days

[tigerlily]

Here's a link that might help...

I also find that 'scenting' the room before feeding helps too. Good luck.

[Adam_Wysocki]

Yes, you should feed your ball python during the evening when they are most active and in hunting mode.

I feed all of mine during the day ... works great!

-adam

[Alice]

Christie, what do you mean when you say you "scent" a room before feeding?


Thanks for the help!

[tigerlily]

Christie, what do you mean when you say you "scent" a room before feeding?


Thanks for the help!

I open the bags throughout the thawing process to allow the scent to spread in the room. You'd be surprised how fast the snakes perk up after doing that a bit.