Helpful tip for fussy BP f/t eaters

[drugaria]

If your ball python does not strike and refuses a thawed rodent try this :

Rinse rodent with hot water for a few seconds (from the tap) and offer immediately to the snake, and it will strike, works every time !

[MasonC2K]

You mean like soaking the fur with the hot water? I know alot of people put them in zip lock bags and then run ho water over them for a few minutes.

[ALEX B.]

yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter than the rest if possible. that is how i have fed mine. i just got her and only fed her twice, but she has stuck imediately after i introduced it to her. That plays a big part in it too.

[MasonC2K]

Interesting. I'll have to try this with my next feed.

[drugaria]

[QUOTE=ALEX B.;728836]yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter Yes , you took the words right out of my mouth I could not continue the tread last night but that' exactly what you want

[wilox]

Im going to try that thank you. My ball has eaten F/T once but hasnt since.

[nevohraalnavnoj]

It doesn't seem very natural to soak the rodent in hot water. Someone told me this can actually be harmful to your snake since the water content of the rodent can be so high as to cause problems, depending on how much gets soaked into the lungs of the rodent. I don't know how true this is.

Placing the rodent in a plastic bag and putting it in moderately hot water for a few minutes is how I do mine. Yes, getting the head a bit hotter is a good idea so they know which end to eat from.

I'm actually working on a device using a heat pad where I can heat up many rodents at once, giving them the proper heat gradient on the head rather than whole body. Getting a bunch of warm water for 10 rodents is messy.

Just my .02

JonV

[QUOTE=drugaria;729057]

yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter Yes , you took the words right out of my mouth I could not continue the tread last night but that' exactly what you want

[kk1020man]

When I feed my BP they like them pretty much as dry as you can get them. I use the bag technique and the only time that it gets wet is when there is a hole in the bag. When they are soaking wet mine usually pass them up. I have one 05 male that will take anything in front of him including me if I get to close. I have two others that are very finicky that go right up to it and look like they are interested and at the last second they turn away. They are siblings and the person that had them before me fed f/t also. So I don't know what I am going to do with them. Just keep trying.

[ALEX B.]

i will actually let mine thaw out on the counter for a couple hours, then when they are "mushy" to the touch, i will run them under the water just to up the temp a little. When finished i actually dry it off then begin the feeding process, i dont think they absorb much water doing it this way. and yes, i would say steer away from throwing a dripping wet rodent into the cage

[drugaria]

When I feed my BP they like them pretty much as dry as you can get them. I use the bag technique and the only time that it gets wet is when there is a hole in the bag. When they are soaking wet mine usually pass them up. I have one 05 male that will take anything in front of him including me if I get to close. I have two others that are very finicky that go right up to it and look like they are interested and at the last second they turn away. They are siblings and the person that had them before me fed f/t also. So I don't know what I am going to do with them. Just keep trying.

Well as I said you certanly have to try the method I mensioned earlyer with your 2 other picky eaters. Temperature of rodent seems to be very critical for some BP since they seem to use their heath pits primarily and thus won't strike even if rodent smells strong. The other thing is that BPs are not much of a drinkers so for one the extra water on the rodent is actually beneficial for them and second a wet rodent is easyer to swallow than a dry one .