How to prep frozen pinkies?

[Gkwon]

Do I just naturally thaw them out under a lamp or something? Then give it to the snake when its warm?

[mainbutter]

i thaw out in warm water.

[Kaorte]

Well first of all, a pinkie is way to small for a ball python. I would say hoppers are the smallest prey size that should be offered.

You can thaw under a heat lamp or in hot (not boiling) water. I put the rodent in a bag so it doesn't get wet though.

[PythonBreeder]

Well first of all, a pinkie is way to small for a ball python. I would say hoppers are the smallest prey size that should be offered.

You can thaw under a heat lamp or in hot (not boiling) water. I put the rodent in a bag so it doesn't get wet though.

x2. NO pinkies for babies.

[Gkwon]

okay, no pinkies then. Are hoppers and fuzzies the same?

[RichsBallPythons]

NO Hoppers are bigger and are eating on thier own. Fuzzies eyes are still closed for the most part.

pinkies
fuzzies
hoppers
weaners
sm adult
adult
retired breeder

[Crazy4Herps]

I don't only thaw f/t rodents; I try to warm them up, too, to help the feeding responses. (Not that the Borneo blood needs any help with his feeding response. )

Methods to thaw:
water
let it sit
lamp
heat pad
hair dryer

If it is thawed but not warm, I put it on a heat pad for ten minutes or so.

[seercirra]

why shouldnt you feed pinkies to babies?
i realise theyre small but surely feeding two or three is just as good?

[StormSerpent]

why shouldnt you feed pinkies to babies?
i realise theyre small but surely feeding two or three is just as good?

Well a couple reasons I have noticed.

First, my snake would not touch pinkies/fuzzies, but went right after a hopper, pinkies and smaller end fuzzies might not seem like "food" since the snake is instinctively "programmed" to go after mice, and this is some reason why my snake would only take a hopper.

Secondly, some snakes will only take one mouse at a time. Again I have tried to feed my snake multiple mice but he took one and was done, some snakes don't like to eat more than one rodent per feeding. Another reason is the size of the snake's digestive system. 2+ pinkies/fuzzies are much longer than one hopper, and the snakes stomach would not be able to handle that long of a meal, and could result in regurgitation.

[Kaorte]

why shouldnt you feed pinkies to babies?
i realise theyre small but surely feeding two or three is just as good?

Pinkies are basically like eating mcdonalds. They have virtually no nutrients in them (just fat). They don't really make a good meal for a ball python.

Another reason is the size of the snake's digestive system. 2+ pinkies/fuzzies are much longer than one hopper, and the snakes stomach would not be able to handle that long of a meal, and could result in regurgitation.

This isn't really true. the prey items won't just line up in the stomach like tetris blocks, they will overlap and move around. I once had to feed 4 prey items in one sitting (because I ran out of properly sized rodents) and everything went just fine. If that logic were true then there "wouldn't be enough room in the stomach".