Breeding season: When your girls go off feed, how do they act when u offer food?

What do your girls do when they stop eating for breeding season? I know the obvious answer, they don't eat.

I am asking because I have a 3500g female (proven 2005 normal) that usually eats 1 small rat every 7 days. She usually eats with ferocity and has been great. I got her in early July and she had been a live eater her whole life.....the breeder I got her from said she was his "garbage disposal." She has been eating F/T from week 1 with no problem at all. Last week, she was in shed and did not eat, which she usually eats no matter what. Today, I pre-scented the room and she was pretty active at the front of her tub. I dangled the rat in the front of the tub and she struck, but did not coil it. Ten minutes later, I took the rat out and heated it with the blowdryer again. I offered it and she just looked at it.

I know BP's are picky eaters, but is this normal or should I be worried? I normally wouldn't be too worried but I had one of my girls come down with an RI about 3 weeks ago and immediately put her in QT. I have been monitoring all my other girls like a hawk and so far, they have all been normal. We had rain last week in Texas and temps cooled down from the upper 90's to the mid 80's all week. Am I being paranoid or is this fairly normal for BP's so close to breeding season? Thanks for any advice.

It's just something you have to get used to. Sometimes they will fast for months. I had a female pastel that got up to 850g and went on a 7 month fast. It was the most frustrating experience I've had with BP's. She dropped down to 600g before she started eating again. She was always somewhat of a picky eater but after that fast, she doesn't miss a meal now.

For a snake as large as yours, a couple weeks is nothing to worry about.

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Originally Posted by rj1204

What do your girls do when they stop eating for breeding season? I know the obvious answer, they don't eat.

I am asking because I have a 3500g female (proven 2005 normal) that usually eats 1 small rat every 7 days. She usually eats with ferocity and has been great. I got her in early July and she had been a live eater her whole life.....the breeder I got her from said she was his "garbage disposal." She has been eating F/T from week 1 with no problem at all. Last week, she was in shed and did not eat, which she usually eats no matter what. Today, I pre-scented the room and she was pretty active at the front of her tub. I dangled the rat in the front of the tub and she struck, but did not coil it. Ten minutes later, I took the rat out and heated it with the blowdryer again. I offered it and she just looked at it.

I know BP's are picky eaters, but is this normal or should I be worried? I normally wouldn't be too worried but I had one of my girls come down with an RI about 3 weeks ago and immediately put her in QT. I have been monitoring all my other girls like a hawk and so far, they have all been normal. We had rain last week in Texas and temps cooled down from the upper 90's to the mid 80's all week. Am I being paranoid or is this fairly normal for BP's so close to breeding season? Thanks for any advice.

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If she's that size and is showing no signs of RI, I wouldn't worry too much. I have a couple of girls over the 3,000 gram mark, and they tend to go off feed from time to time as well. During the winter, I'll often cut back to offering the girls a meal every other week if they are refusing them regularly. Most of my males are off feed altogether during breeding season (their choice, not mine) unless they're still a bit on the young side, and they get offered food once/month until they begin feeding again. The young males I still offer food to at least every other week, but usually every week.

The snakes tend to get especially active this time of the year, and especially if storms are moving through (periodic low pressure gets them geared for breeding). I'd say she's acting rather typically. ;) Keep an eye on her for RI just in case, but I'd say she's fine.

When my big girls are refusing, they usually won't even look at the rat. Or they might take a sniff and turn up their noses.

I'd try getting it warmer and offering it again. Since she's already struck once, you might be able to talk her into eating it.

I'd venture to say she told you straight up what to do with that rat :P

They look at it, give it a 'sniff', then turn around and try to move away.

You know my girl is a live only girl, some just will never touch the dead or pre-killed.

But what I have come to learn, if a eat fails, a big snake will see a large mouse and kill because it's an easy meal, my girl weighs in at 1230grms and eats 5-6 mice a weak( she got bit by a rat and is scared to eat one now :-( )

But since I made the switch to mice, never misses a meal and very ferociously kills to eat, never walks away, I know alot of people won't tell u to feed a large ball mice, but when it comes to feeding or watching it fast, I think anyone would rather just see their animal eat, even if it means an undesirable meal.

After posting this thread, I went back in to take the rat out for one more re-heat and what do you know, she ate it. I guess the scent and her hunger were too much to not eat. I am driving myself crazy with my sick girl and her RI. I hear my dog sneeze and I think its one of my BP's! Thanks for the advice.