Favorite hatchling finally ate!

after many failed feedings and assist feedings my favorite pastel girl from my first clutch finally ate an assist fed hopper mouse. She came out of the egg July 14 and was one of the biggest in the clutch. Now a little over two months later shes at 44 grams empty. Hopefully she will start to eat on her own now.

her after she came out of the egg

http://tapatalk.com/mu/a6890e7c-838a-0a83.jpg

her now

http://tapatalk.com/mu/a6890e7c-83ab-b0f9.jpg

-xan

I am glad that she ate for you, even if you did have to assist. Maybe next time she will take it on her own.

I can feel your pain. I had to assist feed the two holdbacks from my last clutch twice. They finally took their last meal on their own.

If you don't mind a little advice, though... you mentioned that your snake failed at an assist attempt. Assist feedings stress out the snake quite a bit, but every assist feeding should be successful if you have enough patience. Sometimes you have to assist a little bit more or retry several times before they get it, but it's worth it to get the food in them.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

I can feel your pain. I had to assist feed the two holdbacks from my last clutch twice. They finally took their last meal on their own.

If you don't mind a little advice, though... you mentioned that your snake failed at an assist attempt. Assist feedings stress out the snake quite a bit, but every assist feeding should be successful if you have enough patience. Sometimes you have to assist a little bit more or retry several times before they get it, but it's worth it to get the food in them.

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Agreed. I even tell those I've had to assist feed - you can fight me all you want, but in the end, you're going to get this meal in you. ;-)

For some reason this season, I've had more animals that don't want to get started as readily. Now my over achiever clown took a rat fuzzy a day after her first shed - good girl! LOL

But the pastels still haven't had a meal (though their normal siblings have), so I will be assist feeding this weekend. I never want to let an animal I deem needs to be assist fed go so long without food that assist feeding becomes a rescue effort.

Also - congrats on your baby eating!

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Originally Posted by rabernet

But the pastels still haven't had a meal (though their normal siblings have), so I will be assist feeding this weekend.

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Heh, maybe it has something to do with pastels this year. The problem snakes I had are pastels, too. :rolleye2:

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Heh, maybe it has something to do with pastels this year. The problem snakes I had are pastels, too. :rolleye2:

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lol it must be. I appreciate the advice a lot, this was my first snake I've ever had to assist feed so it was a lot of trial and error. Just watched a good bit of YouTube videos and tried my best haha. I think the "failed assist feedings" were more of a fail on my part then the snakes :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Agreed. I even tell those I've had to assist feed - you can fight me all you want, but in the end, you're going to eat!

Also - congrats on your baby eating!

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that's exactly what I told her as I put the mouse in her mouth hahaha. I said she was far too pretty to die because she won't eat ;)