Help with mouser

I've had a male bp since March of last year. He has been a picky feeder since day one. He will only eat live mice and will go off feed if i try anything else (f/t, p/k, or a rat). Ive tried to switch him to rats and have not had any success. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to properly scent a live rat with a mouse?

Just get some soiled mouse bedding and let the rat crawl through that for a while. I have a mouser male normal as well and that little trick I mentioned didn't work for me but perhaps it will work for you. Give it a try.

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Originally Posted by muydesso

I've had a male bp since March of last year. He has been a picky feeder since day one. He will only eat live mice and will go off feed if i try anything else (f/t, p/k, or a rat). Ive tried to switch him to rats and have not had any success. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to properly scent a live rat with a mouse?

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You may go through a few rats but you can always go the wait it out route and just monitor his weight when all else fails when they get hungry enough they will eat. Just watch for major weight drops eventually he will accept the rat if not and he starts loosing to much weight then you may have to stay on mice.

Best way I have found to scent is to remove mice from their housing if live and put rat in and let them trade houses for a couple of days so that the scent sticks. If that doesn't work try making him wait it out they usually will not go more than a few weeks at most a month or so without eating if his weight is good you shouldn't see much of a weight drop

My adult female has been on mice for about a year now (was never a problem feeder before that). Since she's big enough, and one mouse doesn't cut it for a meal, I start out by feeding her a mouse (she feeds solidly on p/k prey)--this gets her in the mood. I then have the rat, and 2 additional mice that I kill by c/d; I put the rat in the bag that the mice were in (already has poo and pee in it), then after I kill each mouse I drop it on top of the rat, that way their death pee/ poop scent the rat. I leave them there for a few minutes, and if she doesn't take the rat, I throw it in the freezer for my male who east f/t, and just feed her the 1 (or 2 if she'll take it) mouse. If she eats the rat, then the mice go in the freezer for another snake.

Alternatively, I have had success with thawing out a mouse, killing my rat, and putting them both in a bag. I've even hit the two with a hair dryer just to really get the stenches going. Not exactly applicable since yours eats live, but it's worked for me. Good luck! Jellyside of your situation is at least he's eating!