Hatchling, 10+ Assist Feeds and Still Not Taking Food

Hello,

Ok so heres the deal.

We got a WC import Volta female that was gravid. She laid 11 good eggs, one died shortly after the cutting process due to a mistake of mine, the other 10 hatched and were completely healthy.

9 of those hatchlings will eat anything live that I give them (ASFs, mice, rats), most of them will also take any F/T as well.

#06, a female was given 6 weeks before we attempted to assist feed. She at first showed no interest and we had to hook the F/Ts on her teeth so she couldn't spit it out. After maybe 5 assist feeds she began resisting more and becoming stronger. However, once we actually got the F/T in her mouth she would clamp down and constrict it then swallow it. She is constantly cruising the cold side of the rack looking for food but she will never take it.

I have tried F/T and live ASFs, mice, and rats with her, giving her 5-7 days between. She has a hide, is positioned in the middle of the rack, and we keep traffic in that room to a minimum. All of our hatchlings are kept in a V-18, 60 tub rack.

The last 2-3 times I have tried to assist feed, she spits it out, I am becoming very frustrated and discouraged. I hate feeling like there is nothing I can do. Her case reminds me of Kevin's Pearl, it just wouldn't eat, he had to assist feed but in the end they all just failed.

Is there anything you all would recommend I do or is this just a simple case of that few % of animals that never live?

She is currently sitting at 66g while her siblings are 100-160g.

Thanks,

that's gotta be frustrating. have you tried the paper bag trick?

Sorry I meant #05, not #06.

I had two last year that just wouldn't eat. I had to assist feed them at least 8 times each before they started taking it on their own. When you get it in their mouth, just sit there and hold everything in and still until you feel the snake totally relax. It helps to be sitting on the floor with a newspaper underneath and let their bodies rest on the floor as you do this. After they totally relax a while, they would just start moving their jaw the way they should to walk the prey into thier mouth. When I saw this I let go. If they threw it, I just did it again. The next time it was feeding day, I would make sure the rat was really warm and offer it like any other snake. If they wouldn't take it, I went back to assist feeding. Eventually they took it on their own and then they both became voracious eaters. Just don't give up and good luck.

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Originally Posted by TheSnakeGeek

that's gotta be frustrating. have you tried the paper bag trick?

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I haven't heard of the paper bag trick before you mentioning it.

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Originally Posted by rlditmars

I had two last year that just wouldn't eat. I had to assist feed them at least 8 times each before they started taking it on their own. When you get it in their mouth, just sit there and hold everything in and still until you feel the snake totally relax. It helps to be sitting on the floor with a newspaper underneath and let their bodies rest on the floor as you do this. After they totally relax a while, they would just start moving their jaw the way they should to walk the prey into thier mouth. When I saw this I let go. If they threw it, I just did it again. The next time it was feeding day, I would make sure the rat was really warm and offer it like any other snake. If they wouldn't take it, I went back to assist feeding. Eventually they took it on their own and then they both became voracious eaters. Just don't give up and good luck.

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Yeah, now that she is healthy she fights a good bit. I try to stay as calm and still as possible while sitting on the floor. I do the assist feeding exactly as you suggested, I push it in there, then simply relax my grip while keeping the feeder pressed lightly back towards the throat. However the last 2-3 times she is not staying still and waiting, she is fighting it with everything she has.

Also, whenever she smells rodent she tries to run from the smell. I'm pretty sure she is associating rodent with getting grabbed behind the head now.

Are you assist feeding her every time she refuses? We've had a few stubborn hatchlings over the years, and have had the best luck by assist feeding them on a consistent schedule until they gain enough weight that they can skip a few meals without any serious danger, and then just waiting them out. So basically, we might assist feed every 5 days for a month or so, then just offer prey normally for a few meals to see if they will get hungry and take it.

Also, if you haven't already, I would put her on aspen, cypress, or coconut husk, and put a bunch of crumpled paper in her tub. A little extra security never hurts. And when you offer, you may find that you have better luck offering in the dark, and walking away for a bit (if you haven't tried that already).

Hopefully all that makes sense...

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Originally Posted by FireStorm

Are you assist feeding her every time she refuses? We've had a few stubborn hatchlings over the years, and have had the best luck by assist feeding them on a consistent schedule until they gain enough weight that they can skip a few meals without any serious danger, and then just waiting them out. So basically, we might assist feed every 5 days for a month or so, then just offer prey normally for a few meals to see if they will get hungry and take it.

Also, if you haven't already, I would put her on aspen, cypress, or coconut husk, and put a bunch of crumpled paper in her tub. A little extra security never hurts. And when you offer, you may find that you have better luck offering in the dark, and walking away for a bit (if you haven't tried that already).

Hopefully all that makes sense...

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We are doing a mixture of both. Sometimes it is after attempting to feed F/T but the majority of the time we assist feed first and then allow her to skip a few offerings like you said.

I can go pick up some aspen for her and crumple up some paper. She has one of the black plastic hides from reptile basics as well.

We usually attempt all feedings right around 6-8pm with minimal lighting. The retic is the exception, we feed him during the day.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

We are doing a mixture of both. Sometimes it is after attempting to feed F/T but the majority of the time we assist feed first and then allow her to skip a few offerings like you said.

I can go pick up some aspen for her and crumple up some paper. She has one of the black plastic hides from reptile basics as well.

We usually attempt all feedings right around 6-8pm with minimal lighting. The retic is the exception, we feed him during the day.

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I don't know if this makes any difference at all, but when I was assist feeding I was using live that I would pre-kill right before. Once they took a couple on their own (pre-killed but dangled in front of them, not assisted), I switched to F/T.

I suggest braining a feeder to try out. That and add more security to the enclosure. Maybe even blackout the front.

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