being difficult

ugh.. i've tried a few times now to feed Apollo p/k, but he just wont take it. he doesnt eat it if its knocked out. even when i didnt kill it once and it was all twitching and trying to run on its back, he just looks at it like "so?"

:? he's really puzzling me. how in the world do you get a stubborn snake to switch from live to p/k!? i need some suggestions.. he's going to end up eating rats one day, and i dont want to try and feed him a live rat. :(

Why don't you want to feed live exactly?

-adam

have u tryed the "mouse dance"?

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Why don't you want to feed live exactly?

-adam

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i'm not going to risk hurting my snake. Apollo already almost got bitten once, and i'm not going to take that chance again.

Also, as First_Time_herp posted in July....

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Originally Posted by First_time_herp

http://ball-pythons.net/careimages/ballchew2.jpg < Thats why we feed frozen.

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looking at that picture makes me 100% positive that what i'm doing is for the best. :)

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Originally Posted by sk8er4life

have you tryed the "mouse dance"?

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tried. unfortunately, Apollo is not an idiot. he knows when its dead, and its his way or the highway. :(

Try skipping a few feedings, that did the trick for me when switching Roxy from live to pre killed.....then to F/T.

Its worth a shot.I would give it a try

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Originally Posted by Brandon.O

Try skipping a few feedings, that did the trick for me when switching Roxy from live to pre killed.....then to F/T.

Its worth a shot.I would give it a try

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thats what i'm going to do. no dinner for him next week. :)

I have 6 Balls and everyone of them eat live only. I have a sterilite tub I use for feeding my snakes. I put the snake in first for about 5 minutes and then introduce the rat. I keep a constant eye on the tub until the deed is done. I wear a thick leather work glove just in case. Not once have I ever had a problem. My snakes know that the tub means feeding time. 95% of the time the deed is done inside of 2 minutes. If they have not fed in 15 minutes, I know they aint gonna eat and I return the snake to its cage.

And as far as that old picture goes....that is the case of a total loser who obviously left a rat and a snake unattended for a long period of time. That picture is not the result of proper feeding procedures.

I will be the first to admit that FT or PK is safer and easier, but using proper feeding procedures with live is not that much of a risk. The key is knowing your animals eating behaviours and keeping a constant eye on the process.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Super_Smash

Also, as First_Time_herp posted in July....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by First_time_herp

http://ball-pythons.net/careimages/ballchew2.jpg < Thats why we feed frozen.

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looking at that picture makes me 100% positive that what i'm doing is for the best. :)

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That snake was left in a cage for weeks with a live rodent that didn't have food. Putting a mouse or rat in your snakes enclosure for a couple of hours will not cause that ... LOL ... I've been feeding a whole lot of ball pythons live rats and mice every week for more than a few years and I've never had a snake get bit. If you feed live responsibly you won't have a problem. :mrgreen:

-adam

I am SO GLAD to hear I am not the only person feeding live on purpose! I don't think p/k or F/T is really wrong, I just prefer to feed live. This whole thing of keeping snakes in cages at home isn't really natural to begin with, so I can't use that argument, but I feel live feeding does more closely represent what they would be doing, if out, free.

well.... lets not debate about feeding live. :)

in any case, i havent decided what i'm going to do. i'm going to skip a feeding next week, and just keep trying to get him on p/k.