Switching from live to f/t. Help?

So I'm gonna switch my girl over from live to f/t due to a few reasons. One being that I moved and have harder access to live rodents every week. Two being that she's a really really bad hunter. If I don't dangle and engage her with a live rodent she'll ignore it even when she's clearly very hungry. If the rodent hides she goes back to hiding too and never ever searches for it. I've never left a rodent unattended, but I have stepped out of her line of vision off to the side and supervised many times. She literally doesn't seem to get it. And if I walk by she'll track me and try to strike at me through the glass. But she never ever bites when I handle her. She really just seems aloof. I have to then get the rodent out of hiding and hope I don't get struck because by then it's been almost 40 minutes of her literally doing nothing, and keep dangling it and showing it to her. She'll then eagerly go after the rat and eat happily, but it's been a pain in the butt. I'd like to be able to keep a months or more of frozen food for her and just not have to also have her play the hunting game. It doesn't even seem like enrichment anymore haha

I've never fed f/t before. I didn't see a sticky about it from where I looked. Any advice? A good reliable 'how to' other than what I can google?

Thank you!!

The infamous hair dryer trick does it for my BP. I thaw it in slightly warm water for a while until it’s soft all through (you can squeeze it and feel if there are any frozen parts left) and then once it’s entirely thawed I pick it up with long feeding tongues and give it a good blast with a hair dryer to raise a temperature. My BP has always taken it within 5 seconds of me putting it in the tank but if yours doesn’t just do a lil dance to pretend the rat is alive.
PS I usually warm the head up a little more than the rest of the body to help my BP with taking it head first causes boy he used to struggle with that lol

I have a Ball that does this too. She is the sweetest snake ive owned in 30 years or I would of probably found a home for her with someone that has more patients lol.
Feeding F/T, Fresh Kill or Live is a project for her. This has also resulted in slow growing compared to my others.
About 3 months ago I decided not to let it bother me and I offered every 2-3 weeks and only for 4-5 min. If she didnt take it I took it out.. well at the 2 month point I got worried. I weighed her and she was only down 40 grams so I calmed myself and decided to keep waiting. At 3 months she decided to take one within 2-3min. That was 3 weeks ago.. she has taken 1 each week and im keeping them a little bit on the small side to try and keep her hungry on & on a schedule. I did have to leave todays for about 4min but its not Live so no biggy. I am waiting until around 8PM and i turn all the lights out and leave.
In the end there are several ways to change your snake over to FT, but if your having feeding issues just like I am its a aggravating and worry-some waiting game. Keep a record of the weight so you know when to worry. If a snake is 1600 grams and looses 150 grams that nothing at all.. if a snake is 680 grams and looses 60 grams its fine.. if your snake is young and weighs 300 grams and looses 100 grams then you should feed them whatever they will take at that point IMO...
I take a frozen Rat out hours before im going to feed.. ive tried defrosting with warm water and other things and it just hasnt worked for me. They have been wet, messy or have exploded several times from me trying to defrost and heat them to quickly. The key is cool water to defrost not hot... then either a Blow Dryer to 90 degrees or keep it in a freezer bag and submerge in water that will get the rat up to that temp. U have to use something to hold the Bag down as it will want to float. Never HOT HOT water or it makes a mess..
Try leaving it out hours before to thaw slowly, thats the best luck I’ve had.
I do Fresh Kill 98% of the time though, the F/T just isnt for me. Adults can go on a 3-4 week feeding schedule and be fine as long as you feed the proper proportion. So someday it will be easier once theyre 2-3 yrs old.
Good luck.



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My bp ate live for the first 5-6 years, and was difficult to switch to f/t. Took 1.5 years to make the switch, but it didn't happen until I buckled down and refused to offer any live whatsoever. Before, I'd go back to live if he refused 2-3 meals in a row, which meant he wasn't inclined to take f/t.

When he took his very first f/t rat, I had to thaw it out, and stick the head in water brought to a boil. I'd get it just to the point it was roiling, and take it off the stove. Then, stick just the head in for maybe 5 seconds, and immediately stick it in his cage. Just warming it with hot tap water or a hair dryer wasn't enough, it had to be boiling water. I also had to stick the head inside the entrance to his hide, where he'd strike it from within and drag it inside. He would just leave his hide and go to another if I waved it in front of the entrance, and wouldn't eat if I lifted his hide. He's very skittish. He's been eating f/t ever since, though, and he's 12 years old now.

Stay determined, and try not to offer live unless he loses a bunch of weight. The less often you offer, the more likely it is to take it as well.

This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.



NOTE: When you offer, make it move a little on the tongs; mimic that it's alive. Try to induce a strike.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dakski

This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.



NOTE: When you offer, make it move a little on the tongs; mimic that it's alive. Try to induce a strike.

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Awesome thank you so much!!!

Just as I hoped, she took to it right away with zero hesitancy. She switched from mice to rats with literally no issue, and she did this change just as well! F/t will definitely be what I do from now on. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by littlemaxbigworld

Just as I hoped, she took to it right away with zero hesitancy. She switched from mice to rats with literally no issue, and she did this change just as well! F/t will definitely be what I do from now on. :)

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Congrats! One less thing to worry about. :)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by littlemaxbigworld

Just as I hoped, she took to it right away with zero hesitancy. She switched from mice to rats with literally no issue, and she did this change just as well! F/t will definitely be what I do from now on. :)

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Excellent news !!

For future reference for anyone having feeding troubles ...

The basics are to feed in the evening , ideally low/dim lighting , wait until they're settled under a hide and then give the thawed rodent a decent blast with a hairdryer and then INSTANTLY dangle it in front of the hide ...

Don't blink !!


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