Problem with very young YB not eating

If you try f/t again, maybe dip the rodent in tuna juice? BHB has videos on problem feeders, and I think it was Chewy that said the tuna trick usually works.

You might also want to bump up the temps.

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Maybe try this procedure:

Heat it. Brain it. And squeeze a bit of the brains out. When you're feeding her do it late at night, or whenever she becomes active. Have the lights low (only enough for you to be able to see what's going on.) Open the tub/tank only a little, and make sure you're dangling it by the tail (sometimes mine get confused if I'm using utensils to hold it.)

If that still doesn't work, maybe you can buy a live mouse, keep the mouse in a small tub near the snake tank (where the snake can see it) and once she gets a good active feeding response going, open the tub/tank and offer her the ft. (Make sure it's heated and brained.)

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I recommended this to another person who had a problem feeder and they said it worked. It worked for me too with my picky girl when I first got her. Just remember if it gets cool while you're braining it, blast it with a blowdryer--the mouse/rat should feel warm to the touch but not hot.

It's possible she was confused by the mice because she was used to eating rat pups. I try to start most of my hatchlings on rats, and only use mice on the ones that refuse them.

Now, you didn't mention what size mice you offered her. The FT you said was a hopper--were the live mice both hoppers? If she is the right size to eat hoppers, and ate two of them, that's a whopping big meal for a baby snake. I rather think she should be big enough to eat something larger than a hopper, if she can down 2 of them. I would give a snake that can eat 2 hoppers an adult mouse, instead.

Now, if the live mice you offered were fuzzies, that explains her confusion...I've seen snakes react that way to prey that is too small. She wants something bigger. The prey should be as big around as the widest part of the snake.

The person who suggested force-feeding--you do NOT force or assist feed a snake that has already eaten once, and has only missed one meal! (you don't force-feed a snake at all, unless all other options have been exhausted and you have been trained by someone highly experienced in how to do that without killing the snake--assist feeding is reasonably gentle, but force-feeding can be deadly).

FT rodents smell completely different to snakes than live ones do. I've had a lot of success with rubbing warmed FT rodents in fresh rodent pee--the live animal scent apparently makes them more appetizing.

If the snake will only take live, give it live--you can get it switched over with some patience, but it will be easier if it's feeding regularly.

Most babies only take live! Buy a plastic tub and keep a few mice or rats so you only have to make the trip once every couple of weeks! After a couple months of good feeding then you can try to make the switch! Good luck!