ball python first feed tips please :)

Yeah, I do miss my wife...sometimes :D

Haha. :D i weighed sid yesterday and he's only 88 grams! He must be at least 3 months old so want to get him feeding asap

Hey, I'm new to this site and don't mean to change the subject but I don't know how to make my own thread thing like this so people can post and help me out. Please help! I have some questions regarding my female pastel. Thanks for helping.

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Originally Posted by ballophile

I would decide what you are going to feed him first, rats or mice, by what is readily available. I order my frozen rats online in bulk.

A little story...

A few months back I was at PetSmart getting some dog food when I came across their Ball Python enclosure. There was one lonely Normal BP left. As I looked at her (confirmed she was a she) I noticed she had a bad shed and seemed a little small. The temps and humidity were way wrong (20% and around 75 degrees-enclosure was just inside the front door about 20 feet and in the middle of Winter) in the enclosure. SO I took it upon myself to "rescue" this BP from the wicked PetSmart keepers. When I saw that she was 3 months old, I immediately knew she was in danger if I didn't buy her. So I did, took her home, weighed her and put her in quarantine. She, at only 3 months weighed a measly 100g. She was being fed ONE mouse fuzzy a week at PS. I kept her on the one mouse fuzzy for a couple of weeks, then moved her to two mouse fuzzies a week for about a month. Last month, I switched her to rat fuzzies and she is now onto rat pups...and she is thriving! She is currently 5 months old and weighs a little over 250g. She has come along so well and am glad I was able to rescue her from her PetSmart hell.

Long story short, I do use the 10%-15% rule right now in my two young-ins' and they are thriving very, very well.

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You didn't rescue her, you bought her. It will just be replaced by another one that will suffer the same treatment. You probably don't want to hear this, but you're just perpetuating the problem by "rescuing" these snakes from Petco and Petsmart...

I have done the same thing for a couple lost dogs, and a cat and won't stop. If I see an animal suffering and I have the means, I am going to help that animal. Period. No apologies. Anyway, subject of a different topic...

Another failed attempt at feeding. He just turns his head away at these mice is there anything I can do? Ive read about dipping them in raw egg or chicken broth. How effective is this? Is there anything I can try other than mice or rats? Must be something he can't resist. Ive had him for 3 weeks now getting worried

If you have to try cutting a little whole in the head... i know this sounds so gross and it kinda upsets your stomach at first, but it really gets them going. After i slice the head a little bit i smear the juices all over the meal and it worked wonders. Thats what I had to do when i first got my corn. Just my opinion. Gory but you gotta do what you gotta do. I dont think these keep as well overnight though so leave it alone for maybe two hours and then throw it away.

Will give that a go was hoping I wouldn't have to! If he doesn't eat next week it will be coming up to a month. He is only a few months old so will I have to try assist feeding if this next time fails?

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Originally Posted by SunnyD

Hey, I'm new to this site and don't mean to change the subject but I don't know how to make my own thread thing like this so people can post and help me out. Please help! I have some questions regarding my female pastel. Thanks for helping.

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In a forum section, there's a blue thing at the top of the page that says "create thread" or something

Im hoping it works. It worked for me. After its thawed but it in a bowl of boiling water and then try cutting a slit in the head. Its gross but its worth it.