Switching from live to frozen
I've just gotten a 156g butter ball python. The breeder has always fed him live rats. I use f/t for my other snakes and want to switch him over but I hear it's pretty hard... Any advice??
Switching from live to frozen
Welcome to the forum CV.
I converted my 13 year old BP that had only had live. And a 4 yr old + Boa as well.
The two main things for me that contributed to our success were:
1) Skip a complete feeding cycle to insure hunger.
2) Heat the rat's head and neck to around 95 degrees + or - on both sides and back.
The rest of the body can be 10 degrees less, but the head is for the heat signature for the snake.
Stay in the fight, you can do it!:)
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Re: Switching from live to frozen
Thanks for the advice! I appreciate it. I thought about heating it too. I just got him so I'm going to leave him for a week and let him settle in then he should be hungry, hopefully he goes for it!
Re: Switching from live to frozen
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Cvossos
but I hear it's pretty hard... Any advice??
Depends almost entirely on the snake.
Some will take to it extremely easily. Offer FT food, the snake takes it instantly, there is literally nothing you need to do.
Some will take to it slowly and require a bit of time and/or effort.
Some will refuse it entirely and accept only live.
The only way to find out is to offer and see what happens.
I will say that at 156g, if your snake does not switch easily after a couple of attempts, you may want to feed live for a while and wait until the snake has put on some weight to try switching again. I personally feel at that size it's more important the snake eats and gains weight than what it eats.
Re: Switching from live to frozen
I totally agree. I'm willing to feed whatever he ll eat until he's bigger and has some more weight on him. F/t is just easier for me but I will feed him live until I think he's ready to try again, he may only ever take live I guess I'll just have to see. Just looking for any tricks that anyone may have picked up ;)
Re: Switching from live to frozen
Mine is over a year old and was 196g when I bought him. I was told he ONLY ate live mice. When I got him, he was skinnier than expected so I offered him a f/t rat pup after 48 hours to line him up with all the other schedules and BAM no issue there.
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