any tricks to feeding?

Ok 3.5 month old ball....been a great eater every 5 days with about 15% of body weight eaten via live mouse.....he just shed...everything else in the tank is perfect....temp and humidity...has been for over a week.....now he wont eat...its been about 10 day ssince his last feeding....

didnt have any shed issues...I know skipping a meal typically isnt an issue with snakes...but just wondering if there are any helpful tips for live mouse eaters?

His last meal might have been a bit on the stressful side...as I provided a second mouse that decided to climb all over him and he decided he didnt want a 2nd one...so after about 5 minutes of the 2nd mouse being in there I took it out.

Just tried to feed him on the 10 day mark and he wont touch the mouse and seems scared (?) of it....so I took it out of the tank.

I've always fed him during the day...would trying at night maybe work better?

any tips are appreciated..

I'd try to convert him over to rats so you don't have to feed multiples. It sounds like he got freaked out during the last feeding. Just wait and try again and yes, I'd try in the evening. If that doesn't work, there are other tricks but you are no where near that yet. Just be patient.

Well other then attempting the switch to frozen...which I am adamant about not doing...and force feeding and assist feeding....which obviously I am no where near yet....any other helpful tips/tricks would be awesome...

also if it matters the breeder I got him from specifically mentioned that this guy was one of his champion eaters and that he had never had a problem with him feeding since he was born (hatched? same difference, right? lol)

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

Well other then attempting the switch to frozen...which I am adamant about not doing...and force feeding and assist feeding....which obviously I am no where near yet....any other helpful tips/tricks would be awesome...

also if it matters the breeder I got him from specifically mentioned that this guy was one of his champion eaters and that he had never had a problem with him feeding since he was born (hatched? same difference, right? lol)

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As Don suggested, try him with an appropriately sized rat. A rat pup will move around a lot less than an equally sized mouse, which might help the intimidation factor. You can even scent the rat with a mouse to make it smell more appealing. Otherwise, just keep offering once a week and he will come around eventually. He is already eating regularly, so force- and assist-feeding shouldn't even be in the discussion.

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

Well other then attempting the switch to frozen...which I am adamant about not doing...and force feeding and assist feeding....which obviously I am no where near yet....any other helpful tips/tricks would be awesome...

also if it matters the breeder I got him from specifically mentioned that this guy was one of his champion eaters and that he had never had a problem with him feeding since he was born (hatched? same difference, right? lol)

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Random question why are you against feeding f/t?

F/t feeding runs into a few issues in regards to my living situation...and only having 1 freezer and 3 other roommates...
frozen just seems like a huge pain in the ass when it comes to thawing, warming up etc etc
and personally (i know this is kinda odd)...im a wildlife biologist by undergrad education...there is something primal and more agreeable to me with live mice as prey...its exciting to observe and watch...etc etc...simply personal preferences i guess?

will it be exciting when the mouse or rat bites the snake in the neck? stick frozen mice in a paper bag and hide it in the freezer. they will never know. wait a week and do not handle the snake. then try feeding. that should work.

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Originally Posted by nick654377

will it be exciting when the mouse or rat bites the snake in the neck? stick frozen mice in a paper bag and hide it in the freezer. they will never know. wait a week and do not handle the snake. then try feeding. that should work.

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The chances of that happening are extremely small, as in way less than 1%. I've personally fed off over 20k live feeders with no bites that drew blood.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

Ok 3.5 month old ball....been a great eater every 5 days with about 15% of body weight eaten via live mouse.....he just shed...everything else in the tank is perfect....temp and humidity...has been for over a week.....now he wont eat...its been about 10 day ssince his last feeding....

didnt have any shed issues...I know skipping a meal typically isnt an issue with snakes...but just wondering if there are any helpful tips for live mouse eaters?

His last meal might have been a bit on the stressful side...as I provided a second mouse that decided to climb all over him and he decided he didnt want a 2nd one...so after about 5 minutes of the 2nd mouse being in there I took it out.

Just tried to feed him on the 10 day mark and he wont touch the mouse and seems scared (?) of it....so I took it out of the tank.

I've always fed him during the day...would trying at night maybe work better?

any tips are appreciated..

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How big is his tank. Most feeding issues are husbandry related, so you want to go through all that first.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

15 gallon tank...more then enough space(at least according to a few friends who breed and raise BPs)

And I don't feed him in his tank....i have a separate feeding tank for it...I also never leave the mouse in there with him unobserved....

I realize people will have their own opinions of a separate feeding tank....I have my reasons and all the literature ive read has provided ample arguments for and against the methods I have chosen...

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Originally Posted by nick654377

will it be exciting when the mouse or rat bites the snake in the neck? stick frozen mice in a paper bag and hide it in the freezer. they will never know. wait a week and do not handle the snake. then try feeding. that should work.

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No it wont be exciting...but after speaking with countless snake owners BPs and otherwise...including reading 6 different herp and snake books....I personally weighed the pros and cons and made my personal choice about how I will feed my animals...thanks for your concern for my snake. :gj:

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

15 gallon tank...more then enough space(at least according to a few friends who breed and raise BPs)

And I don't feed him in his tank....i have a separate feeding tank for it...I also never leave the mouse in there with him unobserved....

I realize people will have their own opinions of a separate feeding tank....I have my reasons and all the literature ive read has provided ample arguments for and against the methods I have chosen...

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I was just wondering me personally I have a deep freeze and a refrigerator so I have the space and the f/t get there own container inside the freezer cause it made my daughter squimish to think her popsicles where next to dead mice. With all of my previous snakes I fed live and agree that although the instances are far and few between that the snakes get bitten or clawed repeatedly (they tend to learn fast how to attack with out getting hurt) I find f/t more convenient myself especially now that I will be breeding my own rats so I can co2 them at the appropriate size and then put them on dry ice until frozen then transfer into a vacuum sealed wrap. But there is something more interesting (not really exciting to me) about watching them in natural predator mode.

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Originally Posted by Dark Lady Kat

I was just wondering me personally I have a deep freeze and a refrigerator so I have the space and the f/t get there own container inside the freezer cause it made my daughter squimish to think her popsicles where next to dead mice. With all of my previous snakes I fed live and agree that although the instances are far and few between that the snakes get bitten or clawed repeatedly (they tend to learn fast how to attack with out getting hurt) I find f/t more convenient myself especially now that I will be breeding my own rats so I can co2 them at the appropriate size and then put them on dry ice until frozen then transfer into a vacuum sealed wrap. But there is something more interesting (not really exciting to me) about watching them in natural predator mode.

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Fair enough...4 friends living in a VERY VERY small house with only one of those top freezers we all agreed to not store pet food in the freezer...we have a dog, 3 snakes and a lizard in the house with 4 college roommates...When I graduate and move onto the next chapter of my life (hoepfully on the west coast) I will have a lot more flexibility in regards to how and what I feed my reptiles (only one snake out of all the house zoo is mine)..not to mention ill have a lot more space lol....I definitely agree with the natural predator mode statement! :D

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Originally Posted by OsirisRa32

15 gallon tank...more then enough space(at least according to a few friends who breed and raise BPs)

And I don't feed him in his tank....i have a separate feeding tank for it...I also never leave the mouse in there with him unobserved....

I realize people will have their own opinions of a separate feeding tank....I have my reasons and all the literature ive read has provided ample arguments for and against the methods I have chosen...

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I was actually more concerned that his tank was too big, not that it didn't provide enough space.

I also breed and raise ball pythons. I've never had consistent feeds when moving a snake right before feeding. It sounds like you've made up your mind about feeding in a separate enclosure and don't want anyone to suggest feeding in the enclosure.

However, you have asked for tricks to feedings, and that would be my suggestion. Feed him in his enclosure. In addition to feeding over 20K live prey with no injuries, I've also fed over 20K feedings in their own enclosures, and I've only been mistaken for food when I've not washed after handling rodents. Otherwise, the "literature" with the ample arguments are bunk in my personal experiences.

Good luck - hope you figure it out!

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I was actually more concerned that his tank was too big, not that it didn't provide enough space.

I also breed and raise ball pythons. I've never had consistent feeds when moving a snake right before feeding. It sounds like you've made up your mind about feeding in a separate enclosure and don't want anyone to suggest feeding in the enclosure.

However, you have asked for tricks to feedings, and that would be my suggestion. Feed him in his enclosure. In addition to feeding over 20K live prey with no injuries, I've also fed over 20K feedings in their own enclosures, and I've only been mistaken for food when I've not washed after handling rodents. Otherwise, the "literature" with the ample arguments are bunk in my personal experiences.

Good luck - hope you figure it out!

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I haven't made up my mind about anything....other then live vs frozen....Id love more personal info (based on your experiences) about why in the enclosure vs having a smaller plastic "Feeding" enclosure...honestly for me at least the biggest issue was the risks and issues associated (that ive read about and heard from a few other bp friends) with him getting substrate in his mouth or hitting something else in the enclosure. He has never had any other issues with eating in what i have been using as the feeding enclosure (ive only had him 3 week and so far he ate 3 times via the method ive been using). Someone else suggested just in general trying a different species of mouse or rat too...?