Well another thread about F/T :(

Well I have read many threads on feeding F/T and since my breeder fed live I continued with all three snakes. Recently moved and the only live supplier is a very poor pet store from which I got mites. Now I don't want to risk mites again so I am switching to F/T. I don't consider this a Bad thing because there are many benefits to this method vs live. I have been wanting to switch but always gave in and went back o live. I am having trouble. I really have no choice now so I have to switch them.


My snakes are a 1300 gram male and two females at 1100 and 950 grams.
I have a slightly smaller than normal F/T rat as not to intimidate. I have tried several hearing methods after thawing to room temp. I have then tried hot tap water, blow dryer, heat lamp and no thing yet. I have tried holding by the tail and behind shoulders. I have tried walking it around like a rat. I have tried just holding. It seems like they are scared of it or show no interest. I have been trying now for 5 weeks (one attempt per week) and nothing. I keep reading people have had adult snakes switch over right away or after only a handful of attempts. I am gettin discouraged. Am I missing something? Any input appreciated. I apologize for this subject as I am sure many are tired of this subject but I feel like I am doing something wrong or missing something. Thanks in advance.

Keep trying. It took me a few months with a couple of mine. As long as the snake is healthy and not too young I wouldn't worry about a couple months of no feeding. I would even try offering every 2 weeks. Have you left prey in overnight?

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I did try that but with on of them but nothing. I only thaw one at a time until someone takes it.

Also tey were eating well before the mites and are clear if mites now. I didn't resume feeding attempts until mites 2 weeks after treatment was complete (a few rounds of diluted NIX).

As long as the weight loss is not substantial I would switch your attempts to every 10 days, once they feed, which they should, then go back to every 7 days.


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yo check this out this is my thing and it works for me .. i got a tubberwear and i fill it up with water and put it in the microwave for like 4 or 5 min depending on what size rat i need .. when its done i take it out and put my rat in it with something holding the rat down so its all the way under the water i use a fork works for me .. this is what i do with the rat i thaw it out in a sandwitch bag the cheap one that dont zip lock and when its tawed all the way thru i throw it in the water that i took out the micro wave .. i leave it in there for a bout a min or so depending on the size rat if ur prabably using small rats so i would give it a good min and a half make sure its nice and warm and try if they dont hit quick make it warmer and try again .. its been workingfor me so maybe it will for u to .. good luck

Something else you could try, I just had to do this morning.

Feeding my normal, I just put the rat in the enclosure, leave it over night, and it is gone in the morning. Normally, if the rat is still there in the morning, I remove it from the cage and won't attempt until 10 days has passed.

This time I was kind surprised he didn't eat because as I was putting the rat in the enclosure last night, he struck at the rat and missed. He just came off of a feeding strike, so I just figured he was more hungry than normal. I took the rat out this morning when I woke up, used a blow dryer to heat up the rats head for about 30 seconds, and it took less than 5 seconds from putting the rats head in the hide were my normal was in, for him to strike and start to swallow.

Not sure if this will help, first time I ever did it, I did it this time because I knew he was hungry. Maybe something worth a shot.


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Kind of hard to understand the post above but I would not microwave the rat. If you're microwaving the water to warm it up, fine, but even thawing in very hot water is not recommended. At the most, use water that is as hot as your sink will make it.

I have had good luck switching snakes to F/T by feeding them a very small live meal and then a few minutes after they finish swallowing it, offer the F/T. They kind of go into a feeding frenzy when they eat something so small and will take the second meal without thinking about it a lot of the time. You can also try putting the snake in a smaller environment for a while before offering. A lot of times they don't take F/T because they are nervous with the tub open and you standing there etc. If you put them in a smaller habitat they will feel more secure and take the meal. Please note that I'm not saying to use a foreign feeding tub, but rather to house the snake full time in a smaller tub and then try offering there after they are used to it.

GL

I have 15bpz, a jcp and a little western hoggie and all of them are fed f/t rats except the hoggie who is still on f/t mice. Believe me, it takes some time too feed frozen but my better half would not allow live. In the morning I take all of the food out of the freezer and place them in individual tupperwares according to size. After a couple of hours they are at room temp that I check with a temp gun.

I crack open all of their tubs open from the racks and get the hair dryer going on the rats. Most of the time they will all go nuts as the smell enters their tubs. I zap the rats with the temp gun til about 100 and dangle it in front of them. Each bp has a different technique when they eat. Some will strike as soon as i dangle the rat. Others I will place it in front of their hide. My jcp will only eat when I lay the rat across his climbing branches. Some of the bpz won't show any interest at all and I just try the following week. With some time and patients, it can be accomplished. Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm a newbie but I've read a lot about it. Someone with actual knowledge can tell you if this has any truth to any of this. I've read everything you tried about switching over, but also

1) when having trouble switching to F/T use a new freshly defrosted rat each offering, don't try to recycle the same one after a failed attempt

2) making sure the HEAD of the rodent is very warm with a hair dryer or something makes it more attractive to the snake sometimes

3) feed in a quiet, dim environment, but do move the rat a bit to get the bp's attention

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Belle

I'm a newbie but I've read a lot about it. Someone with actual knowledge can tell you if this has any truth to any of this. I've read everything you tried about switching over, but also

1) when having trouble switching to F/T use a new freshly defrosted rat each offering, don't try to recycle the same one after a failed attempt

2) making sure the HEAD of the rodent is very warm with a hair dryer or something makes it more attractive to the snake sometimes

3) feed in a quiet, dim environment, but do move the rat a bit to get the bp's attention

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Thanks. I guess I should have included these facts too. I never reuse rats. I just don't defrost three because none are taking them. I hear it up and try one the heat it back up a little and try the next snake etc.

I do warm the head more than the body because it is more natural as well. And I feed late at night when ever I feed so its nice and quiet.

Great points thanks.

Mr. Lang. Thanks. I wish I could feed live because honestly I would probably just keep doing so. The only supplier in town has mites. I won't go back to that store. Every other shop only sells F/T. I just moved here and I did check before moving but had no idea the only place in town was so filthy and don't care their snakes have mites. I will just have to keep trying. I think I will use the hair dryer technique for the next few offerings. I will also try and get the temp up around 100f.

Well first success! My spider took a small ~60gram F/T rat tonight! I tried the blow dryer with all three and no dice. An hour later after leaving it in one of the cages over the heat tape side I tried and the spider struck and the rest is history. I tried the again with the two girls but no luck. Still at least 1 out of three gives me a little hope. It was a s meal though. Hopefully he will take a good sized meal soon.

Go somewhere that raises feeders and ask them for their dirties, smelliest rat bedding.

Thaw your rats, dry them thoroughly, "shake and bake" them in the dirty gross bedding. Shake off any excess, and blow dry to get the rat hot again.

The thawing process washed away much of the natural scent I believe, I seem to have great luck with giving the f/t a little bit of that rodent-y scent back.

Like another poster said, don't be afraid to leave it in the cage overnight. My snakes usually take them right away. In the past, when they didn't, I'd dance it around, etc.. Now, if they don't hit it after a few seconds, I leave it outside the hide and leave. They always disappear. Glad you had at least one success!

Well I decided to feed these guys live rats just to make sure they were hungry a reverting was ok. The two ate and the third didn't. The third one though was handled shortly before feeding so I think it felt too insecure. So at least I know then are all hungry. I decided to feed the rat that didn't get eaten, to thee we that had a smaller rat so it didn't go to waste. That snake had two 75g rats and weighs about ~900 grams. Maybe a touch too much but she looked lie she was still super hungry. It is a little ove the 15% markfb t not by much. Th pet store that sells live seems to have cleaned up the store quite a bit. It is a risk shopping there but I want these guys to get some meals I them. I have a me source of love feeders coming soon. So if mines strike again I will have to treat them again. It is a chance I am willing to take. I only have to get a few more feeing from those guys. I may still try to convert to frozen but I want thee guys to get some good meals in them first.

Thanks for all of the advise. I wish I had more patience. It was almost eight weeks and only one took a small F/T.

Glad they ate something! You can always try again later on

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if your feeding once a week or every 7-14 days, they will be ok to go a little longer without food, sometimes the need for food will kick in and they smell the FT an take it. just make sure you wiggle it an move it when they grab it. this makes them think they are killing it. i put my rats in cold water for 2 hrs or so then i run hot tap water over them for 1-2 mins an let them soak in hot water, while drying them on a towel one at a time and offer them. i just fed a wild caught my buddy converted to FT. took him a few weeks to do so.