Switching from mice to rats

I'm getting my spider BP on Thursday and currently he is eating small mice. I have read in a few places that people have had some difficulty in switching their BP's from mice to rats and I am hoping to switch as soon as possible.

1. How many times should I feed with mice until switching to rats? (should I try to convert on the first feed, wait a few etc)
2. What is the equivalent size rat to a small mouse?

He is 85g (on the picture sent, it may have been a slightly older picture so I will weigh him myself when I get him) and has been strike feeding consistently with the breeder. I am thinking it would be best to stick to small mice for a time as it is what he is used to and then try to transition him onto rats but was wondering your opinions and if anyone has, themselves, done this.

Thanks again guys! :)

I would feed him a mouse on his first feeding for sure. After that I'd feed him rat pups.

I wouldn't try the very first feed. I usually do one or two feedings on mice to see how they're feeding response is. Then I switch 'em to FT rat pups.

I thought switching on the first feed would be a bit premature, he'll be confused as to his new environment and new "human" don't want to go messing with his food too!

Yep I would feed him 1 or 2 mice, make sure he eats consistently with you then try the switch

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Shall give that a go :) Just didn't want to end up with an adult BP who just wanted to eat numerous mice every meal time.

Thanks guys! This guy will be the smallest guy I've got/had :)

Would rat pups be too big for him? Was looking on http://www.frozenfeeder.com/sizing.html and if we go by the 10-15% rule a small rat pup is over 20% his weight (unless he does weigh in more).

Would a rat fuzzie be more appropriate until he gains more weight?

If you feed him a mouse one or two times, he'll be bigger when you switch to rat pups.

10% to 15% is a guideline. You can feed them slightly bigger occasionally. I fed one of mine a 30g rat pup when she weighed 137g (21.9%). Another got 26g at 129g (20.2%).

You might be able to find smaller rat pups. The place I buy from they range from 17g to 30g.

If you're really concerned, just feed him the mice til he's around 130g then switch. He'll be fine.

I'm different. I feed rats and on new arrivals I always try a rat first. So far I have never had a new snake refuse. I have also never had to feed live when a snakes previous owner did. I thaw and heat well and have a bit of luck.

If you have more than one snake one trick is to thaw the rats and mice together. This will cross the scents and get the mouse eaters used to the new rat scent.

I havent had any luck switching over to rats myself. All but 1 of my snakes (which is new so she missed feeding day anyway) missed feeding this friday as none of them wanted rats pups. They have been eating small mice. I figured I will give them another week and try again this friday. They will surely get hungry enough and go for the rat pups eventually.


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I have been fortunate that my other two are on rats, both of them are on different sizes though! If one refuses, that rat can't go to a different one!

Hoping his transition will go quite smoothly, I am worried he will get stuck on mice (well, not worried but I'd prefer he was on rats!)

Hope your BP's eventually decide they can't resist the rat pups!

A few mice, see how he handles in and then maybe a rat pup, but as you said its a new place and snakes can be fussy eaters so there is no telling the outcome.

Plz thank if this helped :P:)

Everything helps :) Still relatively new and this forum has helped in leaps and bounds! Everyone is helpful in whatever way they can be.

Any advice is always welcomed

Thaw the rats and mice in a zip bag in warm water. It has worked very well for me.

I do have one mouser so far, but she's extremely picky!! :( Won't touch f/t, rats or asfs. I even scented everything with old mouse bedding. Some are just like that... I'm gonna try again with her but I don't have high hopes. The way the other 3 eat I don't think it'll be a problem.
Mind you the mouser eats great as long as it's live and a mouse ;)

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If you can find one, get a runt of a rat that is about the size of the mouse but is running around. I have one snake that I'm switching now - I noticed she eats rats only if their eyes are open and they're running around. The wobbly freshly weaned ones do not move enough to stimulate her I don't think.

I only feed F/T don't hear too much of live feeding over here in the UK :)

For my pastel I don't think it would matter what I tried to feed her, looks like she is refusing tonight's feed too! Out of 6 she has taken 2 feeds. My boy has fed consecutively since I got him. As long as my new spider eats something I will be happy I think!

Normally my spider male eats any and everything. But he wanted no part of the rat pup this friday. He was shedding though I didn't go any further than just offering. I figure he will come around once he gets out of that old skin.

The other ones though im not so sure about. Smh


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I would think a rat pup would be too big also, I just switched mine over to rats a few feeding ago, he refused one and I caved and went back to an adult mouse for 1 feeding but tried the rat again because the mice were just too small and were out of stock when I went to buy more... He refused the first time then I tried gain 3 days later and he took it, haven't had problems since so I hope he's going to keep accepting them.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KMG

I'm different. I feed rats and on new arrivals I always try a rat first. So far I have never had a new snake refuse. I have also never had to feed live when a snakes previous owner did. I thaw and heat well and have a bit of luck.

If you have more than one snake one trick is to thaw the rats and mice together. This will cross the scents and get the mouse eaters used to the new rat scent.

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I was gonna say I'd try a rat first as well....my one guy eats whatever my other is picky,and is on hoppers now,wanna try a rat pinky this weekend. Hopefully he takes it,if not my ghost will gobble it up,he's a pig