What to expect in feeding

Tomorrow is my first time feeding my snakes, Cave Johnson and Caroline.

What do I expect? What do I do if they don't eat?
I am excited too!

I know it's short, may sound stupid..

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Originally Posted by Wheatley

Tomorrow is my first time feeding my snakes, Cave Johnson and Caroline.

What do I expect? What do I do if they don't eat?
I am excited too!

I know it's short, may sound stupid..

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Step 1: Check husbandry.
Step 2: Offer rodent warm
Step 3: if you do not get an immediate strike just leave the prey in overnight, preferably this is done only with pre-killed prey however some will leave mice hoppers alone with their specimens.
Step 4: if no takers in the morning then just wait a few days and try again.

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Originally Posted by Physician&Snakes

Step 1: Check husbandry.
Step 2: Offer rodent warm
Step 3: if you do not get an immediate strike just leave the prey in overnight, preferably this is done only with pre-killed prey however some will leave mice hoppers alone with their specimens.
Step 4: if no takers in the morning then just wait a few days and try again.

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Pretty much covers everything. I love the names you picked!

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Originally Posted by Wheatley

Tomorrow is my first time feeding my snakes, Cave Johnson and Caroline.

What do I expect? What do I do if they don't eat?
I am excited too!

I know it's short, may sound stupid..

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Are you feeding live or f/t?

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You feeding live or FT?

snakes are diff.. My one guy takes anything,live or FT. My other wants nothing to do with FT,will only eat live....if your enclosure is set right,they will most likely eat, especially if live..if FT it can be hit or miss. If FT Make sure prey is fully defrosted and warmed up nicely

Everything has been covered for F/T but will differ if you are feeding live. I sometimes find it takes a bit of enticing and not an immediate strike, I've been known to sit wiggling the rat on the tongs for 10 mins before I've had a strike, by this point my hand had cramped on the tongs and I thought it was hopeless. I did get my strike though! :)

I remember my first time feeding when I only had my one! I remember being so nervous but excited at the same time! My hand was shaking! I managed to perfectly thaw and heat the rodent, did the wiggle and my pastel wouldn't eat! It's not unusual for snakes to refuse feed initially due to the stress of a new home etc; on the other hand all of my others have eaten perfectly every time so you could have some fab eaters on your hands :) Let us know how it goes! I find more success feeding when it is dark personally :)

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

Are you feeding live or f/t?

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I am feeding f/t, yes. :)

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Originally Posted by Wheatley

I am feeding f/t, yes. :)

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Some may take it more readily than others, you may have to the zombie dance, you may have to just leave it overnight... you will have to find the "trick" that works for each. Just make sure it's warmed up enough but not cooked. Good luck, let us know how it goes :)

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I feed all my ball pythons live so my experience will differ from yours, but every snake is different. I remember my first feeding. I was very inexperienced and I just thought my snake would immediately strike and go for the mouse. It didn't end up going that way at all. I had to dangle the mouse for her for about 10 minutes or so for her to even strike. And once she did begin to eat it she go confused and was eating the tail end rather than the head and had to drag the mouse all over the box to get it how she wanted it. Definitely a learning experience for both of us.

Now we have both gotten better and she is much quicker. But have fun! I love feeding night! Let us know how it goes!

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Originally Posted by MsGolightly

I feed all my ball pythons live so my experience will differ from yours, but every snake is different. I remember my first feeding. I was very inexperienced and I just thought my snake would immediately strike and go for the mouse. It didn't end up going that way at all. I had to dangle the mouse for her for about 10 minutes or so for her to even strike. And once she did begin to eat it she go confused and was eating the tail end rather than the head and had to drag the mouse all over the box to get it how she wanted it. Definitely a learning experience for both of us.

Now we have both gotten better and she is much quicker. But have fun! I love feeding night! Let us know how it goes!

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It's never good to dangle live prey, just put in the enclosure and keep watch. A dangling mouse/rat is very dangerous for your snake. You want to just calmly put it in and it will really just explore the new surroundings and bam... snake strikes :)

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OP after I have heated the rat I put the tongs on the hind legs (I did try it on the tail once and I ended up holding a tail with not rat attached!) I then slowly "bounce" and wiggle the rat in front of the BP so the head is at the same level as the snakes head. If they are showing interest but not striking immediately I move the rat around slightly by around an inch per side until they strike. I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

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Cmooon :) Watch it :P I've even recorded it few times and posted on FB :P Fsck it :) If need to watch people munch on McCrap let them watch my python munch on rat :rolleye2:

Well, Cave ate! :D

Caroline didn't though. D:

It took a couple hours! But he did! ^^ Their faces make me laugh when they are eating. xD

Why did it take a couple hours?

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

I then let go and leave well alone, I haven't yet seen any of my BP's actually eat!

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I am sorry you haven't been able to witness this yet!!

I guess I have always been lucky as I haven't really had a hard feeder. I have had my king snake make me mess with her for a few minutes before a strike but the pythons I have owned have always struck right off the bat and fed well (I know, I'm very very lucky considering the problems a lot of people have!)

^^^This goes along with husbandry though. I have always spent usually about 3 weeks getting the habitat perfect before putting them in their. I custom build my own vivariums and I always make sure all the husbandry aspects are spot on before releasing them in there. I count up my great feeding results to this as this is the main reason people have issues.

I want to know when my ball python is full grown about how big of pray will I feed it, how big of rat

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Originally Posted by maxamilliano

I want to know when my ball python is full grown about how big of pray will I feed it, how big of rat

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Small to med rat depending on size of the snake

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Originally Posted by Crazymonkee

It's never good to dangle live prey, just put in the enclosure and keep watch. A dangling mouse/rat is very dangerous for your snake. You want to just calmly put it in and it will really just explore the new surroundings and bam... snake strikes :)

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That is how my snakes eat now. I just put them in the enclosure and once the snake notices them they strike and eat just fine. That first time was just hard for me and my normal. I tried just putting the mouse in at first and she wanted nothing to do with it. Even worse than that, it crawled over her and she balled up. (Ps I am very cautious and aware while I am feeding my balls, I makes sure that the love mice never bite my snakes) Things are much easier now that I am just dropping them in. Thank you for the advice though!

First time when I've feed live to my python was hilarious. They almost became friends. Sniffed each other for 10 minutes before snake noticed it might be food that's moving around his tank. They even "kissed" for couple of times but the look on the snakes face when he realized it's food. Just crazy. Seconds after that the mousy went to lalaland :P

But since the time he missed the mouse and grabbed her by it's last legs and the mouse went into survival mode, started biting, I had to intervene and sorry to say kill the mouse because my python didn't let go of her neither did coil around the mouse to restrict it. Before I managed to grab the mouse and restrict it myself I believe the snake was bitten. Since then I never feed live again.

Maybe not hours, it felt like it though. xD
I was really excited!!

Cave has had his second feed! :D He ate it right away! xD

I would be bummed if I didn't get to watch our bp eat. We pretty much sit around and call out the play by play as she gets it turned and swallowed down. I find it extremely intersting to watch.

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Originally Posted by Wheatley

Cave has had his second feed! :D He ate it right away! xD

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once they get going,they seem to keep going,from what I seen with mine..congrats

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Originally Posted by h20hunter

I would be bummed if I didn't get to watch our bp eat. We pretty much sit around and call out the play by play as she gets it turned and swallowed down. I find it extremely intersting to watch.

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I love watching him strike and eat,never gets old,but my guy swallows his prey so quick at times. Saturday he made the kill. I looked back about 5 mins later and he was 100% done!he's a pig:D