Live Feeding: Step by Step and Options?

Alright, let me start by saying that I have never fed live before. Ever. Nessie eats whatever I throw at her, so I never bothered to try live in the year-plus I've had her.

Izzy, on the other hand, just arrived to me on November 19th. She has refused two or three meals since her arrival, and at 2 months old, she's about 80g. Now, tell me if I'm jumping the gun on purchasing live, because Nessie was never ever picky about meals, and only refused one when she was about 150g, but ate the following week, so I wasn't concerned.

Anyway, long story short, I bought two mice fuzzies today and arrived home, and lo and behold, Izzy is in blue. So now it's highly unlikely that she'll eat at all until she sheds, considering that she hauls back at anything that moves. So I have two bitty mice boys and no way to keep them alive, let alone feed them.

What can I do? Should I just feed them to Nessie, who never minds a free meal? They're literally as big as her head.... Or should I just cozy them up and wait til Izzy's done with her old skin? I have no way to sustain them, really...

I'd toss them (or one at a time) in for a bit regardless if she's blue: she may surprise you! If she doesn't taken them I'd offer them to your other one.

My guys don't refuse meals and I'm lucky..and I been feeding live since I forts got them and they were only a couple months old..throw the feeder in the tank and if your snakes eat,they will take care of business and should quiet quickly. That's how mine do atleast.

I bought 2 hoppers for my black pastel,about a month ago,he ate one and wanted nothing to do with the other..so I fed the other hopper to my @ the time 300 gram Ghost BP..it was funny as the hopper was as big as his head,he tried to constrict and ate it,he's a pig and loves his live rats and mice...

Well, no dice with either. Izzy didnt want hers, and while Nessie displayed interest, it was more fascination than hunger, no feeding response from her.

I would feed anyway... I feed live and all of mine have eaten while in shed.

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I would try feeding them even while in shed, mine never seem to care, if she doewnt take them, just flick them hard on the head and freeze them in a ziplock baggie

I have fed right before shed with success,but while blue,I don't,I leave them be. They can wait few days to eat. Just want them to relax and be stress free.

If I have to (read as: if I can't take them back to the store to be taken in by a momma mouse), I'll cervically dislocate and freeze them in the morning. I just don't have any use for them if Izzy won't take them, she hasn't taken a frozen meal for me yet to begin with, so it seems silly to offer frozens that were originally live. And they're too small to really do Nessie any good at all.

Just frustrating. This is my first go around with a picky eater, so trying and failing repeatedly with an 80g snake is not heartening. She was eating with her breeder, so having her not eat for me probably means that she doesn't feel secure enough. I'll offer another prey before changing things up.

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Question. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that you have begun handling her? If so, I would stop that all together and leave her be for a week. Then try offering live prey again. And do not resume handling until she is eating good for you.

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

Question. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that you have begun handling her? If so, I would stop that all together and leave her be for a week. Then try offering live prey again. And do not resume handling until she is eating good for you.

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I had started handling her, I have already stopped though after the last attempted feed (before this evening's, I mean). I had hope she would eat then, but after waking up to a thawed hopper still in the tank, I started covering her up again.

Thanks for the advice, I need all the help I can get. Got my hands full with her. (Well that, or I'm just worrying too much. She just seems so little to be on a hunger strike.)

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Originally Posted by Archimedes

I had started handling her, I have already stopped though after the last attempted feed (before this evening's, I mean). I had hope she would eat then, but after waking up to a thawed hopper still in the tank, I started covering her up again.

Thanks for the advice, I need all the help I can get. Got my hands full with her. (Well that, or I'm just worrying too much. She just seems so little to be on a hunger strike.)

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She just needs to get settled in. Plenty of hides, leave her be. She'll eat eventually. What is her current set up? Pics?

I can post pics in the morning, but a basic rundown: 15 gal tank with three hides. Terra cotta on warm side, terra cotta on cool side, big chunky half log to clutter the space more so than to function as a true hide. Pyrex water bowl. Humidity at steady 45-50, hotspot at 90, cool side 78. 85 ambient. Back, sides, and part of front are blacked out with posterboard.

I think, once I figure out if she'll eat this,week, I'll run and pick up some plants at the craft store to clutter things up even more. I keep being tempted to take some from Nessie's tank, but Izzy is still in QT.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Archimedes

I can post pics in the morning, but a basic rundown: 15 gal tank with three hides. Terra cotta on warm side, terra cotta on cool side, big chunky half log to clutter the space more so than to function as a true hide. Pyrex water bowl. Humidity at steady 45-50, hotspot at 90, cool side 78. 85 ambient. Back, sides, and part of front are blacked out with posterboard.

I think, once I figure out if she'll eat this,week, I'll run and pick up some plants at the craft store to clutter things up even more. I keep being tempted to take some from Nessie's tank, but Izzy is still in QT.

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Are the hides snug? If not, add crumpled newspaper to them. Heck, just add crumpled newspaper to the tank. Also, after she sheds and you are ready to offer food, give her a live mouse hopper, not fuzzy. They can eat mouse hoppers right out of the egg. Mouse fuzzies are too small. Hoppers have more movement too.