MBK, First Feeding

I got her yesterday morning. She's a month old. Breeder told me he's fed her twice on frozen. Last feeding was about a week before shipping, so she should be hungry. Got a f/t pinky... she showed no interest while wiggling, so I just put the pinky in the tub and left her there. That was about 30 minutes ago, and its still there. How long should I wait before removing the pinky?

If she's currently in a hide I would as discreetly as possible remove the pinkie and rewarm it. Since pinkies are so tiny they get cold fast.
I would just very gently place it back in front of the hide she's in and see what happens.

How did you defrost/warm it?

So, actually about 20 minutes after posting that message, I checked on her and noticed she took the pinky, and was in the process of chomping it down. As slow as I went, I startled her a bit, cause she jumped. Hopefully it doesn't effect her negatively.

To defrost, I took the pinky, placed it in a plastic bag, and placed the bag in a cup of warm-to-hot water (not too hot to touch). Kept it in there for about 13 minutes. Pulled it out, felt the pinky to make sure it was thawed throughout (which it was), then immediately opened the tub and using a tong wiggled it about in front of the hide. She showed no interest (or maybe just a bit scared), so I carefully placed it down in front of the hide and left it there. Closed up, shut the lights, and left... until I checked-in 30 minutes later.

Great news. It is always a good feeling when new snakes eat.

Awesome!!!

That's great she ate. Sometimes they just wait until they're ready. My King is a beast when it's feeding time, I'm sure yours will get there, too. Kings typically are great eaters. My boy will start circling his enclosure like a maniac when he smells his meal warming up above him. I open his enclosure (glass w/screen top for now) and he's halfway out before I can get his mouse in there.

I'm glad she ate for you. And I'm glad you have your first snake. Based on your threads and inquiries prior to making your choice and getting everything set up, I know you'll be good to go and be a great snake keeper!

Congrats on the successful first feeding! Even though most kings are pretty ferocious at feeding time it's always a great feeling when a new snake eats. Kings make great first snakes imo and I think you'll really enjoy yours.

I'm figuring her next feeding will be between Wed-Fri (I'd probably feed Wed). But, that following Saturday I will be away for 7 days (Sat to Sat). I've read its generally good to not feed right before leaving on a long trip. Do you think it'd be fine to feed Wednesday, and then not again till I get back 10 days later? Or, should I try to feed more, or feed closer to Sat? Opinions? Suggestions?

If you feed her in 5 days. It'll be perfectly fine to feed her 10 days after that. After she eats on Wednesday she may or may not poop before you leave on Saturday so you may have a present waiting for you when you return. ;)

I would feed on Wed and then again the day you get back.

Have fun with her! I will warn you though that my female MBK mistook my pinkie finger for a mouse pinkie on more than one occasion. :D

Thank you, everyone!

Great news !!

As mentioned as he grows he will no doubt evolve into a feeding monster :)

I have 4 king snakes including a MBK and I have to check where they are in the viv then slide open the glass door at the opposite side and quickly put the df mouse on some bark ( using tongs !) then close the glass quickly as they lunge for my hand or anything !!

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Have fun with her! I will warn you though that my female MBK mistook my pinkie finger for a mouse pinkie on more than one occasion. :D

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It's a kingsnake thing. I've had this happen countless times over the years with baby kings

I'll be sure to use tongs.

It seems, from reading other MBK owners' posts, that these guys are more open to just having their furry meal placed down in the enclosure... as opposed to wiggling the mouse out in front of them.

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

I'll be sure to use tongs.

It seems, from reading other MBK owners' posts, that these guys are more open to just having their furry meal placed down in the enclosure... as opposed to wiggling the mouse out in front of them.

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So true :)

Wiggling the prey item is NOT an option for any of my Kings ;)

I have Boas , Retics , Burms , Corns etcetera but there's nothing quite like a King snake at feeding time to keep your mind focused :)

With my King I don't have a chance to set the mouse down and leave it. He's ready and waiting. I actually might try to get a video on Tues. when his next feeding is scheduled.

Our MBK has a great feed response. The Thayeri-phase wants you to just leave it, and then is a reliable feeder.


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Ok... going to resurrect this thread. This is the second feeding, which is 5 days after the first. Dropped the f/t pinky mouse in there at 3:45pm. Its 6:57pm now, and she still hasn't touched it. So, as my original question went... how long should I leave it in there for? Overnight? 24 hours? Remove now?

There has been ONE change that I did... maybe it wasn't a good idea?!?

She was doing well in the 6qt. Active... sometimes hiding, sometimes coming out and moving around. But, I picked up a slightly larger tub... just slightly. Paper towels for substrate, 2 hides (the standard mini hides), a bunch of branches/vines to fill in. The temperature gradient is not much better... being low if 77 and high of 84... on point (the Herpstat is great). Was even able to get the humidity to 50-60%. The 6qt was a problem with humidity. This change of tubs was done about an hour before I placed the pinky in.

Ideas?

To be fair many snakes would not eat so soon after a habitat change , I'd have waited at least 3 days even a week for it to settle down ...

Anyways. ...


This method WORKS if done properly ...
I wait until evening as they're nocturnal of course . I let the rodent thaw out in the reptile room so they get the smell ..
Then I warm up the mouse / rat with a hairdryer and offer with tongs IMMEDIATELY whilst still warm . If refused simply repeat the heating and offering as many times as needed. .
A couple of mine will only strike feed from within their hides so I dangle the warm rodent in front of the hide's entrance - usually works but if it fails simply reheat the rodent with a hairdryer and immediately offer again whilst it's still warm continue until it's grabbed ...
I always wait until evenings to feed as they're nocturnal of course .

Incidentally , if it shows no interest at all not even a tongue flicker maybe it's best to leave for a week or so.

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Originally Posted by Zincubus

Update ...??

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That was the last update. Unfortunately, I had to leave for work. So, can't check now to see if baby mickey is still laying there in the tub, or if it was finally taken. But, I should be home by about midnight tonight (that would be about 4 hours from now, which would technically make the pinky in there for about 7 hours).

If it hasn't been taken, I assume to remove it tonight?

And, if it hasn't been taken, and I do remove it, do I try again tomorrow, or wait?

No panic... everything else seems fine with the gal. Before I left, she was just hanging out in the hide.

You can try reheating the mouse and offering again. It's also ok to leave the prey item in the enclosure overnight. I'd leave it in front of the warm side hide. If she doesn't eat don't offer again until her next scheduled feeding day. My youngest carpet is a shy eater and I have to sometimes leave her food overnight. If it's not gone by morning it usually goes to my olive python.

Latest update...

Came home from work... about midnight... which was about 8 hours after I put the pinky in the enclosure. So, pinky was still there, and the snake was just hanging out in the water bowl. So, I went ahead and removed it.

So... here's where I stand. Her first and last feeding was last Friday, the 14th. She is 16 grams (weighed yesterday). I will be out of the country from this Saturday to next Saturday... with no one to check on the snake that's local. I'll have a small cam on the enclosure, so I should be able to at least get a visual whenever I want.

This is what I'm going to do... please let me know if anyone thinks I should do otherwise.

I am going to wait till tonight, about 10pm give or take... and I will try giving her another pinky. Will use the method described above... let thaw in the room sitting above the enclosure at room temps, then use the hairdryer right before feeding... and re-heat if she doesn't take. If she ultimately doesn't take, remove pinky and wait till I get back, EIGHT days later.

Concerns:
1. letting thaw in room temp... room temps here is about 62 deg. (I like my house cold)... how long for the pinky to thaw at "this" room temp?
2. She's a young baby, 16 grams... is it fine if she doesn't eat till I get back (which from her first feeding till when I get back would be about 15 days.
3. Should I not even bother feeding and wait till I get back?

Enclosure...

-11.5 qt. tub (this one)
-RIGHT SIDE: cool side, HerpStat probe, currently 77 deg. (set to 77)
-LEFT SIDE: warm side, Acurite wireless temp probe, currently 84 deg.
-61% humidity
-2 hides, one on each side
-wood logs on top

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...0_10_29_50.jpg

There's nothing lost by trying to feed before you go away ... As regards the thawing - if it's a pinky it will take no time at all or you can even drop it in some warm ( not hot water ) and dry , then try the hairdrier method , the trick is to make sure it's warm when you dangle it on front of him . So 15 to 20 second hot blast with hairdrier and offer IMMEDIATLY .. if no success repeat the process exactly until he grabs it . I feed evenings and over card or paper so they don't swallow any substrate .


Not if he's just not interested not even tongue flicks then just try again after your trip .

Good luck !


PS your set up looks and sounds good !

1) Pinkies are tiny and thaw pretty quickly. It won't take long at all. The method Zincubus uses does work well, my only thought is that with the hair dryer it won't take 20 seconds on a pinky, but I could be wrong. Just use your judgement.

2) If she does refuse, she will be fine until you get home.

3) I would try again tonight, but wouldn't sweat it if she refuses.

Yeah maybe ten seconds or a tad less as they are incredibly tiny ..

A quick update, if anyone's curious...

So, I placed the pinky by the tub to defrost at room temps, as advised. After a brief period, I then did the hair dryer trick. Tried it the first time, he was in his hide and didn't come out. Left it in there for a very brief period. Then, took pinky out, and heated again with the hair dryer, then placed him in the tub, right in front of the hide opening. This time I left it there and walked away. Came back about 10 minutes later and it was gone. And, Tynee (snake's name) had his head outside the hide peering out. So, either he gobbled it down quickly, or he dragged it into his hide.

This morning, I opened up the tub and looked under the hides to make sure pinky was indeed eaten... and, he was... no sign of him.

Cleaned up the tub, replaced the paper towel substrate with Reptichip (not much, just a small layer) then closed everything back up. And, that's all. Won't bother him again until I get back in town in 8 days.

Thanks for all the advise.

That's excellent !!!

You can have more confidence next time :)


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Charles8088

A quick update, if anyone's curious...

So, I placed the pinky by the tub to defrost at room temps, as advised. After a brief period, I then did the hair dryer trick. Tried it the first time, he was in his hide and didn't come out. Left it in there for a very brief period. Then, took pinky out, and heated again with the hair dryer, then placed him in the tub, right in front of the hide opening. This time I left it there and walked away. Came back about 10 minutes later and it was gone. And, Tynee (snake's name) had his head outside the hide peering out. So, either he gobbled it down quickly, or he dragged it into his hide.

This morning, I opened up the tub and looked under the hides to make sure pinky was indeed eaten... and, he was... no sign of him.

Cleaned up the tub, replaced the paper towel substrate with Reptichip (not much, just a small layer) then closed everything back up. And, that's all. Won't bother him again until I get back in town in 8 days.

Thanks for all the advise.

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Awesome!!! Enjoy your vacation! I'm sure you'll be able to relax a little more and enjoy yourself a little more knowing Tynee isn't hungry.