Anyone have a Royal / Ball that only ate thawed chick HEADS !?

This is a serious question !! :)

I have a Royal that was off his food for ages age ages but then after months of trying mice , chicks , rats , hamsters , gerbils and even multimates ... he finally wolfed down two , thawed day old chick HEADS !!
Then a few successful feeds of two whole chicks ..

So fast forward a couple of months of not eating / refusing chicks and mice and tonight he ate two chick heads again !!


What the hell is going on ?

Why refuse all those other things yet eat thawed chick heads ??

Could it be something like leaking brain matter / smell ??




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Try braining a chick next feed. I wouldn’t think there would be a whole lot of nutrients in just the head.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Waterman

Try braining a chick next feed. I wouldn’t think there would be a whole lot of nutrients in just the head.

---

Why does he prefer chick heads to whole chicks or all those other things I’ve tried though ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Maybe it is something with the brain smell. How big is the prey item
compared to the snake?

If the chick heads he ate weren't 'brained', why would that be the smell he's after? I think he likes "chick-breath"...:D

Truly, no idea...that's just so freaking strange!

Even if they weren't brained, severing the spinal cord to get the heads off would have released some tiny bit of cerebrospinal fluid, just like braining. Maybe that's it?

Or he's a zombie. Braaaiiins.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Zincubus

This is a serious question !! :)

I have a Royal that was off his food for ages age ages but then after months of trying mice , chicks , rats , hamsters , gerbils and even multimates ... he finally wolfed down two , thawed day old chick HEADS !!
Then a few successful feeds of two whole chicks ..

So fast forward a couple of months of not eating / refusing chicks and mice and tonight he ate two chick heads again !!


What the hell is going on ?

Why refuse all those other things yet eat thawed chick heads ??

Could it be something like leaking brain matter / smell ??




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

---

So how old was this snake when you got him, & how long have you had him? Is is possible that's what he was raised on before you got him???? :confusd:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

So how old was this snake when you got him, & how long have you had him? Is is possible that's what he was raised on before you got him???? :confusd:

---

He’s a few years old .. 1.5kg and fed on jumbo mice and rats

It is confusing you’re right


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

You know, even humans can have weird eating disorders. Maybe she has a snake-version of 'pica'- that's sometimes thought to be related to mineral or nutritional
deficiencies, or just psychological. Maybe you can make a deal with a butcher, & stick chicken heads on all your rodents for her, lol.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bogertophis

.....Maybe you can make a deal with a butcher, & stick chicken heads on all your rodents for her, lol.

---

:O Too Freaky....... :D

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...M=w200-h274-no

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gocntry

:O Too Freaky....... :D

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...M=w200-h274-no

---

And if you try this, just be sure to use dissolving sutures. Who knows, maybe your snake is on to something & we're all missing some great eats? :D

Well I tried him with a small mouse but NOTHING !!

Thankfully he took two whole thawed day old chicks tonight after a mini fast of 10 weeks


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Maybe I’ve accidentally fallen on a way of kick starting a fasting Royal / Ball into feeding :)

Just need a few more people to try their stubborn snake with a couple of chick heads :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Hmmm,

Maybe two chicks at a time makes him feel "full up" and triggers a small fast? Maybe one chick at a time could help?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dr del

Hmmm,

Maybe two chicks at a time makes him feel "full up" and triggers a small fast? Maybe one chick at a time could help?

---

No it’s the chick heads that coax him OUT of his fasts :)


I really don’t know .. he’s a big lad 1.6k and he took two chicks the very next night ( as he did last time the two chick head trick worked ..)

But why would he go months refusing mice / rats / chicks / gerbils etc BUT then break the fast tempted by CHICK HEADS ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I think I explained it badly.

I think the chick heads temp him because they are smaller meals and was wondering if the previous feed before he started fasting had made him feel too satiated. Thus triggering the fast when another large meal was offered.

Does that make sense?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dr del

I think I explained it badly.

I think the chick heads temp him because they are smaller meals and was wondering if the previous feed before he started fasting had made him feel too satiated. Thus triggering the fast when another large meal was offered.

Does that make sense?

---

Completely:)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro