Benefits of schedules with imprint feeders

I have had my oldest male now for going on three years. He gets feed on the same day and with in the same time frame (5:00 to 6:00 pm) mostly due to my work schedule.

With in the last year he has gotten to where on Wednesdays between 5 and 6 he is out of his hide looking. I feed in the tank so I remove one of his hides to allow him feeding room. Have to be careful of warm hands and moving fingers in a tank with a bp in full blown feed mode.

I never really paid attention to his body language before a feed. But last night I saw him watching the rat outside the cage. It was dead but me getting it ready for the dangle and strike had peaked his interest. He watch it come in the cage and it took all of 2 seconds and whack! "owned".

My point is that people who feed on a schedule. And I mean schedule tend to see a better feeding response from their snakes. If you got a snake that will not feed after checking set up and health issues ask yourself am I on a feeding schedule? Or do I just feed when I realize oh yea its been like a week hasn't it. One way to keep track of this is by using feeding cards. I use them even though I only have two snakes. In fact I use the one that are for download on this sight. If you have more than a few snakes its the only way to go. Keep track of when and what you feed and weather or not your bp ate. This will help get them on track and help keep you on schedule. And also show you feeding trends from year to year.

Sorry for the long post. Just noticed allot of new members lately and thought this might help them. Thanks

Totally agree. All of my feeding gets done wednesdays between 9 and 10pm, and since I've been doing this on a regular basis, my snakes have been eating more consistently, as opposed to before with a more random interval.

Hello :D I am one of those new members you mentioned. I have been reading up on the care of zeke and I had actually thought of feeding zeke the same day at the same time also. did not see this anywhere just thought it would make it easier for me to remember LOL so I am glad to see that it is a good idea! Have not fed Zeke yet. I have had him for 6 days now and I am going to attempt to get him to feed tonight. I was going to do a pinkie but they are so small compared to the size of him that I thought i would go and get a small fuzzy. I attempted the pinkie last night and he "ran away" from it.I am wondering if it was because it was already dead, to small, or just not interested? Any suggestions?

pinky mice are worthless prey items for baby ball pythons. Usually babies start out on hopper sized mice and quickly graduate to small adult sizes.

It was probably too small. Try a hopper or large fuzzy next time.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

pinky mice are worthless prey items for baby ball pythons. Usually babies start out on hopper sized mice and quickly graduate to small adult sizes.

It was probably too small. Try a hopper or large fuzzy next time.

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thanks for the advice. that is what i thought will go get him a small hopper today. also do you think i should leave the mouse box sitting on top of the viv for a while before i feed him to get him more interested? I read that somewhere! LOL thank you

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Originally Posted by ZEKESMOM

also do you think i should leave the mouse box sitting on top of the viv for a while before i feed him to get him more interested? I read that somewhere! LOL thank you

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Try just first offering the fuzzie/hopper with a pair of of hemostates. This might include holding it by the tail (with the hemostates) and giving it a :rat: little shake in front of his face try this. It might take 5 minutes or 20, don't give up. If he refuses put the fuzzie in the tank and cover it for a while see if that works. some BP's will only eat if its totaly dark and they can't see movement. Also if you place the P/K item back in the box that they were transproted in lay it on its side with the top open that works also. the box gets soiled with urin and mouse or rat scent and it helps to premote the feeding responce. Each animal is different and they might even change up they way they want to eat depending on season or stress level. Just always be ready to change up how you offer. Stay on your toes.

Good luck

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Originally Posted by ZEKESMOM

thanks for the advice. that is what i thought will go get him a small hopper today. also do you think i should leave the mouse box sitting on top of the viv for a while before i feed him to get him more interested? I read that somewhere! LOL thank you

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I do try and 'scent' the room about 20-30 minutes before feeding. That way, by the time I am ready to feed, everyone is eager for dinner. It's kinda of like driving by the BBQ place. You smell it, and it just makes you more hungry. :D (great now just thinking about BBQ has made me hungry :oops: )

Excellent post about establishing routines and habits with your BP. I know all of ours pretty quickly pick up on our daily and weekly routines with them and if we disturb that schedule by much, they tend to go off feed or act up. Stick to the schedule and we've got a nice group of happy, hungry snakes all either peeking out of hides or hanging around waiting for dinner come dark on Tuesday night.

The funny part is we actually have a couple that know exactly where the clips are that hold down the lids of their tubs. They will wait patiently on feeding night, body angled into position and their head poised at the ready looking directly at that clip. Who says snakes aren't smart! LOL

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

I do try and 'scent' the room about 20-30 minutes before feeding. That way, by the time I am ready to feed, everyone is eager for dinner. It's kinda of like driving by the BBQ place. You smell it, and it just makes you more hungry. :D (great now just thinking about BBQ has made me hungry :oops: )

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For very stuborn feeders I also put them in the bag that I use to whack the rats with their dinner. The smell off all the dead rats really spurs the feeding responce up. Just be very very carefull taking the snake back out after it has eaten. They tend to still be it the "hey a warm moving object" WHACK mode.

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

I do try and 'scent' the room about 20-30 minutes before feeding. That way, by the time I am ready to feed, everyone is eager for dinner. It's kinda of like driving by the BBQ place. You smell it, and it just makes you more hungry. :D (great now just thinking about BBQ has made me hungry :oops: )

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As long as it didn't make you hungry for BBQ mouse or rat dearie you're fine! LOL

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

As long as it didn't make you hungry for BBQ mouse or rat dearie you're fine! LOL

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I don't mean to brag but I make a mean Weed Rat stew.. LOL

HAHAHAHAHA I loved that darn movie! It's really sad to be a grown woman with 4 kids and waiting rather impatiently for Shrek 3!

Some of you may not like to picture this, but sometimes if you have a snake that is uninterested in a rodent, you can make a small cut in its forehead, and it will attract the snake more. I used to have a corn who did not eat until I offered it a "brained" meal. I have also done it with one of my young balls while trying to switch from crawlers to rat pups.

This is a real good trick. I used it when Orpheus tried to go off feed

Not really possible with live feeders though.

no tends to be less desturbing with F/T or even P/K.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Not really possible with live feeders though.

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Mine were always live, but always rat pups or mice pinks

I have only had to do that helping get some of my friends stuborn feeders to eat or to get hatchlings to start of F/T.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Mine were always live, but always rat pups or mice pinks

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You "brained" a live rat pup or mouse pink?

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Some of you may not like to picture this, but sometimes if you have a snake that is uninterested in a rodent, you can make a small cut in its forehead, and it will attract the snake more. I used to have a corn who did not eat until I offered it a "brained" meal. I have also done it with one of my young balls while trying to switch from crawlers to rat pups.

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I tried this tonight & then heated the head up a little with my hairdryer..swiped in seconds after 2 refusals

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

I have had my oldest male now for going on three years. He gets feed on the same day and with in the same time frame (5:00 to 6:00 pm) mostly due to my work schedule.

With in the last year he has gotten to where on Wednesdays between 5 and 6 he is out of his hide looking. I feed in the tank so I remove one of his hides to allow him feeding room. Have to be careful of warm hands and moving fingers in a tank with a bp in full blown feed mode.

I never really paid attention to his body language before a feed. But last night I saw him watching the rat outside the cage. It was dead but me getting it ready for the dangle and strike had peaked his interest. He watch it come in the cage and it took all of 2 seconds and whack! "owned".

My point is that people who feed on a schedule. And I mean schedule tend to see a better feeding response from their snakes. If you got a snake that will not feed after checking set up and health issues ask yourself am I on a feeding schedule? Or do I just feed when I realize oh yea its been like a week hasn't it. One way to keep track of this is by using feeding cards. I use them even though I only have two snakes. In fact I use the one that are for download on this sight. If you have more than a few snakes its the only way to go. Keep track of when and what you feed and weather or not your bp ate. This will help get them on track and help keep you on schedule. And also show you feeding trends from year to year.

Sorry for the long post. Just noticed allot of new members lately and thought this might help them. Thanks

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I have feeding records for all of my snakes from the day I got them. I like to get them into a routine & you do find that they know when its feed day. One of my adult corns was a little obease when I 1st got him, he gets fed every 2 weeks to reduce some of his body mass, & even he is on the roam around feed day..so he knows !

its easier all round to keep records, if they are ill you know exactly the right info to advise the vet..I know I wouldnt remember if It didnt get written down!!

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Originally Posted by lisa77

I have feeding records for all of my snakes from the day I got them. I like to get them into a routine & you do find that they know when its feed day. One of my adult corns was a little obease when I 1st got him, he gets fed every 2 weeks to reduce some of his body mass, & even he is on the roam around feed day..so he knows !

its easier all round to keep records, if they are ill you know exactly the right info to advise the vet..I know I wouldnt remember if It didnt get written down!!

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You do find that they tend to be creators of habit. Good job on the feeding records.

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Originally Posted by lisa77

I tried this tonight & then heated the head up a little with my hairdryer..swiped in seconds after 2 refusals

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Sounds like you were doing this with a f/t item, right? Thats OK and what this "trick" was intended for.

Doing that to a live item is unneccessary and quite frankly, very cruel. The fact that its alive should be enough of an attraction in and of itself. If one has to resort to this method to get their snake to eat a live item, chances are they need to make adjustments to their husbandry, NOT the prey item.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Sounds like you were doing this with a f/t item, right? Thats OK and what this "trick" was intended for.

Doing that to a live item is unneccessary and quite frankly, very cruel. The fact that its alive should be enough of an attraction in and of itself. If one has to resort to this method to get their snake to eat a live item, chances are they need to make adjustments to their husbandry, NOT the prey item.

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Yeah, I have only ever fed F/T. I dont think I couldnt bring myself to feed live really. Ive come along way though, I spent years wanting a snake but couldnt bear the thought of touching a dead mouse. I have had snakes for 3 years now & never looked back. Its just something you get used to !

I cant imagine people have actually tried this with live ? mmm not a nice thought :(

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I cant imagine people have actually tried this with live ? mmm not a nice thought :(

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I asked Rapture if he did that to a live prey item in a post above. Hasn't responded.

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

I asked Rapture if he did that to a live prey item in a post above. Hasn't responded.

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Surley not ???