Helpful tip for fussy BP f/t eaters

If your ball python does not strike and refuses a thawed rodent try this :

Rinse rodent with hot water for a few seconds (from the tap) and offer immediately to the snake, and it will strike, works every time !:D

You mean like soaking the fur with the hot water? I know alot of people put them in zip lock bags and then run ho water over them for a few minutes.

yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter than the rest if possible. that is how i have fed mine. i just got her and only fed her twice, but she has stuck imediately after i introduced it to her. That plays a big part in it too.:snake:

Interesting. I'll have to try this with my next feed.

[QUOTE=ALEX B.;728836]yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter Yes , you took the words right out of my mouth I could not continue the tread last night but that' exactly what you want

Im going to try that thank you. My ball has eaten F/T once but hasnt since.

It doesn't seem very natural to soak the rodent in hot water. Someone told me this can actually be harmful to your snake since the water content of the rodent can be so high as to cause problems, depending on how much gets soaked into the lungs of the rodent. I don't know how true this is.

Placing the rodent in a plastic bag and putting it in moderately hot water for a few minutes is how I do mine. Yes, getting the head a bit hotter is a good idea so they know which end to eat from.

I'm actually working on a device using a heat pad where I can heat up many rodents at once, giving them the proper heat gradient on the head rather than whole body. Getting a bunch of warm water for 10 rodents is messy.

Just my .02

JonV

[QUOTE=drugaria;729057]

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Originally Posted by ALEX B.

yea, you want the water to actually run over the mouse/rat. wetting the fur and warming it. Always try and keep the head a little hotter Yes , you took the words right out of my mouth I could not continue the tread last night but that' exactly what you want

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When I feed my BP they like them pretty much as dry as you can get them. I use the bag technique and the only time that it gets wet is when there is a hole in the bag. When they are soaking wet mine usually pass them up. I have one 05 male that will take anything in front of him including me if I get to close. I have two others that are very finicky that go right up to it and look like they are interested and at the last second they turn away. They are siblings and the person that had them before me fed f/t also. So I don't know what I am going to do with them. Just keep trying.

i will actually let mine thaw out on the counter for a couple hours, then when they are "mushy" to the touch, i will run them under the water just to up the temp a little. When finished i actually dry it off then begin the feeding process, i dont think they absorb much water doing it this way. and yes, i would say steer away from throwing a dripping wet rodent into the cage

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Originally Posted by kk1020man

When I feed my BP they like them pretty much as dry as you can get them. I use the bag technique and the only time that it gets wet is when there is a hole in the bag. When they are soaking wet mine usually pass them up. I have one 05 male that will take anything in front of him including me if I get to close. I have two others that are very finicky that go right up to it and look like they are interested and at the last second they turn away. They are siblings and the person that had them before me fed f/t also. So I don't know what I am going to do with them. Just keep trying.

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Well as I said you certanly have to try the method I mensioned earlyer with your 2 other picky eaters. Temperature of rodent seems to be very critical for some BP since they seem to use their heath pits primarily and thus won't strike even if rodent smells strong. The other thing is that BPs are not much of a drinkers so for one the extra water on the rodent is actually beneficial for them and second a wet rodent is easyer to swallow than a dry one .

I have always served my rodents up hot and wet, but since my BP passed up a meal recently I am going to switch to the dry method to see if the change gets him eating again.

I like the idea of extra water though, so if he was still eating like a champ I would still be wetting them down.

I'm glad for this thread since it made me think about it :gj:

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Originally Posted by drugaria

Well as I said you certanly have to try the method I mensioned earlyer with your 2 other picky eaters. Temperature of rodent seems to be very critical for some BP since they seem to use their heath pits primarily and thus won't strike even if rodent smells strong. The other thing is that BPs are not much of a drinkers so for one the extra water on the rodent is actually beneficial for them and second a wet rodent is easyer to swallow than a dry one .

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Not much of a drinkers???? I'm not sure what you mean here, mine drinks fresh water reliably without fail and then messes in her tub just to prove it...

If their husbandry is up to the level that it should be, they *will not* allow themselves to become dehydrated by refusing water, so if they get extra from a soaking wet rat they're just going to drink less to make up for it.

I don't remember where I read it (maybe it was here, maybe not) but it said to soak them in a bag so not to wash the scent off. I don't know if it's true but the bag method has worked for us. In fact, the first feeding, my son didn't use a bag and just soaked the prey in water and it took longer for her to take it. Now that he uses the bag, she takes it right away without fail. Also, when it was wet, she was butt muncher instead of taking it head first (I'm not saying the lack of using a bag was the reason). If the heat is the main reason why you are doing it, I don't see how a little thin plastic bag will make any difference in heating it.

But, whatever works best for you is how it should be done, provided it's safe for the bp.

I tried the dry method with my snake and found he prefers the rodent to be a little wet.so thats exactly what I do ..run it under hot water from the tap place it in a washcloth that absorbs some water and right to the snake..he goes for it everytime.. I picked up a new one 2 weeks ago and not sure how she like them..the guy I got her from said he fed her fresh killed so I would assume then dry would be the way to go..Ill try and hope for the best..

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Originally Posted by TanyaL

I don't remember where I read it (maybe it was here, maybe not) but it said to soak them in a bag so not to wash the scent off.

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I feed my f/t wet and I don't believe it washes the scent off. As soon as I walk in with my "bowl" full of f/t wet rats, all my bps that take f/t are at the front of their tubs in expectation.

...and I have a few overzealous eaters that will come flying out of the tub for their snack if I'm not careful.

ok I tried the wet method on our new girl she didnt seem too interested until I soaked the mouse put it right in front of her nose and it was dripping on her ..thats when she decided hmmm GOOD EATS!! yeah..thanks alot for the advise :banana:

I generally thaw mine out in a plastic ziplock bag submerged in hot water. When I get the mouse/rat out they are generally pretty moist just from the thawing. I've noticed that this gets a strike much faster than ones I've dried off.