is there a good method to use for first time feeding

Alll my new babies, except one, have had their first shed and i was wondering if there is a method that works well or should i just toss a pup in there and see how things go? also how long should i keep the pup in there?

seriously guys and gals? i cant find ANYTHING on how i should go about giving my mew babies their first meal. help me out please

snakes hatch out with plenty of instinct, they don't need to be taught to eat the way other species are. You shouldn't need to do anything different for a first meal than for a second or third or hundredth meal, except maybe start them out on live and try to switch to f/t later.

I just toss in a live rat pink and leave it in overnight with the lights out.
You could try with tongs if you want. If they don't take a rat after a few attempts I try mice hoppers or asf rats.

Also, high temp (94) and high humidity may help as well.

Good luck!!

If you're feeding live: NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES should you leave the rodent alone with the snake. You might want to watch it eat from a distance to make sure it doesn't get bitten or scratched.

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Originally Posted by Pandora

If you're feeding live: NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES should you leave the rodent alone with the snake. You might want to watch it eat from a distance to make sure it doesn't get bitten or scratched.

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It's ok to leave a rat in overnight before it's eyes are open.

Just throw your rat pink or fuzzy in there, and leave them alone. Don't bother checking again until the next morning. You know how easy adult balls tend to stress out, imagine how easy a hatchling will stress out from this giant heat shape staring at it. ;)

Just be sure that you don't forget to check the next morning. You don't want the baby rats dying in there from exposure or thirst and stinking up the room.

Yeah there is really no need to worry about an animal that can barely move, let alone see or bite.

I wait a week until after their shed, then I offered a mouse hopper (or ASF hopper). New hatchlings are more likely to take a more active mouse/asf hopper than a barely moving rat pink.

Don't expect them all to eat on your first attempt to feed them.

I generally left the hopper in for about an hour - and if they hadn't eaten by then, I removed and just tried again a week later.

I've had no difficulties transitioning those started on ASF hoppers to rat pinks/fuzzies.

That's just how I did it, with great success.

Here's a great resource that Adam of 8ballpythons has on his site for getting hatchlings started:

http://www.8ballpythons.com/journal/...ingseating.htm

I got my pastel right after she had her first shed and she didn't eat for the first 3 weeks of me having her. So yeah, they won't always eat right away after their first shed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pandora

If you're feeding live: NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES should you leave the rodent alone with the snake. You might want to watch it eat from a distance to make sure it doesn't get bitten or scratched.

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Rat pinks can not hurt snakes.

theres the support im used to :D thanks a lot everyone. i think i introduced a lil too early. they all shed but it was just a few days ago so ima wait a week and see if they will throw down for me. btw i know not to leave big rats in an inclosure cuz they get hungry just like the snakes and snake ends up being the meal of the night :P thanks for lookin out tho

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pandora

If you're feeding live: NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES should you leave the rodent alone with the snake. You might want to watch it eat from a distance to make sure it doesn't get bitten or scratched.

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Only if the animal can see. Small prey is usually fine when left alone. the worst that could happen with a pink or fuzzy is it goes down butt first. But thats usually not that much of a problem.

I would say if you haven't tried pre scenting that it is a GREAT idea! I second that raising the temps and humidity helps too! Hope this helps! Only assist as a LAST resort.

i have 4 bp hatchlings that are about 4-5 weeks none have eaten yet so going to try my runt one with a fuzzie overnight and see how I go, wish me luck.

Luck!! :gj:

all my babies have finally hatched also. The last one the runt shed today. I am gonna try and feed them this Saturday and see what happens.

they are in the same room as everyone else and i scent the room when i feed them so looks like ima try and feed the kids next sunday. they are all kinda aggressive little sh*ts so i hope they have no prob making their first kill! haha good luck gettin your babies to eat! Thanks

No luck it didnt feed just wondered all over it but this morning I still had the fuzzie in there will try again next week going to try another couple tonight and see how I go, 1 down 3 too go just wish one would feed,

one of my hatchlings ate twice 2 weeks in a row ,one other one ate last week and the other 3 still no luck but i got a few weeks to go