Help feeding, never fed hatchling!

So tomorrow I plan on buying food for my two week old hatchling that has yet to eat. My question is, what size mouse should I get? Should it be frozen thawed or live? If frozen thawed, what method should I use to thaw it so that the snake can eat it?

Any help on how to feed a hatchling that has never eaten before is greatly appreciated because I am afraid that he will not eat, also : he is on coconut fiber, should I remove him before feeding? I would rather not move him because I feel it would cause him too much stress. I have only had him since Sunday, when do you suggest I should feed him for the first time? I feel the sooner the better and plan on doing it tomorrow unless suggested otherwise.


Thanks,
Billy :snake: !

feed it a F/T hopper mouse

i would wait another day or too but to solve your problem with the coconut fiber is to lay down a sheet of paper towel and put the hopper on that so i dosent ingest any fibre

Since you just got your BP I would wait until next weekend to feed. My general rule is to give the animal a week or so to settle in. No handling the snake during this time and then try to feed a week after I get it.

The issue of F/T or live food is up to you - and the snake! Start with what you prefer (or what's easiest to acquire), and then try another type of prey if he rejects it. We had to try a F/T rat pup, then a live rat pup, and finally a live mouse before Delilah would eat... she's just a mouse girl, I suppose. Oh, and wait about a week in-between attempts, so they don't get stressed.

As for preparing the F/T prey, I just soak it in warm - not HOT - water for a few hours (while sealed in a plastic bag). I was told to take it out every 30 minutes, squeeze the excess water, and lay it back in... I guess to prevent it from getting soggy? Some people use hairdryers to get the prey warm, but I personally haven't tried that yet. Just don't use a microwave, LOL. ;)

P.S. It also won't hurt to pre-scent the room, to get him interested in what's about to come... you can just lay it (frozen prey) on top of the cage for a while, and hopefully he'll start to poke around for it. I feed live, so usually I stick Delilah's mice in the critter keeper for a few hours, right next to her cage. I don't have to pre-scent with my others, since they'll eat anything at any time. :rolleyes: Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

Just don't use a microwave, LOL. ;)

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When I picked up our new BP, the prior owner told me to microwave the frozen mouse. It was yet another reason I just couldn't walk out and leave poor li'l cold BP there. :weirdface

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Originally Posted by Patricia

When I picked up our new BP, the prior owner told me to microwave the frozen mouse. It was yet another reason I just couldn't walk out and leave poor li'l cold BP there. :weirdface

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Ouch... some people are really dumb. :rolleyes:

I start all my hatchlings out on live - it's very rare for a newborn hatchling to take f/t as its first meal.

You'll want to get a hopper mouse (eyes and ears JUST opened) and put it in the enclosure with your snake and walk away. Hopper mice teeth are not hard enough yet to hurt your snake. Check back in 1/2 an hour. If not consumed, give it another 1/2 hour. After an hour, remove the prey if not consumed.

Hopefully your snake is in a very small enclosure with small snug hides, since it's just a hatchling (mine are all in six quart tubs), otherwise, if the enclosure is too large, it could be stressful and cause it not to feed.

If it refuses to feed, do NOT try to offer it food every day. Wait another 5 to 7 days before offering it food again.

Here's how I set up hatchlings a few years ago. Now I just use paper towels.

This happens to be a 15 quart tub from Dollar General:

The green hide was later replaced with an identical flower pot saucer hide. The hide on the right was made from a plastic flower pot saucer with an entrance soldered out of it:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...ub/BabyTub.jpg

There's really a baby snake under there!

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...b/BabyTub2.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...b/PretzelA.jpg

That baby grew up to become this:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e9...PretJune17.jpg

He is in a 10 gallon with a uth, water bowl, 2 identical hides on each side, on coco fiber. the probe reads about 85 on top of the substrate and about 95 between the uth and substrate, prolly a little over 95 cuz he was on top of the substrate the other day. I don't think he has even left his warm hide at all. I cant tell for sure but when i wake up at night or before 11 anytime i look he is never out. i hope he is a little comfortable. I havent sprayed in the tank but i have wet the coco fiber little. i need to get a hydrometer or whatever the humidity thing is. You think I should get a live hopper?

Hi,

Do you mean the temp is 85 on top of the substrate at the warm end?

If so I would probably suggest thinning the substrate slightly to get it closer to 92-94f inside the hot end hide.


dr del

is reptile carpet a better substrate?

Hi,

To be perfectly honest I am not a fan of reptile carpet. :oops:

I use newspaper myself but your current substrate would be fine ( absorbant, easy to spot clean, unlikely to cause feeding issues etc. ) if you just made the layer thinner. :)

The 95f under the substrate ensures the snake can't dig down and be exposed to dangerously high temps and thinning the layer should bring the temps on top of the substrate closer to the ideal temps inside the warm end hide. :gj:


dr del

Thanks Dr. Del. I have a few more questions. I am going to feed him tomorrow sometime. What time is best? Nighttime since they are nocturnal? It'd be easier mid to late afternoon so I can keep track but I want whats best for him. Also, what size? Is a pinky ok? Or fuzzy? One more thing I can think to ask is F/T or live? I am not sure if I can get a live pinky or fuzzy but I will try my hardest if that is what's best for him. I am very nervous knowing he has never eaten before and won't name him until he does. Any other tips are appreciated. Thanks for your time.

Hi,

Well everyone already covered the size of mouse ( hopper ) and Robin gave you advice regarding the F/T or live issue.

If you want to stick with F/t just make sure to pre-scent for an hour or so and heat it up just before offering - I like to use a hairdrier on the head for a good 30-40 seconds.

Evening/ night time would be the time I would pick to try.

If you do go for live remember to plan for a refusal too - a small critter keeper with a waterbottle, some food and bedding is a great thing to keep on standby.

Never leave a live rodent unsupervised with your snake though (unless its a pink or fuzzy unable to do any damage ). But if you use F/T you can leave it in the enclosure overnight if the lil guy won't strike feed despite the zombie mouse dance. :)


dr del

update: just put a f/t hopper in the tank on a paper towel. I tried dangling it over infront of the hide but no go. i hope he takes f/t cuz idk if the petstores sell live hoppers n whatnot. ughh this is it, the time ive been waiting for. ill have to wait until morning to find out if he eats it.

Well I woke up this morning and he did not eat it. Now what? Should I try to get a live hopper somehow? I hope petco will have one.

Hi,

Well the first thing is to wait a week before doing anything else.

If you offer too often you can actually cause them stress which might make them less inclined to eat.


dr del

Do you think it is alright if I take him out and handle him at all? I have yet to see him out of his warm hide at all. He pokes his head halfway out at night sometimes, like last night. But when I put the mouse in he went back in. Is this normal for him? Is it alright to pick up his hide to get him out? I would kind of rather not so he can feel that his hide is a very safe place but if it is alright I will do it. I feel if I pick him up and show him the mouse then he might take it but I really don't know.

No handling until he he on feed, leave him be and try a live hopper mouse the next feeding.

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Originally Posted by Blender345

Well I woke up this morning and he did not eat it. Now what? Should I try to get a live hopper somehow? I hope petco will have one.

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He's probably going to need live stimulation. I would wait a week before offering one. I'm still disgusted that a breeder sold a baby before it had its first meal to someone not experienced starting new babies, but that's a rant for another day.

Call around to small mom and pop pet stores in your area and see if any of them sell live feeders and have very small live mice (they may not know the term "hopper" so explain you want eyes and ears JUST opened).

Alright now I have a problem. Just called my local petstores and no one carries live hoppers. I spoke to the guy at petco who said he had a baby ball and he fed it a live mouse, but since it was bigger he fed it less frequent than once a week. Do you think I should feed my baby a live small white mouse or will it be too big? Also if you think I should stick with hoppers, where can I get live ones? I will continue to look and search but if someone else may know I can use the help. Thank you.

ask him how much the mouse weighs,also ask him who the supplier is for his mice, maybe you can contact the supplier directly. or the pet store can place an order for you

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Originally Posted by Blender345

Alright now I have a problem. Just called my local petstores and no one carries live hoppers. I spoke to the guy at petco who said he had a baby ball and he fed it a live mouse, but since it was bigger he fed it less frequent than once a week. Do you think I should feed my baby a live small white mouse or will it be too big? Also if you think I should stick with hoppers, where can I get live ones? I will continue to look and search but if someone else may know I can use the help. Thank you.

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Where are you located? Have you searched to see if there are any reptile breeders that are somewhat local to you that are willing to help you out (many breed their own prey)?

Petco, as far as I know, doesn't get their rodents locally - they have a contract with huge breeders and they are shipped to them regularly.

Call back some of the smaller pet stores and see if any will tell you where they get their mice from or ask them if they can request that their rodent supplier delivers some hoppers on their next delivery.

I was thinking of breeding my own, even though I wouldn't have a hopper for a month, atleast I would not have to rely on anyone else. Does anyone have experience doing this? I have all week to find where to get a hopper and I think during the week will be easier to find one than Sunday.

I have a 15 gallon tank not in use and was feeling I should get maybe 1 male and 5 females, even though I only have 1 snake. Should I maybe do 1 male 2 females? I don't plan on giving them a wheel or anything just water and food until they breed and give me hoppers I can feed him. What do you guys suggest? I plan on keeping them in my basement on the floor, and it is pretty cool down there, usually between 60-70 depending on time of day.

I think you should realy put that energy into finding food for the little guy. Otherwise it will have to wait a long time to get its meal. Even if you get the mice, it doesnt mean they will start breeding right away, it could take months.

Where do you live? maybe someone here close to you could help you. :)

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Originally Posted by Blender345

I was thinking of breeding my own, even though I wouldn't have a hopper for a month, atleast I would not have to rely on anyone else. Does anyone have experience doing this? I have all week to find where to get a hopper and I think during the week will be easier to find one than Sunday.

I have a 15 gallon tank not in use and was feeling I should get maybe 1 male and 5 females, even though I only have 1 snake. Should I maybe do 1 male 2 females? I don't plan on giving them a wheel or anything just water and food until they breed and give me hoppers I can feed him. What do you guys suggest? I plan on keeping them in my basement on the floor, and it is pretty cool down there, usually between 60-70 depending on time of day.

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That's a good long term plan, but your snake needs to eat before then. Feel free to PM me where you live if you aren't comfortable posting it in the forum. I was going to see if I could find any breeders in your location that might be able to help you out.

I live in Connecticut. I posted an ad on craigslist looking for hoppers and someone called me telling me they breed mice for their 9 snakes so I will call them tomorrow. So I have hoppers for now so I am set with that. They even said I can bring my snake over and they'd try to help me get him eating but I don't think I should cuz it might be too stressful for him. What do you guys think?

Success? I picked up 3 hoppers today from someone for 2 bucks. One ended up dying on it's own, the other was laying still a bit, and the other has energy and runnin around. I threw out the dead mouse, and put the lazy looking one in the snake cage, and still have the energetic one in a plastic box. I went next door to my neighbors party, and about 2 hours later I came home and the hopper is gone. I am assuming the snake ate it, even though I don't see a lump or anything really. I am happy tho because it looks like my feeding problem might be over.... for now...

I'm glad he ate for you, but it concerns me that one of the hoppers died, and one was sluggish/ill.