Re: Dumeril's feeding problems - round two
I know he's not eating well but couldn't you feed him a couple day old chicks so the day old chicks weigh the same as what his normal meal should be? I know feeding multiple prey items isn't ideal but it could help you get to a more "normal" feeding schedule with him. I've never experienced this picky of an eater before so if my advice is way off then don't mind me. I'm more just curious if this snake would take multiple prey items in one feeding session.
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Re: Dumeril's feeding problems - round two
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Caitlin
That's been part of the struggle. While the feeding schedule you mention is what I use with my Tarahumaras and my other Dumeril's, this little guy has not been eating normal meals. At least from my perspective, one or two day-old quail chicks are hardly a meal when the other Dum who is just a few days different in hatch date is eating rodents or quail that are many times larger and has grown at a normal (slow) rate, while this snake has remained pretty small. His body condition is OK but not ideal.
Once it became clear that he was refusing everything other than day-old quail I started feeding him weekly just to get some calories into him. Occasionally I would wait 2-3 weeks and then offer a week old quail or a rat pup in the hope that he'd go ahead and take them, but he'd turn away from them.
If I can get him to take the reptilinks a couple more times, I will go back to a normal Boa feeding schedule.
I mean, feel free to tell me if I seem to be messing up here; I won't be defensive about it. This has been a tough situation and I am constantly second-guessing myself.
No I don't think you're messing up, I just wanted to ensure you're not offering so often that he just isn't hungry.
Attaching one type of feeder to another like you've been doing to switch a picky eater does work. I converted an adult female retic from jumbo rats (8-10 per meal is $$$!!) to rabbits that way.
Another option besides rats is rabbits, if you can find a local breeder willing to save the stillborn kits for you to at least try. Rabbit kits are small and might tempt him into eating if he's turning his nose up at rats.
Re: Dumeril's feeding problems - round two
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Neko_snake
I know he's not eating well but couldn't you feed him a couple day old chicks so the day old chicks weigh the same as what his normal meal should be? I know feeding multiple prey items isn't ideal but it could help you get to a more "normal" feeding schedule with him. I've never experienced this picky of an eater before so if my advice is way off then don't mind me. I'm more just curious if this snake would take multiple prey items in one feeding session.
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Yes, I should have made that clearer. I have been giving him multiple day old chicks - he will take 2-3 of those but they are really tiny little things so it's still far from a good meal!
I do target training with almost all of my snakes and am actually comfortable with offering multiple feeders as reinforcement items. With a snake who is eating normally, I use 2-3 smaller target rewards that together would comprise the weight of one feeder in a typical meal.
With this guy of course it's just been a matter of getting him to take whatever I can get him to eat.
Re: Dumeril's feeding problems - round two
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bcr229
No I don't think you're messing up, I just wanted to ensure you're not offering so often that he just isn't hungry.
Attaching one type of feeder to another like you've been doing to switch a picky eater does work. I converted an adult female retic from jumbo rats (8-10 per meal is $$$!!) to rabbits that way.
Another option besides rats is rabbits, if you can find a local breeder willing to save the stillborn kits for you to at least try. Rabbit kits are small and might tempt him into eating if he's turning his nose up at rats.
Thanks! I will check my local Craigslist for rabbit breeders; kits would be a nice option. Keeping my fingers crossed that the attachment method helps get him onto a normal feeding routine. I am going to keep him on a weekly schedule (assuming he eats like this) for maybe a month just to get his nutritional status stabilized a bit, then shift him to a regular Boa feeding schedule.
I shudder at the thought of 8-10 jumbo rats per meal. That's an expensive retic, lol
