Feeding issue with hatchling, advice?

I'm having what to me seems like an odd feeding issue with a hatchling. One of the two has taken a couple of mouse hoppers already without any trouble, so I tried a FT rat pup as a test since its feeding day for the oyhers and couldn't make the hour drive for live feeders for a few more days. It scares that little one and it just fear struck at it. I was hoping it would take it, but wasn't surprised that it didn't.
The other baby has the problem. The first feeding attempt it just hid from the hopper mouse, not really surprising, the second feeding it struck and wrapped, then immediately let go and hid. It didn't appear to get bit or anything, just scared of the moving mouse. Last night I tried a FT rat pink for the same reason as the other, and I hoped that the lack of it moving once wrapped would help it eat. Nope, same thing, hit and wrapped, then immediately let go and hid.
I'm thinking for the next feeding I might try the next size smaller than a hooper mouse and see if that'll work. The baby is about 65g and hasn't eaten yet. The other is upper 80g and has eaten 2 meals.
They are in shoe box tubs with a hot spot of 90* with the cool side in the mid to upper 70s. The bedding is paper towel on the cool side, a handful of aspen chips on the warm side, with a hide and water bowl on the cool end.

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks,
Kyle


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I've found that the fresh hatchlings don't want to eat frozen thawed. Try to stick with live if you can get them. Once they have put on some weight and can afford to go without food for a little while, you can try to switch to F/T.

This is Deborah's advice, follow it:
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101

Thanks for the input.
I fed agai last night. I picked up another hopper mouse and a fuzzy for the skittish one. Te hooper was down in a few moments. Making a third meal for that little one. And the other just froze after putting in the mouse. But once I turned off the light, I heard the squeak. It might've been small, but atleast she got her first meal. I'll probably go one more fizzy before bumping ipto a hopper.

Kyle


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kroberts10

Thanks for the input.
I fed agai last night. I picked up another hopper mouse and a fuzzy for the skittish one. Te hooper was down in a few moments. Making a third meal for that little one. And the other just froze after putting in the mouse. But once I turned off the light, I heard the squeak. It might've been small, but atleast she got her first meal. I'll probably go one more fizzy before bumping ipto a hopper.

Kyle


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If you want a larger meal that is still not as mobile, try live rat pinks or fuzzies.