Transition to f/t

[Hoomi]

My daughter thought I was being pretty sick when I made the F/T rat "Dance" in Phil's cage.

Phil didn't seem to mind, though...

[Mike]

a few small things that seem to trigger the response better for me....some are obvious some arent.
when i present the mouse or rat...instead of holding the rat by the tail or but, i hold it in the middle of the back or closer to the neck. for some reason my snakes like that better...or maybe by coincidence theyve been hungry when i do that.
another thing...(this ones obvious) i wait until they are cruising around the cage at night. i lay some newspaper down over the bark and present the food on that. this way i dont have to disturb them buy picking them up and putting them in a seperate cage.
when you thaw out the food, put the rodent in a plastic bag and submerge it in the hot water...(i do this in the sink and i pin a corner of the bag inder the drain thingy) make sure you get most of the air out of the bag first. your rat will still probably be wet because they get drenched in urin before they are frozen (thats what happens when they are put down with CO2) but that should just make it more appealing to the snake.
good luck. -Mike

[Tigergenesis]

when i present the mouse or rat...instead of holding the rat by the tail or but, i hold it in the middle of the back or closer to the neck.

Guess I'd be in trouble if I did it that way - my little guy invariably grabs the mouse by the neck when he strikes. Just goes to show how they are all different and it can sometimes take a few stabs at different methods to find what works for your snake.

good luck!

[Ken]

Thanks for all the very helpful input. This site is great for support and guidance. We'll be starting the transition on Monday. I'll let you know how it goes.

K

[Mike]

when i saw hold it by the back or closer to the neck...im still saying to present the food head first...but it doesnt look very alive if its dangling with its but way up in the air...so probably just hold it with tong in the middle of the back and present it head first. good luck! let us know what ends up working. -Mike