Trouble with F/T

[Aedryan Methyus]

Why?

I used to try to keep them dry with zip lock bags but it never failed that they would leak. Now I just thaw them directly in the water. I even serve them soaking wet.

I don't know how long it would take to thaw a XXL rat by sitting it out and don't care to find out.

I find water to be quick and easy.

I have always just let the rats sit out in my snake room and thaw out to room temperature then I would run the rats directly under hot water at feeding time. I struggled for months getting a couple of my snakes to eat f/t consistently. I would run their rats under hot water then spend 10 minutes puppeteering, heat them back up under hot water again and spend 10 more minutes puppeteering. I repeat this again and again for about 30 minutes on each of these snakes every feeding day and they would refuse to eat for 4 - 8 weeks at a time. On the rare occasion they would eat, they wouldn't even strike and wrap the rats. They would take the rats ever so gently and sorta just drag them off and eat them. Then Zincubus suggested that running them directly under hot water could be washing the rat scent off and that I should use a blow dryer. I followed his advice (only I use an actual heat gun) and the very next feeding both of these guys immediately struck and wrapped the rats the moment I opened their tubs and have been doing so every feeding ever since. Prior to doing things this way (when I was offering soak and wet rats) some of my snakes would never even take the rats directly from me. I would have to just leave them in their tubs. Now, they are also striking and wrapping the moment I open their tubs. As i've said, every snake in the room is a salavitating, ravenous beast at feeding time now. I don't have to mess around for more than a minute with any of my snakes at feeding time now. I think this all adds up to pretty overwhelming evidence that there is definitely something to using this method to feed. I firmly believe that Zincubus is right in his assumption that running the rats directly under hot water (especially over and over again for problem feeders) washes a lot of the rat scent off. I also firmly believe that due to the fact that using a blow dryer/heat gun fills the air with the pungent odor of rat, it sends all of the snakes into a feeding frenzy. The smell is actually pretty gross. I just block it out! lol So, I mean, if I can smell it that good, imagine how well the snakes are smelling it. It's pretty obvious why this works so miraculously...

As far as thawing under hot water, there are plenty of ways of doing that without getting the rats wet. Simply use any plastic bag that doesn't leak and tie it off or don't submerge the top of the bags...

[KMG]

I have always just let the rats sit out in my snake room and thaw out to room temperature then I would run the rats directly under hot water at feeding time. I struggled for months getting a couple of my snakes to eat f/t consistently. I would run their rats under hot water then spend 10 minutes puppeteering, heat them back up under hot water again and spend 10 more minutes puppeteering. I repeat this again and again for about 30 minutes on each of these snakes every feeding day and they would refuse to eat for 4 - 8 weeks at a time. On the rare occasion they would eat, they wouldn't even strike and wrap the rats. They would take the rats ever so gently and sorta just drag them off and eat them. Then Zincubus suggested that running them directly under hot water could be washing the rat scent off and that I should use a blow dryer. I followed his advice (only I use an actual heat gun) and the very next feeding both of these guys immediately struck and wrapped the rats the moment I opened their tubs and have been doing so every feeding ever since. Prior to doing things this way (when I was offering soak and wet rats) some of my snakes would never even take the rats directly from me. I would have to just leave them in their tubs. Now, they are also striking and wrapping the moment I open their tubs. As i've said, every snake in the room is a salavitating, ravenous beast at feeding time now. I don't have to mess around for more than a minute with any of my snakes at feeding time now. I think this all adds up to pretty overwhelming evidence that there is definitely something to using this method to feed. I firmly believe that Zincubus is right in his assumption that running the rats directly under hot water (especially over and over again for problem feeders) washes a lot of the rat scent off. I also firmly believe that due to the fact that using a blow dryer/heat gun fills the air with the pungent odor of rat, it sends all of the snakes into a feeding frenzy. The smell is actually pretty gross. I just block it out! lol So, I mean, if I can smell it that good, imagine how well the snakes are smelling it. It's pretty obvious why this works so miraculously...

As far as thawing under hot water, there are plenty of ways of doing that without getting the rats wet. Simply use any plastic bag that doesn't leak and tie it off or don't submerge the top of the bags...

Imagine trying to evenly thaw and heat a XXL rat under running water. It would never work. Now imagine doing this for 8 rats. No thank you.

I never warm my rats under running water. I place them all in a small tub and then add warm water. Once to thaw and then one water change to heat. So I'm not washing my rats and instead I'm soaking them in rat water. I then take the entire tub into the snake room and serve.

This method also helped me switch some from mice to rats by crossing the scents by soaking them together.

BTW, placing a large and XXL rat into a bag without putting a hole in it with their claws is pretty much impossible and I'm not cutting dead rats nails. So saying to put them in a bag that won't leak is much easier said than done.

In the end I found I didn't need bags. I've used my method for years with many snakes. It works for me and many other keepers. But I will agree that running the rats under water is not a good way to do things but then I never suggested doing that.

[Charles8088]

I never warm my rats under running water. I place them all in a small tub and then add warm water. Once to thaw and then one water change to heat. So I'm not washing my rats and instead I'm soaking them in rat water. I then take the entire tub into the snake room and serve.

Do you dry the rats before feeding, or do they go right from the water to the snake, wet and all?

[KMG]

Do you dry the rats before feeding, or do they go right from the water to the snake, wet and all?

I used to try to dry them but over time I found my snakes didn't care so now the rats go straight from the tub to the snake. I do let some of the water run off when I first pull it out but that is just to keep from getting water on my floor.

[hollowlaughter]

I thaw directly in water as well. Haven't tried offering it wet since I use a blow dryer to heat it up, but.

[Aedryan Methyus]

Imagine trying to evenly thaw and heat a XXL rat under running water. It would never work. Now imagine doing this for 8 rats. No thank you..

I didn't say anything about thawing under running water.... Your water bill would be astronomical every month if you did that... lol Anyway... I'm glad your way of doing it works for your snakes. That's great. I was just sharing my recent experiences and observations in hopes of helping the OP with their problem feeder...

[KMG]

I didn't say anything about thawing under running water.... Your water bill would be astronomical every month if you did that... lol Anyway... I'm glad your way of doing it works for your snakes. That's great. I was just sharing my recent experiences and observations in hopes of helping the OP with their problem feeder...

I got ya. I was just interested in why you made the comment I first quoted. Not ever having an issue soaking them it made me curious.

In my last post I was referring to this.

"I would run the rats directly under hot water at feeding time."

I know you meant just to warm them but for my largest feeders that is just not a good method is what I meant.

No worries.

[elleon]

I am only feeding mice right now, and I only have one snake, but I put them in a Ziploc bag, place the bag in an old tupperware, with the top sticking out, fill the container with hot water and put the lid on so the mouse is fully submerged. In about 10 minutes, I'll replace the water so it stays nice and hot. I have heard that putting the feeder directly in water can wash off some of the smell, which might make transitioning to f/t more difficult. If possible, I've also heard that holding the feeder by it's scruff (with feeding tongs) and making it kinda dance around will help it seem more alive than if you dangle it by the tail, but mine are too small to do that right now so I hold it by the tail and make it dance as close to the ground as I can. Once your snake wraps around it, grab the tail again (or whichever part you can reach) and make it seem like it's struggling, so they get a sense that they have to kill it. I have had trouble with my bp dropping his feeder sometimes instead of going straight to eating it, but I think that's because it isn't quite hot enough. I'm going to try the heat gun next week, and check it with my IR gun to make sure it's warmed up all the way to see if that helps. The breeder that I got my bp from recommends heating it up under a heat lamp, which is more convenient when feeding a lot of snakes.