Conflicting information from breeder

[wingnut116]

Alright everyone, i've got sone conflicting information given to me by the NERD. When we bought our BP almost 4 weeks ago we were told to feed adult mice every 10 days which seems a little big. He hasn't eaten yet and I called NERD to see what they have been feeding them. What they just told me is that most hatchlings are fed hoppers depending on size and that they're fed live. We've been trying to feed f/t adult mice and he's rejected twice. Our BP weighed 80g when brought home and he wasn't very happy when we disturbed him to get another weigh in so we left him alone. I'm not a fan of feeding live since it can harm the reptile. I need some serious help with this now as this has changed the game and we want him to eat. He's looking a little thin and maybe even a little dehydrated. I've been working on perfecting his enclosure temps and want to move him into a tub but moving him will no doubt stress him out further. I can leave him in the tub for a few days but then if he's still stressed i don't know if i want to put a live feeder in with him.
What do I do?

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[KevinK]

There's a lot to talk about here:

First off, NERD is an extremely reputable breeder. One of the best actually, so take their advice even if it's slightly conflicting. They should have feed records on your animal.

Second, don't be in an extreme rush to get food in him. It's common for BP's to stonewall you on feeding ESPECIALLY in a new enclosure. So wait a week from your last attempt and then try a live feeder under your supervision, just to get some food down. Most of the injuries caused by live feeding are done so by adult rats which can have some wicked teeth and bites, I wouldnt worry with mice so much but just make sure you supervise. Making the transition to F/T prey can sometimes be a little tricky but alas most animals will eventually do so.

Additional advice is either get the tub up and running OR get a bunch of plastic plants and hides for your current enclosure. Im of the opinion that having too large of an enclosure is a myth and can always be taken care of with more hides or cover. A cluttered enclosure is a good thing with a hatchling.

Good luck.

[Godzilla78]

Have you tried the @hairdryer method@?
I struggles a bit feeding frozen thawed until I started doing the slow thaw, then quick heat with hairdryer and offer immediately on tongs, hopping around like a muppet mouse!
Now EVERY snake I own eats consistently and immediately! Even the snake I adopted that “only took live food.”

[WhompingWillow]

How much does the mouse weigh? At this point you're aiming for 10 to 15% of the snake's body weight, so an 80 gram ball python should be getting a mouse that is between 8 and 12 grams. Another way to determine size is that the width of the mouse should match the widest part of the snake. After giving him a few days to chill, I'd try F/T again with the hairdryer method with an appropriately sized mouse.

[wingnut116]

Have you tried the @hairdryer method@?
I struggles a bit feeding frozen thawed until I started doing the slow thaw, then quick heat with hairdryer and offer immediately on tongs, hopping around like a muppet mouse!
Now EVERY snake I own eats consistently and immediately! Even the snake I adopted that “only took live food.”

I've been trying that but maybe i've been doing it wrong. I'll let the mouse thaw and cool to like warm water for about 2 hours (1 hour per side) and then use a hair dryer to try and heat the mouse to about 98°. The first time i didn't have a great hold of the tail and it flew across the room lol.

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