First Thawed Rat Accepted, Yes!

[nightscavenger]

Testing the waters again to see if I lost money on a frozen small/medium rat. Got a hit, Yes!!! Kept cycling the rat between select BP the can accept that size. Great, so go get a thawed weaned. Kicked on the hair drayer since my ceramic heat emitter that I use to heat the thawed up has been acting funny lately. Warmed the weaned rat up had no luck on the switch over. I’ve tried many tricks like throwing a live weaned in the tub and when the ball picks up on it I’ll go in with the heated thawed rat while sneaking the live weaned out. there is interest for several Seconds as I imitating the weaned moving around. but then the interest is lost. The BP I’m referring to are the one I purchased from an individual or breeder.


All my newborns after their first shed automatically get a thawed with no problem, then a live, then back to thawed so they are used to both.


I know it’s gonna take time and patience to switch them over to eating both live and F/T. I know every snake is different and what it may take. Weather is trickery, switcharoo, waiting a couple extra weeks etc, etc.


What I’m searching for is those of you who have successfully got your snake to finally eat thawed rats, what method did you find out worked. Maybe I could try giving that a shot see which one takes the bait.


Not saying this in a bad way, but is does get old having to drive close to 22 miles to a breeder. Buy 2 weeks worth of variety size rats. I buy an extra week just in case something happens and the rat breeder has a shortage. Then if a few BP or more refuse a meal then what’s left over out grows and have to box and drop in the deep freeze.

[snake girl 123]

I can't really help since mine eats f/thawed but if yours has eaten it once I'd say it'll happen again. If you make sure the rat is a bit hotter than normal then you might have more luck?
Looks like you have way more experience than me though so I'm sure you'll be able to switch over.

[nightscavenger]

I can't really help since my snake has eaten f/thawed for her whole life but if yours has eaten it once I'd say it'll happen again. If you make sure the rat is a bit hot then you might have more luck?

All my newborns after shed get a f/t first followed by a live few days later.

It’s mainly the ones I’ve purchased from individuals selling their bp for what ever reason.
It’s those that may have never seen a thawed and been on live their whole life. It’s those I’m needing a variety suggestive tricks I may have not thought of to get them on f/t.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bogertophis]

All my newborns after shed get a f/t first followed by a live few days later...

I have to ask...if your hatchlings take a f/t as a first meal, why on earth do you follow that with a live feed a few days later?
(-doesn't that make them more likely to insist on live thereafter?)

[nightscavenger]

I have to ask...if your hatchlings take a f/t as a first meal, why on earth do you follow that with a live feed a few days later?
(-doesn't that make them more likely to insist on live thereafter?)

Few days more like 4 to 5 days later, It’s a method I tried by first introducing them to f/t just after their very first shed, then I would mix it up to a live then back to frozen. I have three now that are just turning 5 months that readily accept f/t and live it doesn’t matter. As far as making them stuck on live I haven’t had that happen as of yet. I guess it more of a assurance for me to know they are willing to accept both given there is an unforeseen circumstance with live or f/t


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rockonjp76]

Just offered my albino his first f/t small rat last week. I was skeptical, but he took it! Definitely stretched his neck and jaws on it but took it like a champ.
I did have it thawing in the same bag as a regular adult mouse, and made sure it was nice and warm, thats it!

[nightscavenger]

Just offered my albino his first f/t small rat last week. I was skeptical, but he took it! Definitely stretched his neck and jaws on it but took it like a champ.
I did have it thawing in the same bag as a regular adult mouse, and made sure it was nice and warm, thats it!

I normally have the thawed set under a ceramic heat emitter heating them up them around 100 degrees and offer them around 90-92 degrees. But it failed so I’ve been using a heat gun to heat them up. Just looking for other tricks snake owner have tried and been successful with

[WhompingWillow]

If the end goal is transitioning your snakes to F/T, then I also would not mess with doing F/T then live then F/T.

As for tricks, other than using a hair dryer (especially on the head), here are commonly recommended ones: rubbing dirty mouse bedding on the thawed rat. Letting the rat thaw out in the snake room. Thawing the rat in the same bag as a mouse. Braining the rat. Soaking the rat in chicken broth. Hunger (sometimes you just need a hungry enough snake).

Thawing the rat in the same bag as a mouse was enough for my one stubborn BP.

[nightscavenger]

My f/t are thawed in the same room as the live rats, I’ll definitely try the chicken broth, and the other suggestions, holding back until very hungry has been an option to offer frozen has a been a last resort. Appreciate the suggestions


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DebbieDecker]

...Warmed the weaned rat up had no luck on the switch over.
What I’m searching for is those of you who have successfully got your snake to finally eat thawed rats, what method did you find out worked. Maybe I could try giving that a shot see which one takes the bait.

Do you always stay and watch? My BP will generally not eat if I am watching, so after I put the frozen/thawed rat in his tank I turn off the light in the room and close the door, come back 20 minutes later and he has eaten and is asleep in his hide.

I have tried a few methods of thawing and he refuses slow-thawed rats like under his heat lamp or using just warm water. What he prefers are rats thawed in a mixture of hot tap water and a little water from the tea kettle which thaws a weanling or small rat in about 35 minutes, I change the water halfway through since the water cools too fast sometimes. I use a ziplocked bag to try and keep the rat dry but water still manages to get in the bag, he has never minded eating his rats wet thankfully.
However, his favorite is freshly killed rat, my local reptile store (which is 15 minutes away) had no frozen in stock one time so they killed some for me right then and there, I decided to give one to my boy right when I got home and he came out of his hide with more enthusiasm than I have ever seen.