Converting to frozen thawed rats.

[Toad37]

Picked up a couple girls last weekend and discovered after I got them home that they've only been fed live rats. They're about 5 years old and the previous owner had them for a little over 3 years and only fed them live. Feeding live isn't my idea of a good time so would it be possible to convert them to f/t after so long of eating live or would I have to keep them in their feeding system?

[rockonjp76]

Doesn't hurt to try, make sure the snakes are nice and hungry and and the rat is appropriate size, nice and warm.

[RickyNY]

Use Zincabus hairdryer method.

[pretends2bnormal]

2nd the hairdryer method. Basically, thaw the rat however you usually do in the same room as the snakes (scent the air), then pop the cage open and nearby spend 30-60 seconds blasting the face of the rat with hot air. I wait till I see a nose and tongue working from a hide and offer. If no strike within 15 seconds, repeat the heating as it cools off fast.

I got a stubborn ex-breeder adult male (guessing 3-5 years old) who was on a winter fast and supposedly "ate either frozen or live" and proved to be a live-only snake... using a hair dryer and not giving in for a few weeks of missed meals did get him to switch. Initially, I skipped a meal while he was blue before a shed, and by the 3rd weekly offer after he shed out, he accepted the frozen rat. The next offering was then taken with as much gusto as he had on live rats, and he has eaten frozen ever since.

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