Hatchling won't eat

[p0ink]

My ~6 week old BP just shed yesterday, so I figured today would be a good time to feed her.

I tried tossing in a f/t mouse (not pinkies, but the next size up), and it is still a no-go.

Again, she just shed, so I figured she would be ready to eat. She has a nice cage with three distinct temperature gradients, two hides (one on the warm and a moist one on the cool side), and optimum humidity.

I tried braining and dipping it in chicken stock...and it is just sitting outside her hide still. I tried moving it around...nothing.

What should I do? I read I should try leaving it over night...but who knows.

If she doesn't eat it by tomorrow morning, what should i do? I don't want to keep having f/t mice going to waste.

[PythonWallace]

Try live rat fuzzies or mouse crawlers at first. That works for me, then after a while you can ween them to f/t if you want.

[p0ink]

Try live rat fuzzies or mouse crawlers at first. That works for me, then after a while you can ween them to f/t if you want.

Should I still leave it there overnight?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Get a 6 quarts tub (15 at the most) provide 1 or 2 tight hides (6 inches plastic flowerpot saucers), provide proper temps (80-84 on the cool side and 90-94 on the warm side), leave your BP alone for a week (NO handling) and try to offer a LIVE hopper mouse.

Right now your priority is to get your BP to eat, once your BP eats with consistency 4 to 6 meals for you, you can worry about switching to F/T

The keys are security, temps, stimulation!

[blackcrystal22]

Wow that was the shortest well said explanation ever! What a mouthful. Anyhow, do what deborah said.
Make sure the hides are secure and NOT log hides. They should be small enough to touch the bp on all sides.

That food item is too small. If you don't have access to hopper mice or fuzzy rats go to petco and pick the smallest weanling mouse they have in there, he should be fine eating it.

Also, 'tossing in' an f/t mouse isn't going to do much good. Most young bps won't even look at it. AFTER you get him to eat live a few times and want to try f/t again, then dance around your mouse about 5-6 inches from your ball python's face making it look alive.

Good luck!

[p0ink]

Wow that was the shortest well said explanation ever! What a mouthful. Anyhow, do what deborah said.
Make sure the hides are secure and NOT log hides. They should be small enough to touch the bp on all sides.

That food item is too small. If you don't have access to hopper mice or fuzzy rats go to petco and pick the smallest weanling mouse they have in there, he should be fine eating it.

Also, 'tossing in' an f/t mouse isn't going to do much good. Most young bps won't even look at it. AFTER you get him to eat live a few times and want to try f/t again, then dance around your mouse about 5-6 inches from your ball python's face making it look alive.

Good luck!

Ok, tossing it in wasn't the best description.

I had tongs and tried dangling it around for a few minutes. The BP seemed semi-interested at first and started following it around...but it just never did anything.

I guess I will try live...I just worry about it biting/scratching the snake.

[gothkenny]

If all else fails, try leaving the f/t mouse in with your BP in a small paper bag inside the cage. This normally works. You could also try putting the BP in another tank/container with some soiled mouse bedding (most petstores will give this to you readily) and then try feeding him. Thats what I always do with my BP (though I use my hamster's bedding) and he's always been good eater since day one.

[blackcrystal22]

Ok, tossing it in wasn't the best description.

I had tongs and tried dangling it around for a few minutes. The BP seemed semi-interested at first and started following it around...but it just never did anything.

I guess I will try live...I just worry about it biting/scratching the snake.

I used to be very worried about this too, until I came here.
I discovered that it is very rare for snakes to get bitten/scratched when feeding live. Snake breeders with hundreds of snakes have had zero problems feeding live.
THE PROBLEM is when irresponsible keepers leave the mouse or rat in overnight or don't monitor/check back on the snake and then the mouse or rat makes food of the snake.
Usually if a snake is being bitten while constricting, it will squeeze harder, killing it faster and making it unable to bite very hard.

:]

[p0ink]

Still a no-go.

I tried feeding it a freshly killed....not interested. I tried scenting it with a gerbil, again, not interested.

I have the temps spot on, the humidity is great, I haven't been handling it, it has 2 different hides, it comes out and wanders around his cage, etc. etc.

Seriously, I really do not know what to do. I leave for vacation for two days, and I was going to have a buddy watch him, but I don't know what to do now.

[p0ink]

Maybe hatchling isn't the right term. The snake is roughly 2 months old, and I picked it up 12 days ago (2 Aug) and it shed 7 Aug.

The problem is I will be out of town for 10 days, and I have to leave it with a buddy who knows even less about snakes than I apparently do.