Strike... coil... drop.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I thought of something else Stephan...

A few of my girls get fed on feeding day #2, which is the day after feeding day basically for that reason. I feed all the snakes, let them eat, then the next day I feed the few that tend to drop and/or holdout.

Bruce

[iCandiBallPythons]

I thought of something else Stephan...

A few of my girls get fed on feeding day #2, which is the day after feeding day basically for that reason. I feed all the snakes, let them eat, then the next day I feed the few that tend to drop and/or holdout.

Bruce

I have found success in the past with this also.

[Shadrach]

You can never really understand Balls I've had some be on rats and refuse rats only to eat mice a few times and then go back to rats. I've had some eating f/t to refuse that and only want live. I've had some only eat in plastic tubs and others only eat in their enclosure. I've got an 09' Albino that eats like a pig as long as I hold his neck and touch his nose with the mouse he opens and I stick the head in and he bites and coils but leaving a dead mouse or rat, or live mouse or rat with him does nothing.

Throw him a live mouse I bet he'll eat it, then try a rat next time.

[BPelizabeth]

Mine did the same thing but only with a mouse. We figured out that she thought it was too big for lovely neck. Weird....

I went and got her 2 smaller ones and she gobbled them up.

[Mettle]

I thought of something else Stephan...

A few of my girls get fed on feeding day #2, which is the day after feeding day basically for that reason. I feed all the snakes, let them eat, then the next day I feed the few that tend to drop and/or holdout.

Bruce

Why would this work? I'm confused.

[Bruce Whitehead]

Keeps them in feed mode for 2 days... best as I can figure.

They get excited on the first day and nothing happens, so second day they are that much more focused and actually follow through.

Like I said with Olive she gets very excited, hits her rat, then drops it and mosies around. Will hit 2 or 3 and drop all of them if given the chance, but never eat them.

If I do not feed her on feeding day, but feed the rest and then leave, the next day she almost always hits and starts swallowing while still constricting.

Just seems to be based on the level of excitement? I used to offer on day one and then again on day two, but now I only offer to her on day two. I have about 4 adult females that get fed on a different day. Same with any that show lots of excitement on day one but do not eat, or strike, they get offered again the next day (almost always get a hit and a swallow on day two).

Bruce

PS: Could also be that an extended feed response helps build hunger?

PPS: I also use this method for any snake that is feeding live and I am trying to switch over to FT.

[Mettle]

Sounds logical, Bruce. I'll give that a try on my next round of feeding. If that doesn't work I'll try scenting with a mouse. If that doesn't work I'll just try a mouse. If that doesn't work I'll freak out and go insane.

I just don't understand why she will not eat for me. She ate when she was at Zoe's. And she ate fine for the breeder. So so strange.

[seeya205]

Try prescenting with a rat weanling (live) right beside her all day and that should make her good and hungry!

[Mettle]

I just wanted to update this post with my results and let people know that I was successful and getting her to feed using the "day after" trick suggested by Bruce.

I fed everyone one night, except her, and the next night I fed her with success. She struck, coiled and this time actually ate her rat.

It's feeding time again on Thursday night so we'll see if I have the same results come Friday night with her. I'll update the thread again this weekend to let you know.

[frankykeno]

Sounds great Stephan. Sometimes we have to do what works for a specific snake. I have some that feed better using the day after method. It's like on feeding day they are just not ready yet but after being exposed to the closeby sounds of other snakes live feeding, they clue in and get into a proper hunting "mindset" (couldn't think of another world to use LOL).

I also have a snake here that if you don't feed her last, she'd likely never eat. Any, and I mean any, movement, sounds, heavy footsteps near her tub and that's it...no way will she eat or if she's swallowing, she'll back that rat out as fast as anything. We've learned to just work around how Lia is and always feed her last then flip off the lights and walk away...very quietly.