Was the rat bad?

[chrid16371]

So I bought 15 frozen rats from a breeder a month ago and vacuum sealed them the day I bought them and I also had 2 I bought live somewhere else that I co2 which he refused when I was trying different methods to get him to eat but I vacuum sealed those as well due to refusal.
Last night I go to feed him one of the breeder frozen rats and he didn't want anything to do with it. I brained it and tried and still nothing. So I set it on top of his cage and checked back 15 mins later and he was straight in the air all over the place so I heated the rat back up with my electric heater and tried again and nothing. I set it in cage this time and left it. Checked back in half hour and it was like he couldn't smell the brained rat anymore. Then I got to thinking that the first time I got him to eat was from 1 of the 2 co2 rats that I froze and week later thawed and he took it. I then go to my freezer and thaw out the other co2 rat that was purchased live elsewhere. Before I tried this one I tried heating the brained one again and he still showed no interest. So I heat up the nonbrained with the electric heater and he striked 3 times and wrapped it up and ate it.
Why would he show interest in the brained when on top of cage but nothing when it was heated up and inside? Why would he take the nonbrained over the brained? This leads me to believe that the rats I purchased from the breeder are bad.

[Albert Clark]

I think it may just be that one stimulus that can trigger a feeding response. Usually its the heat signature on the prey item. Secondly, the odor coming off the prey. I wouldn't say the breeder rats are no good though. I would concentrate on the heat signature next scheduled feeding. Maybe consider increasing the time between feedings next time also.

[chrid16371]

I think it may just be that one stimulus that can trigger a feeding response. Usually its the heat signature on the prey item. Secondly, the odor coming off the prey. I wouldn't say the breeder rats are no good though. I would concentrate on the heat signature next scheduled feeding. Maybe consider increasing the time between feedings next time also.

I've always heated rat up to over 100. At first I was trying to feed every 5 days then increased to 10. I just think its weird he only has ate the 2 rats I bought from a pet store. I've had him 8 weeks. I also bought a 10 medium frozen from the breeder and gave them to a friend since its going to be awhile before mine can eat them and my friend just called me and told me his ball refused the ones I gave him but ate one he still had. Coincidence?

[Caspian]

The batch of f/t rats that I bought recently had a very strong ammonia and chemical smell to them... my male, Zyali, won't have anything to do with them. I'm considering washing one next week before I offer it, to see if that changes anything. I've never used Co2, so I don't know if that leaves some kind of odor on them, but he's never had an issue with taking mice and rats from the same source before. I've never noticed the chemical smell on them before, though. Do the ones that your snake won't eat have a chemical smell?

[chrid16371]

The batch of f/t rats that I bought recently had a very strong ammonia and chemical smell to them... my male, Zyali, won't have anything to do with them. I'm considering washing one next week before I offer it, to see if that changes anything. I've never used Co2, so I don't know if that leaves some kind of odor on them, but he's never had an issue with taking mice and rats from the same source before. I've never noticed the chemical smell on them before, though. Do the ones that your snake won't eat have a chemical smell?

The ones I co2 myself he ate so I don't think its the co2 unless the breeder I bought the others from used way to much. As for the smell of them it could possibly be a chemical smell. I'll have to thaw and really smell and try to identify it. It didn't smell like ammonia to me. But there is definitely a noticeable strong smell coming from them. I also think its strange that both the smalls and mediums I bought were like that. Idk if the breeder I bought from freezes a bunch and sells them until there gone or freezes them when someone calls and places an order. They were packaged in gallon bags, smalls all in 1 bag and mediums in another. I had to vacuum seal them myself. I noticed some had bedding stuck to them. Maybe his rat cages are really dirty and the rats have been in there own feces and urine and that's the smell I'm noticing. I didn't see the rat operation so I can't say that there dirty. Good thing it only cost me $25 for 28 rats.