feeding change

[xXGregXx]

ok i found a store that sells medium frozen rats perfect for rocky. saves me a few bucks and its easier. but my biggest concern is him taking the feeding change 1 from a live to a thawed pray and 2 from a mouce to a rat. and how do you guys thaw out your rats. i was talking to my friend and she said that she runs hers under hot water for a while and then feels if its hot then drops it in the cage. another concern that i have is i take rocky out a put him in another box 2 feed should i take the frozen rat and throw it in the box just like i would with a live mouce. it usualy takes him a few seconds to find the mouce cuz he's usualy looking at me so im kinda confused on the way i should go about this. please help me guys

[tigerlily]

Ok let's see... Thawing rats. I usually put the frozen rodent into a baggie or two (don't want water to wash away the scent and their claws somtimes poke holes in the baggies), and then submerge it in a container of warm water with a lid on it. After and hour or two I check to make sure that the rodent is fully thawed. Squeeze the roundest part of the stomach and make sure it's all squishy. (I've also heard to check at the base of the skull as well) Once I'm sure it's thawed then I empty out the cool water and add pretty warm water. I leave it for another 5 minutes or so, and then take the nice, warm and dry rodents to the snakes. I usually use tongs and dangle the rodent for a minute or so and dinner is served! Some people can just leave the rodent in the cage and it will be eaten, but I don't like leaving the rodents in the cages. So I do the mouse zombie dance (which is a slow dance - no breakdancing!) Just gently sway the rodent and hopefully it will go well. You can always try scenting if he doesn't take it at first. Get some mouse bedding and rub all over the rat, but only if he doesn't take it. Mine see the tongs now, and know it's feeding time. Anyway I hope that helps.

[invadertoast]

Forgot to tell you last night... if you have a spare human heating pad lying around, you could put the rat on that to thaw it. When I had an extra working one I'd fold it over the rat and let it heat up that way. Then I'd take a hair dryer to the head for a second or two. Now I use the hot water/plastic baggie method, and it works great! Again, good luck, and lemme know how it goes when I get home from NS

[xXGregXx]

ok the only thing that im kinda nevrvous about lol is dangeling the rat in front of his face with tongs. like i said before i take my snake out and put him in a seperate box for feeding. and once i put him down he knows its feeding time and getis into his position. most of the time because im a big heat source he'll jump at me. ive been bitten by him multiple times and it doesnt hurt it just frekas me out cuz im never expecting it lol. but im going to try that baggy thawing method on monday when ig e the rat and hope all goes well ill keep you guys up 2 date

[tigerlily]

Have you considered just feeding him in his enclosure? I did the same thing and moved into a separate enclosure for feeding, but had some difficulty with feeding. Now I feed in the tank and it works great for me. (not saying you have to but if you are have issues it might be worth a try?) Make sure you have nice and long tongs because as you said you are a nice big heat source! I use one that are like 15 inches long or so, I think they have hemostats that are longer and you can always check out medical supply stores. Good luck with the feed!! (I'll keep my fingers crossed)

[xXGregXx]

ive feed in his cage before but it bothered me a little. for his bedding have this stuff calld desert somerthing which is just crushed walnut shells. if he eats it at all it doesnt hurt him but the time i feed him inside his cage when he went to strike the mouce he got him plus a little bit of the beding in his mouth. it took him a while to eat it but he got it down so i dont know if i out the rat in his cage he'll strike at it and coil like he usual does or what. if i feed him in his cage should i put it on a little plate or something? and he's usualy in his cool hide. the temps are reading rite now.. 94.8 on the hote side.(thats comming right from the heater which is hooked up to a thermostat) but anyway if he's in his cool hide he wont be able to see the rat. will he smell it or something like that? should i lift the hide up so he can see the rat?

[tigerlily]

Putting a papertowel or paper plate would be fine. Don't worry about them not knowing if food is nearby, they'll smell it. If they don't come out quick enough a pass by the hide opening would probably do it. Good luck with the feed!

[xXGregXx]

alright nice so 2morrow im going to tell my mom what to pick up at the store tomorrow lol this should be great. ok so i take the frozen rat and place it in a baggie or 2 and place that in a container or warm water hot enough to thaw (hoeever ya spell it) and then after an hour or 2 check it to see if its a little mooshy shuld i heat the head a little bit or what dinner is served?

[frankykeno]

A lot of folks seem to warm up the prey with a hair dryer (after it's fully defrosted) to make it warm enough to simulate life I guess. We feed pre-killed right now so that isn't an issue for us.

We've just switched to a loose substrate from newspaper and will just put down a layer of newspaper right over the substrate when we feed then after the snake is done and not in hunt mode anymore we'll just take that pad of newspaper out. That should ensure the snakes don't get any bedding in with the mouse/rat.

I don't know about your snake but ours come barrelling out of their hides when they smell dinner. Half the time we can barely get the prey in on the hemostats before it's grabbed up. For us, feeding in their own enclosures is working great!


~~Jo~~

[xXGregXx]

man i hate the store around me 2 of them dont have any frozen rats in right now but luckily there is a store around em that does so im going to get 1 2morrow cuz its a little 10 min drive from me and my mom has to work tonight so ill feed him on his regular day. but anyway ill defrot the rat in that baggie technique then heat the head a little bit then right before i put him in the cage ill tease me snake a little bit. wave the rat infront of his face outside his cage. then put a papertowel dwn or sumthing like that a dinner is served. i just hope he takes it without any problem from the big change