Starting New Hatchlings: What's Going Wrong?

[Alicia]

First, if at all possible, please do work out a source for live mice. I realize they're another time commitment, but have you considered breeding your own feeders? I know you're sick to death of hearing it, but getting access to live rodents is the most important thing you can do. That out of the way, as someone who starts the overwhelming majority of their babies on f/t, here's what I do:

* Once the babies have shed, each gets its own 6 qt shoe box with a water dish and hide (the hide is REALLY important! Seriously, don't scrimp on hides!!) on a folded paper towel. I glance over the tiny tubs daily, to make sure I don't have to clean or change the water, but leave the baby alone. I don't lift the hide, I don't do anything with the baby unless I have to.
* A full week after their shed and being left basically undisturbed, I thaw out hopper mice. I thaw at room temp, dry, for a few hours -- until the mice are fully thawed and no longer cold. I thaw in the snake room.
* In late evening, I heat the mice under a 60 watt incandescent bulb for ~6 - 10 minutes. Until they are warmed through and feel "living" to the touch.
* I quietly slide open the tubs and lay the mouse near the front using thin tongs, in view of the hide, but not right up in it. I do not zombie dance these mice. Maybe it's just me, I can never do it right, and it scares the babies.
-- Usually 50 - 60% of the babies will take on the first try for me. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
* Lights go out, I leave the babies undisturbed until the following morning. Then water is changed, any uneaten mice are removed. (I don't disturb babies whose mice are gone, I just let them digest.)
* I wait another week, even for babies who have eaten. Then I repeat the procedure.
* Babies that have not eaten after the second offering are switched to either cypress mulch or shredded aspen, depending on what I have on hand. The important thing is to make a nest of substrate beneath the hide as this helps them feel secure.
* Repeat. Any babies that have not eaten in four offerings of f/t are offered live. I prefer mouse crawlers, about when the eyes are just opening, because they provide movement, but are still harmless should I need to leave one overnight. That said, I'll use up to small adult mice to start babies without problem -- just don't leave a rodent with teeth with a baby for more than 15 minutes.

Other:
* I keep my babies at ~87 degrees, give or take a degree. I find hot babies are less likely to eat readily.
* Babies seem to like a touch more humidity than do adults and juveniles.
* My slower starters are almost always the more nervous babies.
* Switching to rats after a couple meals is honestly pretty easy. Sometimes I have a stubborn baby that needs scenting, but just thawing rats and mice together in a container is plenty.
* Braining or at least bloodying the nose of a dead hopper can help.
* The big thing is patience.

Things that have never worked for me:
Starting with f/t rats. Baby BPs really appear to prefer the smell of mice for tripping that "eat" program the first time.
Offering multiple meals a week to non-feeders. This just scares them, which makes things worse, and wastes rodents.

That's really all I can think of off the top of my head. Again, please do try to work out a source for live mice. Other things are doable, certainly, but live mice are best.