My BP ate his first meal!!!

[ssballow]

Since I got the snake on Thursday, he has not eaten. I have tried a few F/T pinkies, but he wouldn't touch them. Today I decided to go get a live mouse. He had it eaten in two minutes! Does this mean I can never feed him F/T? Live food is more expensive, is it not?

Oh yeah, the mouse was about ten times bigger than the pinkies. He swallowed it just fine. I went with one with a slightly larger diameter than that of the snake. He was so cute with the mouse tail and but sticking out of his mouth. He looked truly happy. Kind of like my 6 yr old daughter eating chocolate cake>

[Kaorte]

Well, not that it helps now but you should wait a week after getting your snake before trying to feed it.

Pinkie mice are too small for a BP. A hopper or even an adult mouse would probably be a better size. You should be able to convert to f/t. Just wait 5 days between offering food. Offering food too often can stress out your snake and make them too nervous to eat.

[ssballow]

I don't think he is too nervous, but I guess I could have messed up. It was so entertaining, I may keep him on live food until it gets too expensive.

[joshn6805]

Yeah like kaorte said, pinkie mice wouldnt have been even close to big enough for any ball python, but we all make our mistakes.
Its great that he ate for you and I know how hard it is to let them settle in and not hold them for there adjustment period, but its for there own good. PAITIENCE is key in a this hobby.
I believe you will be able to switch him over to f/t or p/k once he gets a little older and a few meals in him. Congrats on the new addition eating though.

[BiggBaddWolf]

Must be all the snakes I have ever had are just weird, because I have never waited a week before feeding a new snake, and they have all ate right away..My newest one ate after I got him/her within a few minutes after I got him settled in his new home!!! And mind you I am no expert on feeding F/T, but I have heard that freezing the rodents destroys vitamins and minerals, or something like that, that the snake needs. I have always fed live..!!!!

[joshn6805]

Some of them eat within the first week and some require a little paitience. It has never been proven that f/t has less nutrients than live so there is really no evidence to back that theory so either way is gonna work just as good, there are advantages to both.

[DM1975]

Feeding your snake the day you get it does not mean it will kill over instantly, but their is a real possibility of the snake stressing and regurging on that first meal if done like that. Also, frozen thawed rats are no less healthy than live ones. Snake keepers have been raising perfectly strong and healthy snakes off of frozen rats for decades. Wait till one of those rats latches down on the head of one of your snakes in defense someday, you will change your mind very quickly about feeding live. I am not saying you arre evil for doing it, I have done it, but I have also seen the negative consequences of it as well.

[Kaorte]

I don't think he is too nervous, but I guess I could have messed up. It was so entertaining, I may keep him on live food until it gets too expensive.

What may look "not nervous" to you is probably the exact opposite of what the snake is feeling. If the BP is doing nothing but sitting in its hides, chances are it is as happy as can be. If it is cruising around its tank constantly, it is probably not happy.

Feed what is convenient and works for you. If you can feed live food and get it regularly, then that is fine. Most snakes have no problem switching to F/T though.

[ssballow]

So feeding live is okay until I move up to rats? I guess I'll feed him live until then. However, by then, shouldn't he have enough experience at killing prey, to not get bitten?

[Kaorte]

So feeding live is okay until I move up to rats? I guess I'll feed him live until then. However, by then, shouldn't he have enough experience at killing prey, to not get bitten?

Don't give them too much credit, they aren't all that smart

There is nothing wrong with feeding live, there is a higher chance of your snake being bitten though.