How do I get my BP to eat frozen/thawed???

[Eventide]

I tried for two years to get my oldest female to take f/t mice, but after reading a tip from ProExotics, I finally got her switched over!

What I do is start with a live mouse. Once they take that, they should be in the feeding mode, and they should take f/t mice after the live one. Do this for a few weeks, and then try a f/t mouse from the start. If they take it, great! If not, then do the primer mouse for another couple weeks and try again.

Another fun tip: If you don't want to waste f/t mice (and/or if you have a snake that isn't eating very well), after you get the snake to eat one mouse, wait until they're almost done eating the first one and then stick the head of the next mouse near the front of the snake's mouth. Their instinctual feeding response kicks in, and they'll just keep right on eating the mouse you just stuck in their mouth. It's great for picky feeders!

[mumps]

What you really have to do is get your balls off mice, period.

Go F/T definitely, but switch to rats.

Chris

[Aleria]

Glad some people on this forum are coming around to F/T.

After the damage that was done to my first bp shortly after I got him by a live mouse I swore I would never feed live again. They may do it in the wild, but that's why most wild snakes have shorter life spans and don't exactly look the greatest with all the scars on their bodies. And I guess some people, just because they don't hear a scream or yelp or squeal from the snakes as their being bitten, don't realize just how bad it must feel for them. Especially if you've ever seen how deep those rats sink those long front teeth into them an just start gnawing away.
I just can't in good conscience sit there and watch a rat gnaw on my snake while it's trying to constrict it, not any more. Even using live for a month while transitioning my non-feeder male boa pained me, that's why I'm glad I made sure to try every single possible option so I wouldn't have to give in and go with live feeders.

[Aleria]

What you really have to do is get your balls off mice, period.

Go F/T definitely, but switch to rats.

Chris

Mine both transitioned much better over to rats from mice. And I believe that also helped when trying to get my male boa that only wanted live to start eating f/t. He was hesitant most times on f/t mice, but he was much more interested and almost always took the food when it was rats.

[tbowman]

Yeah, I feed Rabbits to my Burm and there is no way I'm feeding a live rabbit to anything, Rabbits and rats bite HARD!

[americangypsy]

I feed rats also maybe this is why I have not had a problem yet.Thank goodness .no kicking screaming or biting

[h00blah]

i tried offering f/t to my pin but she didnt take, and i kept feeding her live and one day i decided to try f/t

however:
i waited til i see my bp most active (night time cruisin), then i put a f/t in front of her face and she eated it =D

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

This one can be difficult. Everyone has good acvice and different things that work for them but its really up to the snake.. My ICH for instance.. Was started on live and i kept her on live for a few years because she was always a picky eater. For her everything was based on size, color, smell, temperature etc..

I eventually got her on fresh prekilled (humainly) but she still sometimes will not take a F/T unless its very warm, dark in color, not too big, and she is definately a tease-eater.. To get her on the prekilled it took me offering her nothing but that for over 2 months. Once a week she was offered. when she did not take it, I put it in the freezer to trade for another the following week. She eventually got hungry enough and i learned her preferences and how to make the rat move like its alive.

Now she takes F/T occaisionally but still prefers the freshest over the frozen.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I tried for two years to get my oldest female to take f/t mice, but after reading a tip from ProExotics, I finally got her switched over!

What I do is start with a live mouse. Once they take that, they should be in the feeding mode, and they should take f/t mice after the live one. Do this for a few weeks, and then try a f/t mouse from the start. If they take it, great! If not, then do the primer mouse for another couple weeks and try again.

Another fun tip: If you don't want to waste f/t mice (and/or if you have a snake that isn't eating very well), after you get the snake to eat one mouse, wait until they're almost done eating the first one and then stick the head of the next mouse near the front of the snake's mouth. Their instinctual feeding response kicks in, and they'll just keep right on eating the mouse you just stuck in their mouth. It's great for picky feeders!

This is also great advice!! I didnt see this one. Yes thawing and warming the rodent directly in the hot water brings out the scent. Plus if you feed the snake a small live mouse on feeding day (one that cannot seriously hurt the snake if it bites) and then immediately offer the warmed F/T the moment your snake has the first one down, it will almost always take it. Once in that feeding mode they will often gorge their selves with whatevers offered. But you first have to get them in that feeding mode. My ICH female was quite thin after this last breeding season and this is what i had to do to get her to eat a substantial amount for a couple months to get some weight back on her.

[Nikki12592]

I might try F/T rats. And getting them really warm might help. Her feeding day isn't until Friday so have plenty of time to go out and buy a F/T rat.