I have a male mojave, about the same age. Sometimes he strikes, sometimes he doesn't If he doesn't eat it, I usually leave it inside the hide for him. He eats it then. His striking seems to be on how hungry he is. If it's been 7 days, he'll strike right away. If it's only been 5, he'll just get himself cocked for the strike and just stare, so I put the hide back over him, leave the rat in the opening of the hide, and he usually comes over and eats it within and hour or so.
Now my larger female het for pied, her behgavior is simliar as well, but sometimes it takes up to a whole day before she eat what i leave behind. IN some cases she wont touch it at all, until i try to remove it. Then she attacks it and eats it.