are we tired of feeding ??s yet??

[BOWSER11788]

im starting to worry, my 400 gram bp has been off feed since last week of march, a week ago i fed him a live rat and he took it, but i can't get him to eat anymore, my new albion i got in march hasn't ate yet, she still balls up when you put one near her. is that normal, then stopped, havn't checked for weight loss since march, cause im scared the more i touch the my streesed she;ll get. also heard of asf, but can't seem to find anywere that sell them, i dont want a big bulk order, so i can change over to normal rats when needed. any help, also i've tried freezing the rats/mice together but im gueesing there smell won't mix if there frozen

[jjmitchell]

first off how is your husbandry temps hides substrate If you are doing everything right, you probably shouldnt stress to much. BP's are notorious for going off feed randomly. I have all mine in a rack so temps humidity hides everything is identical, and I have snakes randomly go off feed at random sometimes. I had a 600gram pastel female go off feed from november and just started eating the end of march. If your snakes are healthy and your husbandry is good dont stress it so much

[Danounet]

You want to give the rats smell?

If so I guess getting a mice and keeping it around would be the easiest. Then put the rat in the mice bedding a while, before feeding the rat off.

The next easiest thing would be to "ask" for mice bedding at a pet store. But Im not sure how long the mouse scent will stay on it.

As per the off-feed. My Axanthic male has only eaten 1 mouse since before November. He makes me nervous too. Before that about 8 months before, he was a 300g 1.5 year old Axanthic male. he was very underweight and eating a small rat every week. Then he just stoped. He was at 900g.

[BOWSER11788]

i keep them in tubs, 2 hides, and clutter since the tub is 28qt., the temps go between 89-94, if i set the stat any hgher it goses up to 98, casue im not to keen on the 89, mark, humidity is 65. thanx for help on the mouse bedding, didn't think about petstore, its worth the try.

[rabernet]

I'm confused - the 400 gram has been off since the last week of March, but ate last week. The last week of March was just 2 weeks ago.

Have you tried moving the albino to a smaller tub? Have you asked the breeder how they had it set up before you got it and what it was feeding on?

[BOWSER11788]

so sorry in a hurry while writing, was in class, the 400g i meant to say last week before march, the last weekend in February. in the 2nd week of march, so 2 weeks after first failed attempt i fed a live rat and it was hesitate but gobbled it down. it wasn't a big name breeder, he was selling rack more than anything, said it was a hold back and was in a 20 gallon tank, assuming 20L, i should of got more info, i feel really dumb, but excitement took over. that was my lesson learned, thinking of going and buying smaller tub, but didn't get to go out yesterday. do you think a smaller tub is needed??. on my 400g normal, i doubt it is stress, he has been in the same tub for 3 months. and seems fine

[FatBoy]

One of the best things I have found for troubled eaters is newspaper. Sounds strange but ball up pieces of newspaper and cram the tub full (I mean FULL) of newspaper. It wont even look like the animal will have room to get out of his hide but he will. Pack it to the top then wait about a week, offer food (with paper still in tub) This has worked for me with several trouble feeders. I was told of this method by a big breeder a few years ago.
And if it don't work, you're only out $.50.

[BOWSER11788]

Could that breeder. Be the master himself. Guns, lol thanks fatboy, put
her in a 15qt wide tub. And when I kill this soc. Test. I will go home and do it

[RichsBallPythons]

Drop both snakes to a 16 qt tubs if their still 400g under.

Most if not all who use tubs keep them till about 800g in 16qt tubs.

Once you switch to smaller tub, give a week to adjust and offer live rat or mouse.

[FatBoy]

Could that breeder. Be the master himself. Guns, lol thanks fatboy, put
her in a 15qt wide tub. And when I kill this soc. Test. I will go home and do it

No Bowser, not BG. BG has given good advise but I can't give him the credit here (even though he is probaly no stranger to this trick). This little trick was suggested to me by Adam Wysocki when I experienced my first problem eater. That was followed up by many more great tips and advise from Adam. I really appreciate what he is doing, we all should, but sure do miss 8ball Pythons!!!!