How to feed "Live" prey

[L.West]

I have a 2 year old female Normal BP that has been refusing frozen thawed for the past 5 months now - it has been suggested to me by the breeder that I now offer live in order to get her back on feed. **note** my other three snakes are all feeding fine - all kept in the exact same cage setup.

I have never fed live before and don't know how to do it. Do I dangle it from the scruff of its neck or the tail with tongs? Do I just drop it in the cage and hope for the best?? What do I do if she won't eat the live rat either - what do I do with it - kill it and feed to one of my other snakes??

This is a new stage in snake keeping for me and I need some help and advice.

Thank you.

[Jeremy78]

Did you already try the tuna trick, braining, and warming em up? Or the paper bag trick?

[L.West]

No, I am not familiar with the technics you've mentioned. I do warm the f/t rodents up before offering though.

Can you share more specific information about the technics you metioned.

Thanks.

[Kaorte]

Tuna, chicken broth, or any kind of scenting using "smelly" foods will not work. It just won't. Why would a ball python be more enticed by a rat that smells like a fish? Or a rat that smells like a bird? It makes no sense.

Braining is basically just that...exposing the brain. I don't think this is very helpful either. It just makes a mess.

Not heating the f/t up enough is a common mistake. If it isn't warm enough, they won't see it as prey and they won't eat it. You can take a hair dryer and warm the outside of the feeder right before offering it. This also makes it smell very strongly which might provoke a better feeding response.

How many times have you tried with f/t? How old is the snake and when was the last time it ate? What size feeders are you using?

If you want to go the live route it is fairly simple. Remember, you need to supervise a live feeding. You can just drop the mouse or rat in and hopefully your snake will strike. Have some tongs ready in case you need to keep the mouse from biting your snake. If the snake does not eat the mouse in 15 minutes or so, just remove it and try again next week. If you don't want an extra pet, feed it to one of your snakes that will eat

[Danounet]

I feed live. I just make sure the feeders are not hungry or thirsty before I try to feed them off. I haven't had any problems. I usually give them a piece of bread and water while I their scent wakes up the snakes.

I usually I leave them up to 30 minutes and if they still haven't eaten the feeder, I remove it. When the snake is not being a very aggressive feeder, I try to feed them during the night time, when it's really dark. I leave the feeder up to 1hr with the snake. This is how my male Axanthic finally ate after being off feed since before November, that's 5+ months.

Just make sure you are close by in case anything bad does happen, at least close enough that you could hear it. When I hear a strike, I go check on the snakes to make sure they are not getting bit, which hasn't happen yet, after that it's their show and I leave them alone.

If the snake is off-feed currently, make sure it doesn't see you, it will increase your chances of it feeding. My rack is next to my computer desk, but the rack front end is facing away from the computer view where I sit most of the time. It works out well, and I can hear when anything happens during feeds.

[musicalKeyes]

The above advice is great, but since you have your snakes together, you HAVE to feed out of the cage, especially live. I don't want to get into the more than one per cage thing, I've done it myself, but it can stress one out enough to stop eating, whichever is getting "bullied". I've done it both ways, and while one tank was nice, building a rack is the greatest thing ever. In any case, don't feed inside the cage with more than one. They could fight, both grab the mouse, grab the mouse when another's already eaten it.... not a pretty picture.

[Danounet]

Sorry but I don't see where the OP said they are being house together. He just mentioned that they share the same setup/husbandry, that doesn't mean they are in the same enclosure.

[L.West]

I've had this snake for almost two years - this is the first time that she has went off feed for this long (5 months now). She is housed in her own enclosure - the same enclosure she has been in all along - nothing has changed for her.

I currently let the prey thaw out all day and then put it in a ziplock baggy and soak it in really hot water for about 15 min and then immediately offer it while it is still warm - I have used this same method with her and with all my snakes and always had good results.

Bella is currently about 1,640 grams - hasn't really lost any weight since she has been fasting - maybe 15 grams total lost.

I really hate to switch to live but if that is the only option then I will have to do it.

Kaorte, any further help or suggestions based on the info given above.

Thanks.

[L.West]

Thanks Danounet for your helpful information about feeding live - I will certainly keep that in mind if I have to switch to live.

I just hope I can find live prey somewhere locally - because I will need to by one rat each week on feeding day - I don't keep rats.

[Kaorte]

Honestly, if she isn't loosing weight then there isn't much to worry about. She will eat when she is ready. She seems well established and should start eating soon. You could always try filling the tank with crumpled paper to see if its a security issue. A live rat might spark a feeding response but I doubt you would have to continue her on live forever.