should I try to feed before one week?

[elbee]

Hi friends. So I got my new albino baby this past Sat. My plan was to wait a week to offer food. It has been so hard not to handle him lol. I will admit that I probably bother him a little bit just sliding out his tub checking on him. I'm just have to see that he is okay, lol. He is very alert at all times. Anyways he seems to be settling in okay. He spends his days curled up on the warm side either in or behind his hide and he spends his nights out cruising his tub. I know he didn't eat for a week prior to the show and probably only has a couple meals in him. Should i offer food already just to see if he is interested or give him the full week to settle in? I am going to go ahead and offer him a frozen thawed rat pinky. Will do live if I have to but why not give f/t a try?

[decensored]

If your going to try and offer F/T first than I would wait the week but its really up to you. If you feel that he's settled in well and that he's not showing any signs of stress than I don't see a problem in feeding him earlier. I fed my guys 3 days after I brought them home and 4 out of 5 ate. If he doesn't eat you've set the feed schedule and you shouldn't offer for another week - so keep that in mind.

cheers.

[Simple Man]

Almost every single snake I own has eaten within hours of arrival and definitely within a day of arriving. It depends on the snake. I feed live so I can just toss it back in my racks if it doesn't get eaten. If you're feeding F/T you might waste a rodent if the animal doesn't eat. Totally up to you....

Regards,

B

[Daybreaker]

I'm a strickly F/T feeder - easier and cheaper for me than messing with starting a breeding colony. I say if the snake isn't showing signs of stress then why not try to feed earlier than a week? If you want to do F/T with him, here's what I do if the younger ones won't take it off tongs:
Put a little hide in there (I use plastic bowls from Walmart that I cut a little doorway in), put the snake in the hide if he's not in there already, and place the food item directly in front of the entrance so he has no choice but to move over it if he wants to move out of the hide. Everytime I've tried this they've taken it - even my shy-est feeders (I have a 533 gram BP who will not eat any other way: I need to leave it outside her hide or she won't even bother with it). My new little April '11 boy takes it within minutes with no help from me - I just leave that there, close his tub, put a towel over it to make it really dark for him, and he takes it fine. Hope that helps if he's a bit shy taking to F/T!

[elbee]

Thanks everyone. I may try in another day or so. If he doesn't eat I can toss it to one of my other snakes.

[JulieInNJ]

I'm a strickly F/T feeder - easier and cheaper for me than messing with starting a breeding colony. I say if the snake isn't showing signs of stress then why not try to feed earlier than a week? If you want to do F/T with him, here's what I do if the younger ones won't take it off tongs:
Put a little hide in there (I use plastic bowls from Walmart that I cut a little doorway in), put the snake in the hide if he's not in there already, and place the food item directly in front of the entrance so he has no choice but to move over it if he wants to move out of the hide. Everytime I've tried this they've taken it - even my shy-est feeders (I have a 533 gram BP who will not eat any other way: I need to leave it outside her hide or she won't even bother with it). My new little April '11 boy takes it within minutes with no help from me - I just leave that there, close his tub, put a towel over it to make it really dark for him, and he takes it fine. Hope that helps if he's a bit shy taking to F/T!

I have to try this method. I have a hatchling that's more interested in climbing up my tongs than in the f/t I'm dangling. Thanks for posting!

[elbee]

Well he ate a frozen thawed pinky rat for me tonight with no problem! I am so releived.

[Simple Man]

You don't ever want to re-offer food to the rest of your collection if a new addition doesn't eat it. That's a great way to bypass QT and introduce things right into the rest of your collection. Not a mistake you want to make. QT is an important process.

Regards,

B

[Mr. Constrictor]

I never followed that let em settle in for 2 weeks deal. when its feeding day I offer. some times works sometimes it dont.