Question about feeding

[Celav]

I have one female BP (600g) that i bought 1 month ago, and have some ''problem'' with her feeding.

I was offering her small F/t and live rats and after 4 weeks of refusal i give her live mouse and she eat him. Guessing that last owner was feeding her with mice. So, how can i switch her from mice to rats? Think i should just bee patient but i would like yours opinion.

Im sure that here somewhere is a thread about this but i couldnt find it. Link would bee enough.

Thanks.

[RetiredJedi]

Switching from live to F/T, I feel, can be better accomplished focusing on husbandry and F/T temps. If you have the living conditions right AND get the F/T up to the proper body temp, you have a much greater chance. I'm not saying it is a definate because I understand some BPs just refuse to eat F/T. Your first hurdle is to get her to eat F/T mice. Again, get the F/T body temp up using a hairdryer or heat lamp after it has thawed out all day, then grab the mouse at the scruff of the neck and move it around to make it act like it's alive (zombie dance). Once you have success with that, then you jump to F/T rats. One technique I read about is to get some substrate from one of the mouse enclosures at the pet store (usually they will let you have some they are going to throw out anyway) and then you thaw the F/T rat in the baggie with the mouse substrate to kind of make the rat smell like a mouse.

[Celav]

Thanks. Going to try that method with the mice substrate and rat in it next week

[RetiredJedi]

Thanks. Going to try that method with the mice substrate and rat in it next week

Hope it works for ya. I personally haven't tried it but others on here have and says it works.

[rperry03]

If asf's are available, try them. They are about the size of a small rat and bigger than mice, switch back and forth until he takes a rat then stay with rats.

[szynk.reptiles]

yea i throw a rat pup in a mouse tub and let it wonder around witha mouse or two for a half hour or so to get the smell of mouse on rat... then feed.. eventually start to ween the scenting offf...