Opinions on switching to rats by only offering them.

[Billy305]

I have a 13 month of female who is just about 700 grams and healthy. I know balls can go month without eating if they want. I have been trying to switch her to rats instead of mice. Ive held out a few weeks but then always resorted back to giving her mice. Ive been able to scent rats and get her to eat them before but it doesn't always work. Ive heard of people only offering a rat once a week and nothing else until they take it, even it takes a long time.

What are peoples opinion of this? I saw another thread like this but im not sure where.

[iCandiBallPythons]

Live or f/t?

[Billy305]

Live or possibly pre-killed. I would think eventually they would switch eventually because thats the only offering.

[iCandiBallPythons]

Sometimes tough luck will work. I was asking because i feed f/t and have always thawed mice and rats in the same water and Ive never had a problem getting them to switch to rats when they are the appropriate size to take rats

[Billy305]

She just finished shedding yesterday and pooped today. I tried to feed her a small rat tonite and she wanted nothing to do with it again. She got close as if she was smelling it and then backed off. Should I just offer her a rat a week until she decides to start taking them?

[SlitherinSisters]

My male mojave and I have been fighting over this for almost a year now. He ate rats his first year and half of life, then all the sudden he wouldn't take rats. I've been buying him mice every so often to keep weight on him, but he still refused to eat rats when I don't feed him 2-3 weeks at a time. I'm determined to win this battle, but so is he...

Good luck, and keep at it if you want!

As for how long she can go without eating, easily a month, but I would keep it around 2-3 weeks at a time if you want to keep weight on her.

[snakesRkewl]

Should I just offer her a rat a week until she decides to start taking them?

Either that or offer multiple mice weekly.
I took an asf eating snake up to 1700 grams at 2 years old by offering many many small meals.
She wouldn't touch a rat but would smack asf's one after another

[Billy305]

Thanks for the replies. I think I will go for about a month or maybe a little more with only offering the rats and keep an eye on her weight. I have fed her multiple mice in one sitting but I would like her to stay on rats.

I just picked up a small female pinstripe. I want to try to get her on to rats as early on as possible.

[AK907]

I want to try to get her on to rats as early on as possible.

Right out of the egg would be a great time to start her on rats.

No ball python in our home will be fed a mouse. It will be rats for dinner or going hungry until you take a rat. I will scent them if I have to, that isn't a problem, but you WILL eat rats.

[Annarose15]

Right out of the egg would be a great time to start her on rats.

No ball python in our home will be fed a mouse. It will be rats for dinner or going hungry until you take a rat. I will scent them if I have to, that isn't a problem, but you WILL eat rats.

x2