Live prey

[rabernet]

Pre kill then, if your snakes only had dead food throwing something live with teeth in their isn't a great idea.

The snake will know what to do. Just because it's been fed f/t, doesn't mean that it's lost its instinct to hunt and effectively dispatch prey.

Make sure that the rodent is appropriately sized, well fed and watered, then drop it into the enclosure at the opposite end from where your snake is.

If he doesn't eat in 30 minutes, remove the prey and wait another week.

I feed 95 % of my collection live, always have, even those I've adopted that were previously fed f/t, with no issues.

The only ones I'm feeding f/t are my colubrids, because it's easier for me to get f/t for them than live.

There is nothing inherently wrong with feeding live, as long as it's done responsibly.