How I convert feeder types

[Royal Hijinx]

I see this question asked a lot, and I get PMs asking as well. So, I figure I would outline how I convert from mice to rats, or live to f/t.

For converting a live mouser to f/t rats (full spectrum scenario):

FIRST: offer a rat pup (or whatever your goal is), she may just take it.

IF NOT:


Relax and BREATHE, this may take longer than you think. Patience is key.

Live mice 3 feedings in a row (if they refuse, other than for a shed, start over)

3 unscented live rat pups in a row (scent the first ones if needed with mouse shavings, but do not count them in the 3)

3 fresh killed rat pups in a row (or skip to f/t, may or may not be needed)

frozen thawed rats (make sure they are VERY warm, I use a hair dryer after fully thawing them)

If at any point they refuse I go back a step and start over (ex: refuses the second fresh killed rat, I will go back to live rats for 3 feedings, etc...)


Once they have taken a few f/t in a row, I will generally not switch back to live or mice unless they go over a month without eating.

I generally go on the smaller side for prey when switching to prevent freaking them out from prey size.

If you have a die hard mouser, you can still use the steps to get to f/t mice.

I have never had to resort to braining, or anything like that. Also, this guide is for snakes that have been feeding, not for newborns that need to be started. That is another topic.





Anyone else feel free to post up any tricks you have!

[Mike41793]

I have used braining and found it to help alot. I take a knife and cut a small slit in the top of the rats skull and squeeze out some blood and brain juice. For some reason my normal girl who wasnt interested in f/t seemed very interested after that. Shes at the point now where i can just place the f/t in the tub and she comes over and eats it.

I think im going to try your method for my pastel girl jinx.

[HerpIsAhobby]

I had a super stubborn mouser that would totally ignore rats but the second a mouse hit the tub floor she was out like a mamba ready to go. I took a plastic bowl with a lid and poked a ton of holes in it. Then I put the mouse in the bowl and put the bowl and a live rat pup in the enclosure at the same time. It took ms stubborn about 5 seconds to come flying out and nail the rat pup. I've used this method for all my mousers and have about a 75% success rate.

[KatStoverReptiles]

Do you use pups regardless of the size of the snake? If I have a 1000g adult bp would you still offer pups in order to get it converted?

[Royal Hijinx]

Do you use pups regardless of the size of the snake? If I have a 1000g adult bp would you still offer pups in order to get it converted?

For 1000g I may use weaned. I have found you want to eliminate the variable of too large a prey size. I have a 1000g girl who will take weaned but balks at anything bigger.

[vangarret2000]

Once they have taken a few f/t in a row, I will generally not switch back to live or mice unless they go over a month without eatting!

Why would you switch back if they go just over a month without eatting? That is still a short period of time for a snake to be off food. It's really jumping the gun on switching back unless they are unhealthy.

[Royal Hijinx]

Why would you switch back if they go just over a month without eatting? That is still a short period of time for a snake to be off food. It's really jumping the gun on switching back unless they are unhealthy.

WHen trying to keep females putting on size at a decent rate, I have no problem going back a step to keep them going. I they refuse live, then it is a real hunger strike and you wait it out.

So IMO not jumping any gun.

[vangarret2000]

That's understandable sometimes people want their snakes to eat more then snakes even want to for breeding purposes and such. A lot of the people on this site also have their snakes as pets and do t have to keep them eatting as much as breeders would so mentioning they should do that after a month I think is still jumping the gun IMO but everything else in your post I thought was great. Good work.

[Royal Hijinx]

That's understandable sometimes people want their snakes to eat more then snakes even want to for breeding purposes and such. A lot of the people on this site also have their snakes as pets and do t have to keep them eatting as much as breeders would so mentioning they should do that after a month I think is still jumping the gun IMO but everything else in your post I thought was great. Good work.

If that is some kind of slight towards how I feed my animals, then you can come out and say it. I do not think that offering another food type after a month is any kind of problem. It is by no means force feeding or power feeding. It is making a food source available for the snake to take or not. Pet or not has nothing to do with it. So this idea of the snake eating "more than the snake even want to" is a non-argument. The snake takes the food of its own accord. As I said, if it then refuses, we wait it out just like any other fast. I do not appreciate any insinuation that I am power feeding my animals to get them to size.

[Andybill]

So then my question would be what could be considered power feeding? I feed on a 6 day basis so in a typical 30 day month they would each get 1 extra meal in. So I have heard of people offering 2 rats at each feeding and doing this 1 a week. Or people who feed 2 seperate times a week are these examples of power feeding? What would be a safe way to maximize weight gains in females without "power-feeding"?

Anyway I just got my 1200g male pastel to break his 4 month long feeding strike with a mouse and I want to convert him immediately to rats so thank you for this thread very helpful!