Tomorrow will be 3 months with out a meal. He refused yesterday and has lost a total of 30 grams since March 1st. I think next feeding day I will try a live mouse and see what he does with it. If he doesn't go for it ill try leaving a pre killed with him the following week.
Is the 30 grams over 3 months and him not eating during this time a cause for very serious concern or have you all seen worse?
I wouldn't be overly concerned yet, three months is typical for a Bp on strike.
3 months is a short period of time for a hunger strike and 30 grams really isn't worth worrying about. I didn't mean that you were afraid of feeding him a mouse in the sense that you were afraid of the mouse. Honestly too much is made of getting every ball python on rats. Yes it is more convenient for "US' in most cases. This doesn't mean however that every ball will want rats or that it is truly best for them.
I know yours had been eating rats but that doesn't mean a whole lot when he hasn't taken anything in 3 months. I had a female who ate nothing but rats til she was about 8 months old then decided that mice were more her thing. Once I got her eating steadily on the mice I tried switching her over again. Sometimes they just need a jumpstart on the old feeding response. Good luck with the next attempt.
Didn't touch him all week and dropped a mouse in. Came back 5 minutes later to this.
Good to see him take a meal. I will try a few more mice and then rats again to see if he just preferred the mouse or wasnt hungry. Of course as soon as he takes I have 2 girls stop eating lol. Guess thats just how it goes!
Re: Pied male possibly stressed out and not eating
Hellz yeah.....they go on feeding strikes all the time..I've learned after my last hatchling feed issue,to not stress it anymore....they will eat when they get hungry
Fed him a jumbo mouse today and he took it right up. Will probably fees mice for another feeding or so then try a rat again. if he doesnt take it, im ok with him eating mice as it wont take him much to be a breedable size.
Re: Pied male possibly stressed out and not eating
Originally Posted by HerpIsAhobby
You are afraid of trying mice because your afraid he might eat it? I'm all for a ball on rats but if its driving you crazy with him not eating this long give him a mouse and if he eats it get a few meals in him and try to switch over later. Mice are not as bad as some people think. A 30g mouse is better than a 0 g rat.
i agree i would try everything gerble hopper mice just to get somthing in him i would rather deal with a mise gerble eater then a possibly dead snake
Originally Posted by Billy305
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. Honestly too much is made of getting every ball python on rats. Yes it is more convenient for "US' in most cases. This doesn't mean however that every ball will want rats or that it is truly best for them.
