Feeding issue!

[the_knot]

Hey guy's and gal's, I acquired a ball python about 3 week's ago now. When I got her/him it had a respiratory infection that is now cleared up and she shed and is doing well. She is use to eating mice probably two a month according to the previous owner, witch is crazy bad. So I bought a large rat well I guess it's large according to the pet shop. It's the same size as her thickest part what I thought would be fine. So I thawed it out and she would not take it no matter what I did so I laid it in there and walked away sure enough she ate it!! She had a good size on her for a good week so the rat was pretty big but I think she is just not use to digesting so much food? So last night I bought another rat brought it home thawed it out and again she would not take it, so I left it in there with her a hour later it was still there. I took it out and warmed it in hot water again and put it back I figured maybe it was just cold. Finally I got tired and she still did not eat it so I took it out and put it in the fridge. How long will it last in the fridge? and when should I try offering again? She seems afraid of it if I put it near her she balls, she is an adult too so you know. Also I do not feed live my pet store rarely has them and it's just an inconvenience for me but I am breeding, well I have a breeding group no babies yet. By the way I do not want to throw this rat out they are 13 dollars and I don't want to have to waste it.

Sorry for the long post, Greg

[nick654377]

If you didnt re freeze right after she didt take it i would pitch it. I might of even pitched it if i had to warm it up twice.

[Annarose15]

Yeah, you should have put it in the freezer, not fridge. You could try once more tonight, but then toss it. You shouldn't be feeding her prey that leaves a big lump for multiple days, either, especially since she's not used to it. She probably just isn't hungry after such a big meal.

[carlson]

You don't wanna keep them in fridge if you wanna save them their insides don't freeze in the fridge they turn stinky fast...

[the_knot]

I was not planning on re-freezing. I would not re-freeze meat for myself let alone my animal, that's just me. I know it won't last long in the fridge but I have read ppl say a coupe day's. Also a small rat two months old is the same price as a full grown one witch is the same size as her girth! Am I missing something here everybody says to give a food item the size of the largest part of your snake. I could get mice but they are 6 bcks a pop and are small so it wold cost 24 bucks to fee her every week and that's just too much, she is not my only snake.

[BoostedMX3]

What's her wight? And the weight of the food.. The other "rule" is 10-15% of your snakes empty weight

[the_knot]

She is about 1400 grams according to the vet, the rat I am not sure of i do not have a scale.

[BoostedMX3]

Just FYI u can get. A digital food scale from wal mart for less then 20$ and well worth it.. So 15% would b. 210g rat

[BHReptiles]

Just FYI u can get. A digital food scale from wal mart for less then 20$ and well worth it.. So 15% would b. 210g rat

the 10-15% rule is really only for juviniles. I don't do that for my big girls. I have a 2000g girl that gets a medium rat around 150-175g on average while the girl I've got on breeding loan is 1400g and she get a small rat (125g-150g) weekly.

Since the snake is a 1400g adult, I'd just be feeding him/her a small rat weekly.

[the_knot]

Thanks I will try a smaller rat! Just figured I would get a full grown one because they are all the same price.