~800g adult male mouser problems

[Artemille]

I have 2010 male albino that I bought in January at 830g. I was told he was a mouser. He then fasted for six months and lost 100g.

He started eating again late June. He eats 30-35g live mice. The problem is, he's horribly picky. He has no interest in rats or anything dead. He won't eat multiple mice in one sitting. He's very shy and takes his time striking and eating. I was feeding him a single mouse every monday and friday, and he started refusing. He seems content on a five day schedule, but I'm concerned he's not getting enough.

Six mice a month at typically 32g each comes to 192g in food a month. I figure its not much different from feeding him a 50-60g rat weekly but when people on here talk about feeding mice, they always talk about eating multiples weekly. He's three years old and I don't think he's really getting much bigger. He is 39" long and looks a bit thin, but not emaciated by any means. Since getting back on feed, in a little over a month he's gone back from 730g to 870g (1 mouse eaten since last poop), so he is gaining weight.

He's in the same enclosed rbi rack as the rest of my snakes who are all chomping away on frozen thawed rats and growing like weeds.

Should I just stick with five days?

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I just need some other opinions. For being such a pretty boy, he definitely requires the most of my patience.

Here's a pic of him from 07/09/13, when he was about 800g.

[MootWorm]

He's really beautiful. I haven't had much experience with feeding issues, but his body condition seems good, so I would just keep doing what your doing. Out of curiosity, have you tried ASF?

[Artemille]

They're available near me, but only at one kinda shady pet store, and for $5.99 each. The next best place is one state over. 6-8 mice costs me $16-21. Four asfs are $24 plus tax. I live in a small apartment so I have no space to produce my own rodents.

[elduki]

Try switching to rats using the following method.

-Start with a weaned rat.

- Prior to feeding, have the weaned rat housed in used mice medium for 2-3 days. The rat should smell like a mouse

- Feed your snake


Good luck

[MootWorm]

They're available near me, but only at one kinda shady pet store, and for $5.99 each. The next best place is one state over. 6-8 mice costs me $16-21. Four asfs are $24 plus tax. I live in a small apartment so I have no space to produce my own rodents.

Ouch! Ya know, a tub doesn't take up much room Lol yeah best bet is scenting the rat puppy then.

[M&H]

He is so good looking! My male albino is a mouser too. He is a PAIN in the behind. I've had him for well over a year, at 136 grams and yesterday he weighed 744 grams. He constantly strikes and coils his food and leaves it. Sometimes he will eat and sometimes even if he is hard core searching his tub he won't.

The best success I've had is to give him a live mouse to jump start the food drive and then give him a sented rat weaner. The next week he might eat the rat no problem other times he won't and we go around again. Usually I will hold out a month before caving and giving him live since I know he will eat f/t. His rat also has to be insanely hot and wet. Maybe you could try that.