getting hatchlings to eat...

[Jessb]

Our 7 hatchlings have all shed and are looking good! Now it's feeding time! We moved them all to their own tub and they've been left alone to get acclimated for 2-3 days. We just tried to feed live rat pups, none of them ate. Only one even struck at his meal. Their temps at at 89, in hatchling tubs lined with moist paper towels, with no hides. Any other ideas to get them eating?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I will assume you mean rat fuzzy and not pup.

You need to give it another week and try again, not all hatchling will eat rats as their first meal.

Usually if an hatchling refuse rats 3 consecutive times I then proceed to offer mice.

[Jessb]

i'm sorry.. i meant rat pinkies. Baby newborn rats with no fur and eyes not yet open, lol.

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Well, I feed rat pups right off the bat. I find they have a better response to moving food, rather than squirmy pink blobs.

As for your temps, 89 is too high if you're talking about ambient temps. I assume you're talking about a hot spot, whats your cool side at?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Well, I feed rat pups right off the bat.

So you feed 2 weeks old (eye open) rats to an hatchling right out of the egg? Those must be some big hatchlings or the rats name are different in canada

[Rickys_Reptiles]

So you feed 2 weeks old (eye open) rats to an hatchling right out of the egg? Those must be some big hatchlings or the rats name are different in canada

Rat pups I feed my hatchlings are roughly 20g

[Jessb]

Well, I feed rat pups right off the bat. I find they have a better response to moving food, rather than squirmy pink blobs.

As for your temps, 89 is too high if you're talking about ambient temps. I assume you're talking about a hot spot, whats your cool side at?

Yes, hot spot is 89, not sure what cool side is, I need to get a new temp gun. I have a cheapy yellow thermometer i can put in a tub for a check, but i don't always trust the readings on it. I'll put one in there are see what it says anyway.

[MrLang]

So you feed 2 weeks old (eye open) rats to an hatchling right out of the egg? Those must be some big hatchlings or the rats name are different in canada

I put up a thread about this recently. I have extremely limited experience but this is what I did and all of my hatchlings have eaten on the first attempt. 60g hatchlings with about 20g rats. They were crawling and moving with their eyes cracked open. My snakes all ate 4 times and grew to 125+g in the 4 feedings.


For the OP - put them on aspen and give them hides. Most of the times when people say they are having a hard time getting hatchlings to eat I have noticed they describe a setup with paper towel and nothing else. Give them some security from the substrate and giving a hide, and then offer them some food that moves. GL!

[SlitherinSisters]

I assume they are in the rack? Definitely get some hides in there. I use aspen substrate because the youngsters seem to do better on it. If they aren't eating I fill the open space with crumpled newspaper.