news on my babies (+feeding questions)

[firedragon]

I've had several ball babies for 10 days now. I separated them last Tuesday and have offered them food twice since. My own female immediately took the f/t mouse I gave her, imagine my relief. Apparently I succeeded in picking up the one with the best appetite. At that first feeding she was the only one of the eight babies who ate, but one of the males did strike too, sadly he got my finger not the mouse (I did use tongs, but they were apparently too small). Well, luckily he's still very small, so he didn't do much damage. Yesterday he took the f/t mouse I gave him, as did another one of the males. The others haven't eaten in over two weeks as it is. Some of them seemed to be frightened of the mice I offered, should I try smaller mice? Might also be that the humidity is too high in some of the tanks (I'm having a bit of a problem lowering it, I made rubbermaid enclosures described in the DIY section, with even more ventilation holes than suggested, but it's still too high) or that they don't like their hides. Two boys are also still together, but one of them will be picked up today, might be they didn't want to eat if they're stressed because being housed together.

I just hope, hope, hope, they will all eat next time... They're still so small.

[First_time_herp]

Well I've read that as long as they still feel fat and their spine isn't showing that they arn't starving. You shouldn't be to worried, I've also read that bps are very picky eaters.

[JamminJonah]

Well first bit of advice is make sure you're not trying to feed back to back to back- if they don't eat wait about 7-10 days and try again because otherwise you may just be stressing them out more. I would work hard to get that humidity down as many times refusal to eat is caused by a) settling into a new environment b) too hot c) too cold d) humidity too high e) humidity too low. It's pretty crazy huh haha. Anyways yeah I 'd double and triple check husbandry stuff and wait a while before trying again- they have to get settled in before they eat. I didn't give my snake time to settle in before I first fed and it resulted in him appearing scared of the f/t mouse as well, I waited about eight days and tried again and he fed. During that 8 days I just left him totally alone aside from changing water in the morning I just let him be. Others on this forum know a LOT more than I but that's just some stuff I've picked up on I really hope they get feeding for you and I think that they will.

[Marla]

Jonah's advice is right on. By the way, you can usually get the humidity to drop by switching to a smaller water dish or one that doesn't conduct heat well (plastic or wood). I had to sort that out in some of my plastic enclosures as well.

[elevatethis]

Don't babies only eat after they have their first shed?

[firedragon]

Well they have eaten once, twice or three times with the breeder. Now I'm going to just leave them alone for a week or so, then try again. The humidity is now 75%, is that ok? (I increased the ventilation in the lid, the water bowls are already quite small and plastic) Maybe still a bit high... But I've also heard that babies require a bit higher humidity for the sheds to be successfull, there are so many opinions on this... The breeder also told me to offer food every or every second day, which I thought was too often, and which you have confirmed to be too often.

[JamminJonah]

I'd say 75 is okay for a short time but I'd try to get it down - what has worked for me and many others that I have read was normal humid of 50-60% and shedding humid of 60-70% at least that's what I've done and had perfect shed. Only problem with extended periods of extreme humidity is possible scale rot - others will know more though

[RobertCoombs]

I would def get the humidity down a cople notches in to the 50% range babies have very sensitive skin early on and can blister or rot easily from to much moisture . A few tips that have work for me on finiky feeders 1: try feeding after the lights are out under dim light these snakes arent diurnal and tend to feed in the dark or dim light better 2: try both rats and mice ,many seem to have a preference for one or the other right out of the egg also try live and frozen 3: if nothing else seems to work you can try" braining" slitting the head open on a feeder for a little extra scent stimuli I have had good luck on stuborn feeders by useing a live mouse hopper and pricking its nose to draw a little blood , the scent and movement seems to really work well together any way I hope you get them all started off well