Originally Posted by SpecialGreg
One thing to consider: I am new to feeding FT and i was shocked by how much effort is required to get FT rats to be truly hot enough to elicit a feeding response in my animals. When I feed FT I put 4 frozen small rats in a 110 degree 3 gallon bucket of water. I cover the bucket and wait an hour. I change the water and add new 110 degree water. I cover and wait another 45 min or so. At this point, I take the temp on the rats. The water is still hotter than 100 degrees, but the rat abdomen is in the mid to high 80's. I dry them and then bring them to temp the rest of the way with a hair drier set to medium heat. It takes like 10 min of hair drying to get them warmer than 100 degrees.
When I was feeding cooler (no hair drier) I was getting no strikes. All of this happens in my garage, so i doubt that the scent of the hair dryer warmed rat is whats making the difference.
Feed after dark and if you dont get a strike, leave the rat in the cage overnight and stay out of the room that the snake is located in. Check on it in the morning and remove the rat if it is still uneaten.
Once you have your snake switched over, husbandry becomes much easier and much less expensive. Living rats (or 4 adult mice) will cost ~$5. A small rat ordered mail order is ~$1.25.
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