Getting hatchlings to feed

[sho220]

Getting hatchlings started on f/t is easy, I have 6 bps that were started on f/t and have ate frozen all their life, the trick is how you offer them, fuzzy mice with the head dipped in hot water and offered in complete darkness I find gets the best response

I probably shouldn't respond to this, but I feel you're giving people false hope that may result in a lot of frustration. Getting hatchlings started on f/t is not easy. Yes, it's possible, but to say it's easy is absolutely misleading. You were either lucky (my guess) or you apparently have some kind of magic mojo (not likely)...

For those without this magic mojo, it will be much easier to get them started on live hopper mice. Once they're eating, they're much easier to switch to whatever you choose...

[Jamiesniper]

I just must've been lucky, I guess all the other breeders here that don't breed their own feeders must just get lucky too

[BrianDallek]

Piss poor planning hatching a clutch without access to live feeders. Getting them started on f/t anything is tough, rats even tougher. Find live hopper mice.

Wow, totally a piss poor response. It isn't easy finding live feeders everywhere. I just started 5 hatchlings on f/t hopper mice and I will share my method. Put the mice in a plastic ziplock bag and submerge them into hot water to thaw (not the top of the bag). Once they are thawed through (squishy) spread them out on a towel and take a blow dryer to them. heat them up flipping them occasionally to heat evenly. stop every so often to take a reading with your IR thermometer. Heat them up to about 100 degrees. Now take your tongs and grab the back of the hopper by the skin between the shoulder blades. It should be dangling horizontal. Now hit the head one more quick time with the blow dryer and then hang the hopper in the tub. Let them come out to check it out. don't wiggle it or push it in their face. They will either grab it or turn around and move away. If they move away then slowly pull the hopper out and try a couple days later in the same way. If they do wrap it up then grab the back of the hopper and give it a little wiggle to simulate the hopper dying. I feed mine middle of the day under bright lights and they have never refused a meal once I got them going. Let me know if you have any more issues. You can buy hopper mice online or your local pet store can usually order any size mouse you want from their supplier for you.

[Albert Clark]

Wow, totally a piss poor response. It isn't easy finding live feeders everywhere. I just started 5 hatchlings on f/t hopper mice and I will share my method. Put the mice in a plastic ziplock bag and submerge them into hot water to thaw (not the top of the bag). Once they are thawed through (squishy) spread them out on a towel and take a blow dryer to them. heat them up flipping them occasionally to heat evenly. stop every so often to take a reading with your IR thermometer. Heat them up to about 100 degrees. Now take your tongs and grab the back of the hopper by the skin between the shoulder blades. It should be dangling horizontal. Now hit the head one more quick time with the blow dryer and then hang the hopper in the tub. Let them come out to check it out. don't wiggle it or push it in their face. They will either grab it or turn around and move away. If they move away then slowly pull the hopper out and try a couple days later in the same way. If they do wrap it up then grab the back of the hopper and give it a little wiggle to simulate the hopper dying. I feed mine middle of the day under bright lights and they have never refused a meal once I got them going. Let me know if you have any more issues. You can buy hopper mice online or your local pet store can usually order any size mouse you want from their supplier for you.

Thanks Brian, that was a very useful post for everyone having feeding issues with hatchlings. I must try your method.

[maximum411]

Thanks everyone, especially Brian (and no thanks to sho220). I was able to locate a store that sold me fuzzy mice (well actually gave them to me for free because they could "get in trouble"). Four of the hatchlings ate fuzzies last night, and I saved the remaining two for another attempt tonight. Brian, I will have to try your method for the second feeding! I just don't want to get them used to live because I have several breeders who were addicted and switching them over has been a huge pain. I also don't think live feeding is very ethical so I only do it when a snake will eat nothing else.


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[frostysBP]

I wouldn't try again with the ones that refused.. Give it a few days... Over offering will lead to more refusals

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[BrianDallek]

Your welcome! Snakes get conditioned on their eating habits from day 1. If your purchasing a yearling from a big breeder at 250 grams, it's because it was "maintenance fed" aka fed just enough to not die or get sick and save them time and money. I believe this is why so many ball pythons are finicky eaters, because they have been conditioned to eat live every 3 weeks or so. I feed my hatchlings f/t every three days and they are hungry still. They have went from 70 grams to 150 in a month. I tell the people that buy my snakes to feed them day 1 because they will eat whatever you put in front of them. They all ate f/t right out of the shipping box. I feed my adult females every 5 days and males every 7 days. I recommend buying from a smaller breeder who doesn't maintenance feed and to ask to see the feeding record card. Hell I even take video of my hatchlings eating f/t and send it to the customer before shipping. Quality clean genetics and customer service are key in this hobby/business. Sorry to go on a rant, lol.

[BrianDallek]

I wouldn't try again with the ones that refused.. Give it a few days... Over offering will lead to more refusals

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Well said. I'd like to ad that I think heat really has a lot to do with it. I've put a f/t hopper in at 95 degrees and had the hatchling check it out and turn around with no interest. I hit it with the blow dryer for a min and got it up to 105 and BAM the same hatchling grabbed it two minutes after refusing it. Once they got used to eating on my schedule the temp became less important to them. So maybe you should try hitting your live fuzzy with a blow dryer for a second just to heat up its surface temp enough to get a strike.

[CD CONSTRICTORS]

F/T is great if you have the ability and time to dangle mice in front of 200 hatchlings. I find live hoppers for the first few meals gives them a little confidence and it's easy to switch to rat fuzzies. Save some nasty, dirty, smelly mouse bedding and toss the rat fuzzies in there for an hour before offering. Its an easy transition.

[PitOnTheProwl]

I also don't think live feeding is very ethical so I only do it when a snake will eat nothing else.

Hate to break it to you but why when would you pick a pet that you very well know might only eat live AND breed then too?? SMH