help my new baby ball wont eat

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So iv had my baby ball for a week now and he wont eat. I tried everything wiggling the mouse, leaving it in there, covering the feeding cage up, and he still wont eat. I looked all over town for a live mouse but they are all too big. How do i get him to eat he looks skinny. How long can he go without food? Temps are 94 UTH heat side and 85 cool side with ambient of 80. Thanks

[spellbound04]

Try blasting the head of the mouse with a hairdryer or (if you can stomach it) Brain the mouse (use a toothpick, poke a hole in the skull, wiggle the toothpick around, and put some of the juices on the nose of the mouse) . I wouldn't freak out too much BPs can go a pretty long time without eating and are known to be finicky/go into fasts, but definitely keep an eye on him, especially because he's so young

[Stewart_Reptiles]

94 is too hot for a young hatchling in addition I would suggest that you do this to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101

Young hatchling cannot go a long time without food unlike previously suggested only an animal with a good size is, an hatchling is also not finicky they are programmed to be voracious and if they are not that means there is an issue, now if the animal is over 500 grams that's a different situation.

When young hatchling does not eat it quickly becomes a vicious circle, the less it eats the less it wants to eat if the condition are not right.

[Bcycling]

Because I am expecting eggs soon, a similar question I have is can I offer f/t for Thor first feeding or does everyone go live to try to get them to go
for the first time?

[Zincubus]

Because I am expecting eggs soon, a similar question I have is can I offer f/t for Thor first feeding or does everyone go live to try to get them to go
for the first time?

In the Uk we don't offer any LIVE as it's easy enough to get any snake on f/t if you have patience and the conditions are correct .


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[Stewart_Reptiles]

Because I am expecting eggs soon, a similar question I have is can I offer f/t for Thor first feeding or does everyone go live to try to get them to go
for the first time?

Some people have somewhat of success with it but it's not easy and can take time, now if you provide an optimal setup your chances of success will be higher, but if after a few weeks the animal does not eat on it's own you will have to resort to live, the good news when they are well established feeder and young they usually switch quite easily.

[Zincubus]

94 is too hot for a young hatchling in addition I would suggest that you do this to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101

Young hatchling cannot go a long time without food unlike previously suggested only an animal with a good size is, an hatchling is also not finicky they are programmed to be voracious and if they are not that means there is an issue, now if the animal is over 500 grams that's a different situation.

When young hatchling does not eat it quickly becomes a vicious circle, the less it eats the less it wants to eat if the condition are not right.

^^^ As above really ^^^

Need to get the warm side down to 91F Max I'd say ... make sure there's a heat gradient in the viv/rub as well ... humidity has to appropriate as well ..

As regards feeding f/t .... basics are feed in the evening , ideally low lighting , mouse / rat pre thawed then warmed up with a hairdryer then offered IMMEDIATELY whilst still warm , offer on tongs and dangle in front of the snake .... if it's refused don't just give up , reheat with hairdryer and offer IMMEDIATELY again , keep following the same procedure

Some Royals / Balls will only strike from within their hides and drag the food in with them ..

Note - the above procedure will only work if the snake is hungry / interested so if there is no interest , not even a tongue flick then wait a week and try then ....


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[John1982]

So iv had my baby ball for a week now and he wont eat. I tried everything

Besides getting the setup corrected, you need to slow down a little. Generally, you should give animals that first week to settle into their new environment before offering food. Youngsters can get turned off feeding pretty easily if you push them too hard. I'd usually have most of mine eating by their 3rd week, post shed. First week I'd likely offer a rat, second week maybe a f/t mouse, 3rd week a live mouse for any who hadn't started up already. Trying too much, too fast, can easily work against you in getting youngsters feeding regularly. If you haven't already, ask the breeder what he was feeding on and that'll probably be your best shot at getting meal number 1 in him under your care.

[Sarabi]

So iv had my baby ball for a week now and he wont eat. I tried everything wiggling the mouse, leaving it in there, covering the feeding cage up, and he still wont eat. I looked all over town for a live mouse but they are all too big. How do i get him to eat he looks skinny. How long can he go without food? Temps are 94 UTH heat side and 85 cool side with ambient of 80. Thanks

So, I'm pretty sure 94F is too hot. I have a baby ball python and I keep her warm side at 90F.

I don't know how old your baby is, but when I got mine she was about 3 months old. When I fed her the first time, I fed f/t. At first she wouldn't take the hopper mouse. I used a hair dryer to heat up the mouse again (because I was afraid the temp of the mouse might have been too low) and I ended up over-heating the mouse and some of its guts came out--just a little bit. When I put the mouse back in the terrarium, my ball python took it within like 40 seconds. My bet is that it had something to do with the smell. You might wanna try taking a needle and pocking a couple wholes in the mouses stomach and/or head.

Good luck.

[Zincubus]

So, I'm pretty sure 94F is too hot. I have a baby ball python and I keep her warm side at 90F.

I don't know how old your baby is, but when I got mine she was about 3 months old. When I fed her the first time, I fed f/t. At first she wouldn't take the hopper mouse. I used a hair dryer to heat up the mouse again (because I was afraid the temp of the mouse might have been too low) and I ended up over-heating the mouse and some of its guts came out--just a little bit. When I put the mouse back in the terrarium, my ball python took it within like 40 seconds. My bet is that it had something to do with the smell. You might wanna try taking a needle and pocking a couple wholes in the mouses stomach and/or head.

Good luck.

I'm thinking it was simply the HEAT that made it strike ...they have heat pits / sensors and that's why it's so vital ( for some) to get the heat of the food up ... Obviously some snakes ( even ones with he's pits) will strike / eat them cooler though . They're all so different .


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