Ball python live feeding

[gusanr14]

Idk how much it stresses them but i know if they dont want to eat they dont want the mouse in there. My 6 month old takes a while to eat. When she first came to me she was really hungry. She ate twice a week small prey.. Then after 2 months she was caught up to a healthy weight and now doesn't run out of the hide so fast to grab it.. She parks her head in the doorway and the rat can go by four or five times within 15 minutes until she finally decides to grab it. I sit there the whole time to step in if I needed to. Its not good if the prey goes into the hide with the snake. For 1 if the prey lasts long enough to go into the hide with the snake then the snake doesn't want it and for 2 they can nibble on the snake.


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well,
feeding didn't go well..
So I went to the store and got rat pup since they said he fed on rat pup live. I compared the size and it was about the same size as my snake's thickest body. eyes still closed and didn't walk well.
Anyways, I just put the rat in the tub and I was watching. Snake seemed interested and was flicking tongue and was moving towards the rat. And that was it. He went above the rat and rat was just sitting there. He kept moving around and kept checking the rat but did not eat at the end. Like you mentioned, rat went into hide with the snake so I took the rat out. I thought he would eat since he seemed interested but rather, he was freaking out when rat body touched his face. Nothing wrong with husbandry, but I did take him out once few days ago because I thought something was wrong with his mouth. Could that be a reason? Also, the shop fed him in the separate tub, could this be a reason too?
Well, he seems healthy but it was kind of disappointment when he did not eat it lol.

[CALM Pythons]

well,
feeding didn't go well..
So I went to the store and got rat pup since they said he fed on rat pup live. I compared the size and it was about the same size as my snake's thickest body. eyes still closed and didn't walk well.
Anyways, I just put the rat in the tub and I was watching. Snake seemed interested and was flicking tongue and was moving towards the rat. And that was it. He went above the rat and rat was just sitting there. He kept moving around and kept checking the rat but did not eat at the end. Like you mentioned, rat went into hide with the snake so I took the rat out. I thought he would eat since he seemed interested but rather, he was freaking out when rat body touched his face. Nothing wrong with husbandry, but I did take him out once few days ago because I thought something was wrong with his mouth. Could that be a reason? Also, the shop fed him in the separate tub, could this be a reason too?
Well, he seems healthy but it was kind of disappointment when he did not eat it lol.

No its not because you took him out the other day and its not because they fed him in a separate tub.. Your husbandry is good so its because he isn't ready thats all. No big deal trust me. Did you close the tub once you put the Rat in? If not he wont eat most likely. They dont like being bothered or feeling exposed when they are going to eat because their vulnerable.
The rat wont make it long because its eyes are still closed.. You also didn't do as i said and wait until Night Time. I was trying to give you a perfect 1st feeding thats why I also told you a mouse. The mouse would've lasted a week at your house. Not a rat that needs to feed on its mother still.

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[gusanr14]

No its not because you took him out the other day and its not because they fed him in a separate tub.. Your husbandry is good so its because he isn't ready thats all. No big deal trust me. Did you close the tub once you put the Rat in? If not he wont eat most likely. They dont like being bothered or feeling exposed when they are going to eat because their vulnerable.
The rat wont make it long because its eyes are still closed.. You also didn't do as i said and wait until Night Time. I was trying to give you a perfect 1st feeding thats why I also told you a mouse. The mouse would've lasted a week at your house. Not a rat that needs to feed on its mother still.

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yea, I was going to get a mouse but when I went there, they told me he ate rat pup so I thought if he was already on rat, it would be better to just feed that. And the night time thing I was going to say but forgot, I won't have nights available for few days that is why I just tried. I did make it dark as possible with curtains and lights off. But I did not close the lid since I was just trying to film the first feeding. I guess that part could have gone wrong. I didn't stand right next to it though, I set up a camera by itself and I was watching from some distance away. I will just leave him alone for another week. Now I can fix some things I could have done wrong.

edit- do you still recommend me to feed mouse? even though he was on rat before?

[CALM Pythons]

yea, I was going to get a mouse but when I went there, they told me he ate rat pup so I thought if he was already on rat, it would be better to just feed that. And the night time thing I was going to say but forgot, I won't have nights available for few days that is why I just tried. I did make it dark as possible with curtains and lights off. But I did not close the lid since I was just trying to film the first feeding. I guess that part could have gone wrong. I didn't stand right next to it though, I set up a camera by itself and I was watching from some distance away. I will just leave him alone for another week. Now I can fix some things I could have done wrong.

edit- do you still recommend me to feed mouse? even though he was on rat before?

.. Idk if he was on Rat pups or not.. Who knows.. But the filming with the lid off is not doing what was best for a first feeding. Common sense. Also i told you a mouse would be best because you could of kept it if he didn't feed. What will you do now with a Rat that needs its mother to live? I dont like things Dying like that for no reason. I breed Rodents for food and have Pet Norway rats so I make sure all life has reason... I understand "you thought" the best was to give him what they told you he fed on but I already new this was going to happen which is why I suggested a mouse that could've lived with you until you fed it off. It gets hard spending a lot of time giving people help from your experiences when they just do something else anyway bro.


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[CALM Pythons]

If he is peaking his head out tonight then try to feed it for 5 min... If not bring that Rat back tomorrow. Better than it being cold and dying.


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[gusanr14]

If he is peaking his head out tonight then try to feed it for 5 min... If not bring that Rat back tomorrow. Better than it being cold and dying.


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I asked them how to keep baby rat alive. I bought a small tub for the rat pup with syringe thing and some formula food that they suggested. I am going to try hard to keep rat pup alive since I don't it to just die by itself.

[CALM Pythons]

I asked them how to keep baby rat alive. I bought a small tub for the rat pup with syringe thing and some formula food that they suggested. I am going to try hard to keep rat pup alive since I don't it to just die by itself.

Ohh, well that was a good idea.. But understand I was giving you a easy option with the mouse. Im not trying to give you a hard time or be a Know it all but ive been giving you the best options for what i think is best in your current situation. Lets get the snake eating with you for the first time and then worry about what he eats. You have had a lot of concerns so im trying to get things so your content as well as the snake hahahaha


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[gusanr14]

Ohh, well that was a good idea.. But understand I was giving you a easy option with the mouse. Im not trying to give you a hard time or be a Know it all but ive been giving you the best options for what i think is best in your current situation. Lets get the snake eating with you for the first time and then worry about what he eats. You have had a lot of concerns so im trying to get things so your content as well as the snake hahahaha


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yea, so the mouse option, is there any other advantages other than it can survive easier till next feeding? I also heard like downsizing the prey item helps?

So next time, I will feed it when the sun goes down. Put the prey into the tub and close lid and don't bother but monitor from long distance.

Like you mentioned previously, who knows if he was on rat or mice, if I end up having to get another prey for next feeding, should I go with small adult mouse then? or hopper for smaller meal?

-edit- so feeding night time makes sense because they are nocturnal but is it still going to work if room lights are still on? he is in my room so turning off could be hard in the evening unless I am going to sleep.

[CALM Pythons]

yea, so the mouse option, is there any other advantages other than it can survive easier till next feeding? I also heard like downsizing the prey item helps?

So next time, I will feed it when the sun goes down. Put the prey into the tub and close lid and don't bother but monitor from long distance.

Like you mentioned previously, who knows if he was on rat or mice, if I end up having to get another prey for next feeding, should I go with small adult mouse then? or hopper for smaller meal?

-edit- so feeding night time makes sense because they are nocturnal but is it still going to work if room lights are still on? he is in my room so turning off could be hard in the evening unless I am going to sleep.

The rat you have is a ok size, dont go smaller on that.. If its a mouse, you dont need a very small one, they are already small so just a normal size mouse if you go that route. As far as the mouse and advantages..they like mice better, this is why its sometimes a selling point for some stores etc.. Is they say they are feeding rats that would be good because it saves the buyer from having to try and switch them over.
That was the other reason I suggested a Mouse.. They take them more times than not so i was trying to just get the snake fed in your care. Some snakes are harder than others to switch over to Rats and some wont eat them even when owners rub the Rat on a mouse for scenting purpose.


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[gusanr14]

The rat you have is a ok size, dont go smaller on that.. If its a mouse, you dont need a very small one, they are already small so just a normal size mouse if you go that route. As far as the mouse and advantages..they like mice better, this is why its sometimes a selling point for some stores etc.. Is they say they are feeding rats that would be good because it saves the buyer from having to try and switch them over.
That was the other reason I suggested a Mouse.. They take them more times than not so i was trying to just get the snake fed in your care. Some snakes are harder than others to switch over to Rats and some wont eat them even when owners rub the Rat on a mouse for scenting purpose.


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Ok, I will try rat one more time, if it fails I would probably go to mouse.