Feeling Like a Failure (Feeding)

[Bogertophis]

... Next thing I know, she magically went back over to her hot hide, and has been sitting in it ever since for several hours. First time I've witnessed her using that side of the cage in weeks.

Coincidence?

I don't think that's a coincidence...

[alittleFREE]

I don't think that's a coincidence...

Me neither. Crazy how a 1 degree change is instantly noticeable to them.

I'm suddenly way more optimistic that she may eat for me come Sunday. Maybe this was the issue all along - her warm hide was accumulating too much heat with the combo of the CHE and the UTH...

I feel kind of dumb, but every other time I checked, I would just do the normal thing where I pointed it in the middle of the hide at the glass and it would always read 88-89 so I figured it was the same as it has always been. But apparently some areas were getting hotter than I thought and I just wasn't hitting those with the temp gun.

[Zincubus]

Whenever I see anything about a hair dryer I have to think of Zincubus

You can talk




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[zina10]

You can talk




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I think that one ought to do the trick, no ?

Should get the rodents plenty hot

[Zincubus]

I think that one ought to do the trick, no ?

Should get the rodents plenty hot

I was trying to make out it was YOU with the hairdryer


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[zina10]

I was trying to make out it was YOU with the hairdryer


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Why yes. That's my industrial sized hair dryer and I can't live without it!! LOL.

Back on topic, whenever my BP's suddenly get rather lackluster about striking and taking their food, getting the rodents a little hotter usually fixes it.

Whether it's hotter water or longer hair drying. They act interested in the rodents but won't strike unless they get a strong heat signature.

I agree with everyone saying that the ambient Temps and season threw her off. She will eat again when ready


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[alittleFREE]

Update:

STILL on the hot side.

Really starting to think this was the issue. Still going to wait until Sunday to feed to give her time to adjust and relax.

Damn that 1 degree.

[alittleFREE]

Update:

Syd still hasn’t eaten. Like before, she seems extremely interested in food but won’t strike. Every night she sits with her head out of the hide like she’s waiting for prey. She has now missed 5 feeds.

She doesn’t appear much different with her body constitution, but I’m going to weigh her today just to be sure.

I’m going to switch up how I’m thawing for the next feed and see if that changes anything.

I feel like I would be less stressed if she seemed completely uninterested altogether. The fact that she is seemingly waiting for prey and then is intently focused on the food offered, but won’t strike, makes me think it might be the way I’m thawing and presenting.


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[dakski]

Hey alittleFREE!

I think I am very late here. However, I wanted to give my two cents and set your mind at ease, even if I am a little redundant at times.

At 350G, she can go a while without eating. This time of year is when they often stop and fast. Shayna, my female BP, started her winter fast 6 weeks ago. She has done a 5 month fast every winter for 4 years now and was picky before then. However, the 5 month winter fast thing has been like clockwork since she was 2 (she's 6 now).

Personally, I think she will eat when ready. BP's do this. I think you are lucky that you only have 1/4 that does it! It's much harder on us as keepers than it is on them, believe me.

I would weigh her periodically, and I wouldn't worry until she is under 300G or has gone for more than 6 months. That's me. I would pretty much let her be and would offer food much less frequently now. If she had been eating weekly, offer every 3 weeks. If she had been eating every other week, over monthly.

Secondly, I have compiled a step by step process for how to defrost and warm frozen rodents to feed. Since your other 3 eat like clockwork, that's probably not the issues, but it doesn't hurt to have a good system.

The steps are below. Good luck, stay calm, and keep us in the loop!


This is my step by step list on defrosting F/T rodents.

Others may do it differently and that's fine. This how I do it and it works for me.


STEPS FOR DEFROSTING F/T RODENTS/PREY

1. Put prey item(s) into appropriate size plastic bag (1 for each). I use Quart size ziplock bags up to a medium rat. NOTE: Bags are optional. Some people just throw the prey in the water. I like the bags, but you have to squeeze the air out of them.

2. Fill the container/storage box 3/4 of the way with room temp to slightly warm water. If you have a temp gun (which you should, so if you don't, get one), make sure the water is not hotter than 85-90F, or there about.

3. Put F/T prey item(s) in water. Cover (optional) and leave for an hour +/-.

4. After an hour, rotate/flip prey. If in plastic bags, they often will stay on whatever side you put them in on. So if mouse is on left side, turn to right side, etc.

5. Leave for another hour +/- for a TOTAL of about 2 hours (up to medium sized rat - longer if bigger prey for when ROE is bigger and eating Large rats, for example).

6. Check that prey is defrosted totally through. Squeeze at different sections of the preys body. Should be cool/room temp to touch, but be soft with no cold spots. If hard (except for bone), in abdomen, for example, or cold, put back in water until room temp and soft.

7. Take prey out of the container/storage box and put aside. THEN FOLLOW STEPS 8-11 OR STEP 12

8. Fill container with hot water from tap. If using temp gun, water temp should be 110-130F, not more.

9. Drop prey item into water for 30 seconds +/-. If multiple prey items, do one at a time. You want each item hot when you offer.

10. Remove (if hot water, with tongs).

11. Dry as best as you can, and is quickly as you can, with paper towels. I dry with paper towels while I am walking from the bathroom where I defrost to the snake tanks. I kind of wrap the prey item up in them. It's ten feet, so by the time I get to the tanks, the prey is drier, but still warm.

12. If not using hot water, use a hairdryer to heat rat so it entices snake

13. Open tank and offer ASAP.

[Zincubus]

As above really plus wait until it's settled under a hide then dangle a WARM rodent in front off the hide entrance ... don't blink


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