How long with no food?

[Craiga 01453]

Ive always heard the sooner the better, becauae the longer you wait the more they wont want to switch..

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Some switch easier than others, but at only 6 months you've got plenty of time. If you're insistent on switching now, you can't be so quick to write off things like scenting. Waiting the animal out is something I don't suggest newer keepers rely on.

[Mppeasle]

Some switch easier than others, but at only 6 months you've got plenty of time. If you're insistent on switching now, you can't be so quick to write off things like scenting. Waiting the animal out is something I don't suggest newer keepers rely on.

Okay! Thank you for your advise!

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[Craiga 01453]

Okay! Thank you for your advise!

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Also, how often are you offering?

[Mppeasle]

Also, how often are you offering?

I offered the 20th, the 25th (he looked like he was hunting around his enclosure thought id try) and I havent offered again yet. So im not overly concern yet as its only been 2 attempts..

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[OkamiFlautist]

I just switched my BP from F/T mice to rats. The first time I offered a rat I thawed it with a mouse beside it to transfer scent. She took that rat that was scented perfectly. The next week I tried a rat with no mouse scent added, and she struck instantly again. I would definitely try scenting if you haven't yet- it seems weird (I honestly didn't want to do it myself) but I think that made the process much easier personally!

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[Mppeasle]

I just switched my BP from F/T mice to rats. The first time I offered a rat I thawed it with a mouse beside it to transfer scent. She took that rat that was scented perfectly. The next week I tried a rat with no mouse scent added, and she struck instantly again. I would definitely try scenting if you haven't yet- it seems weird (I honestly didn't want to do it myself) but I think that made the process much easier personally!

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I'll give it a shot! I guess I just never understood how it worked.. thought id have to scent the rats forever

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[Bogertophis]

Also I do frozen thawed, so im not sure the shavings trick would do much

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Helps more than you might think. Thaw the rat in cool water...it washes off more of the rat scent. Then add scent of mice & warm to "lifelike" warmth* (which I assume you've been doing?) & use tongs to slightly
wiggle rodent AWAY from the snake, never towards the snake. (rodent in the real world don't volunteer to get eaten, & if they appear to do that it may scare your snake into not eating)

Timing & "atmosphere" can also help get a snake to eat: BPs are ambush predators, & usually like to strike from their hiding place at rodents that appear to be cluelessly passing by, in the evening, dim lighting.
You don't want to offer food to a BP that is out cruising his cage...they're too cautious to eat in the open like that, usually.

All of these seemingly tiny details can seriously make a difference...especially offering the prey WARM -about 100*- just not cooked though. And I agree w/ Craig...keep a young snake eating, work out the details
when they're older & have more body size. Don't go too long before you just offer what HE wants.

[Bogertophis]

Another way to help a snake switch to rats is when they have enough body size to accept 2 smaller prey items instead one larger one, feed ONE of what they want first (mouse, in this case), then while they are still
pumped up ("in feed mode") offer (or "chain-feed") the second item (rat). In this way they may learn to accept either one. This works for SOME snakes, not all...it's just another method to keep in mind. Some snakes
are harder than others to switch...patience.

[Craiga 01453]

I offered the 20th, the 25th (he looked like he was hunting around his enclosure thought id try) and I havent offered again yet. So im not overly concern yet as its only been 2 attempts..

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Ok. I'd wait at least 7 days between offerings as well. You're certainly not overdoing it, so I'm just sharing this for general knowledge, but offering too often can actually stress the animal and lead to further refusals. 5 days isn't too bad, but I definitely wouldn't offer any more frequently than that.

It sounds like you're open to suggestions and you obviously have the snakes best interest at heart. Try not to stress, you're on the right track

[EL-Ziggy]

I agree that scenting and braining are definitely worth trying even though I've never done the braining thing. I also don't think there's any rush, or need, to transition your BP to rats. They're not very large snakes and they could thrive on a varied diet of jumbo mice, ASFs, chicks and quail. On the flip side, if you really want the snake to eat rats then stay the course. Even young snakes can go months without food. If it's a well established animal that was eating consistently before it will eat again. Survival always trumps preference. I may prefer steak but if there's only chicken available then chicken it is. I had a 6 m/o carpet python that took 3-4 months before she got on track. She ate once and then refused for the next few months. I was offering food every week, then biweekly, and then every 3 weeks. Once she started eating she hasn't skipped a meal since. The bottom line for me is try not to stress yourself, or the snake, too much if it doesn't eat for a while. I used to do it too but I've learned that it's just wasted energy. If the husbandry is on point, and the animal is healthy, it'll eat when it's ready. BPs are some of the most stubborn snakes when it comes to food breaks but they all eat eventually. Self preservation is the first law of nature.