Switch from p/k and live to f/t....

[frankykeno]

Well tonight was the big night LOL. Got our order in earlier in the week from The Mouse Factory (small rats and wean rats). Our 5 female balls have been either eating pre-killed or live and have done fine that way but f/t is just way more cost effective for us.

We were a bit worried about Saoirse the WC who as far as we know has always refused anything but live and rarely even eaten that in the past 6 months. Since we got her though she's eaten live consistently and tonight she nailed her f/t small rat like she'd been doing it all her life! We couldn't be happier!

Brannagh the Brat may like to try to take a chunk out of us LOL but man can that big girl hit a f/t rat like there's no tomorrow! We barely cracked the lid and she was ready to go and literally snatched her rat off the hemostats before Mike could get it into the tub fully.

Orlah, Rionach and Kyna also were happy with their smalls or weans.

What a night! Amazing how exciting it is to see them all transitioning over with such ease. Great to sit here and type this while 5 happy, full females are all curled up in their respective hides happily beginning to digest.


~~Jo~~

[bg1906]

Well tonight was the big night LOL. Got our order in earlier in the week from The Mouse Factory (small rats and wean rats). Our 5 female balls have been either eating pre-killed or live and have done fine that way but f/t is just way more cost effective for us.

We were a bit worried about Saoirse the WC who as far as we know has always refused anything but live and rarely even eaten that in the past 6 months. Since we got her though she's eaten live consistently and tonight she nailed her f/t small rat like she'd been doing it all her life! We couldn't be happier!

Brannagh the Brat may like to try to take a chunk out of us LOL but man can that big girl hit a f/t rat like there's no tomorrow! We barely cracked the lid and she was ready to go and literally snatched her rat off the hemostats before Mike could get it into the tub fully.

Orlah, Rionach and Kyna also were happy with their smalls or weans.

What a night! Amazing how exciting it is to see them all transitioning over with such ease. Great to sit here and type this while 5 happy, full females are all curled up in their respective hides happily beginning to digest.


~~Jo~~

Wonderful! Glad its working out for you! So good to hear all of them took the f/t on the first try!

[iceman25]

Great news Jo!

[buckdawg]

stupid newb question here. how do you thaw the f/t?
and what if the bp doesn't take the food, can you re-freeze the food?
i don't have a snake yet but am contemplating it.

[frankykeno]

Well I just took out the small and wean rats around 3 p.m. (we feed around 10 p.m.) and set them out on a clean trash bag to thaw slowly. Then when we were ready to start feeding (and the rats were soft and thawed) we popped them into heavy ziploc bags and then into empty margarine containers full of hot water to make them nice and toasty warm (about 10 minutes or so). Really quite easy.

If any of them had been refused I would have immediately refrozen them but seperately and marked them as re-frozen so they would be used first next time and if refused again....tossed out.

Just the way we are doing it (I'm certainly no expert on f/t feeding at this point LOL).

Thanks for all the kinds words btw. We were so happy last night to have it go so well.


~~Jo~~

[rabernet]

Jo, great news! I know you are especially thrilled about your W/C gal! I'm so glad to hear that she's thriving in your care!