Switching from live to F/T

[MikeC1212]

How hard would it be to get a 500g female that's been eating Live to switch over to F/T? Would this be pointless since she's already been eating live for 18 months?

[twh]

not pointless at all,some switch over easy some take awhile.you might want to try a few fresh kills before trying thawed.make sure the thawed are warm and you may want to try moving the rodent with long tongs.whenever i try a new way of presenting a feeder i skip one feeding making sure the snake is good and hungry.best of luck.

[wolfy-hound]

With my ball pythons too, I make sure to hold the rodent by the scruff, so it's not dangling head down, and don't bump them with it. Warming it is a great suggestion, but don't microwave it!! Trust me. Not good. A heat lamp, or warm water, or even putting it into an empty bin. If she won't take it off tongs leave it with the lights off to see if she'll eat it after poking around it a while.
Don't get discouraged either, it might take time, but it's always worth getting them onto f/t. I'm starting to work with mine, since with my schedule, I have less time to clean up after rats. If I'm going to have to buy my rats, buying frozen ones from someplace like RodentPro is much cheaper than buying live rats locally. (Even if I have a source for $1 each)
Good luck!
*Disclaimer* These suggestions come from my direct experiance with my own reptiles, and in no way constitutes a legal advising of husbandry. The poster has no vetrenary license and does not practice for any amount of funding, but rather imparts advice from her own feeble-minded achives of knowledge. All advice taken is measured by weight not volumne and some settling may have occured during shipping.
Wolfy

[Tainted Glory]

I've found defrosting the mice in hot water works well. The key is to dry the mouse thoroughly prior to feeding. I've actually never had a problem switching from fresh killed to frozen. Worst case scenario is the snake doesn't feed for a week. No big deal.