Feeding F/T

[Jax]

Up until today I've been feeding my boy live mice which he takes to very well, he'll strike within a few seconds. Since I got him, I've fed him this way 3 times and this is how he was fed before I got him. He's about 2 months old.

For this weeks feeding, I wanted to switch him to frozen, so about an hour ago I tried dethawing a mouse to feed him. He sniffed it for 10 mins or so and then just went in his hide and didn't eat it.

I don't know if this information is relevant, but just in case it is, he shed yesterday but not all came off so I soaked him today and the rest came off (that was this morning).

3 questions:

1. Do you have any suggestions to get him to eat a f/t mouse?

2. Do you suggest I keep trying to feed him f/t until he takes it?

3 How long would you suggest I wait to try to feed him another f/t each time he doesn't take it (i.e. I tried today, when should I try again)?

Thanks!

[Somed00d]

Run the mouse under the hottest water you can get from the tap. dry it off and try offering it.

edit: also try leaving the mouse in there with him over night. he may take it

[truthsdeceit]

Put it in a ziplock.
Defrost the mouse in your fridge the night before.
Heat it in a bowl of your hotest tap water, leave in the ziplock so it stays dry.

Use tongs of somekind to jiggle it just above and in front of your ball.
Do not push it at him. If he gets closer but does not strike keep wiggling and move a little away from him so that he's following it but not touching.

If he's used to live he should strike at the wiggling.

If he still doesn't take in 10mins reheat in hotwater. Try again or leave for him overnight.

[Argentra]

Another suggestion would be to switch more slowly: i.e. from live to pre-killed, THEN to FT. Every snake I own takes either FT or PK, and granted some will just NOT switch to FT...but it beats having to supervise 14 live feedings. And, if I offer prey in the right order nothing gets wasted even if one or two refuse.

The key to switching prey is to be patient and consistent. Keep them on the same schedule, even when they refuse the new item, and keep offering the new item. It just stresses a snake to no end when you try offering another prey item only days after the previous, and if you cave in and go back to live they'll learn that all they have to do is wait and they'll get what they want.

Personally, I would try offering a pre-killed item first since it's typically still warm and possibly twitching when you offer it. That warmth and movement still attract their instincts, but it also gets them used to eating something not fully living as it were. From there, it's a lot easier to go to FT.
Also, remember that some snakes just never switch and never will. We just have to go with what we're given.