Neither Ball feeding - advice welcomed

[TheGirlWith2Balls]

Hey,

I'm new to ball pythons and even newer on here but I'm just after some advice if you could.

I have 2 ball pythons. One is 3 years, I adopted him just over 2 weeks ago. And the other is 1 month, I adopted her last just over a week ago.

The 3yo hasn't fed since 1st July, so has never fed with me. Although I have offered a few times now. He shows interest (tongue flicking) but other than that he shys away from it.

The 1 month old, fed with me 4 days after I got her home (a week ago today). She struck straight away and straight down (proud moment! ). Then I was advised to feed baby every 5 day so I tried again on sunday with no luck at all.

Should I leave them both for a week with minimal interaction (other than misting, and changing water?) then try again next Monday evening?

I know I am fussing. I'm like a new mum with the pair of them (I did the same fussing with my daughter when she was born).

I don't think it'll make any difference but the temps in both vivs are fine and I keep on top of the humidity and there are plenty of places for them to hide/bask. I have also filmed them both overnight and they are both active the majority of the night. The little one likes dangling in the foliage during the day for a couple of hours too.

So... Any takers to advise this new snake lady? Please!

[Booper]

First off with the three-year-old it's pretty normal for them to go on hunger strikes, just monitor their weight to make sure it dosen't drop significantly. Keep and eye on the baby though.. Secondly, what are you offering? Live, fresh killed or frozen/thawed? Are you offering mice or rats? Which one were they eating before? Thirdly, what size prey are you offering? This handy chart should help you to choose the right size prey:


And fourth and finally, how are you feeding them? Beeps come out during the night so it's best to feed them in the dark, and some beeps are shy eaters so they appreciate having the prey left in with them to eat. My best example is with Wanda, when we switched her over to rats she wouldn't eat unless we left the rat in with her with a towel over her feeding box to keep it pitch-black I'd leave them for another week and try again then.

[TheGirlWith2Balls]

Hey Booper, thanks.

Ok, to begin with I can weigh the little one but I have no accurate for the big boy. I can try and see if I can get an accurate measuring device for him.

secondly, they are both on frozen thawed.

thirdly, now Ive seen that Ive been told wrong. I was told when I got her, pinkies for the little one (shes 75g) and Hopper for him but now I can see that's totally wrong! He's only been fed on hoppers. So should I just move him up and try him with bigger, or see if he'll take the hopper first considering hes never had bigger then if he does, train feed him?

lastly I'm waiting till about 7-8pm and making sure the viv is dark ish except from the heat lamp.

[Craiga 01453]

I don't think it'll make any difference but the temps in both vivs are fine and I keep on top of the humidity and there are plenty of places for them to hide/bask. I have also filmed them both overnight and they are both active the majority of the night. The little one likes dangling in the foliage during the day for a couple of hours too.

So... Any takers to advise this new snake lady? Please!

Actually, this is the most important info you can share with us for us to help you out.

What size/type of enclosures are they in?
How are you heating the enclosures? Is your heat regulated by a thermostat?
How and where are you getting your temp readings? How about humidity measurements?
What are your temps? Humidity?
What are you using for hides? and where are they placed?


Husbandry is the first reason BPs will go off food. The more info you share with us the more we can help you. Pictures help a lot too.

[Craiga 01453]

Hey Booper, thanks.

Ok, to begin with I can weigh the little one but I have no accurate for the big boy. I can try and see if I can get an accurate measuring device for him.

secondly, they are both on frozen thawed.

thirdly, now Ive seen that Ive been told wrong. I was told when I got her, pinkies for the little one (shes 75g) and Hopper for him but now I can see that's totally wrong! He's only been fed on hoppers. So should I just move him up and try him with bigger, or see if he'll take the hopper first considering hes never had bigger then if he does, train feed him?

lastly I'm waiting till about 7-8pm and making sure the viv is dark ish except from the heat lamp.

It's important to do as much research as you can about these animals. The more you know, the better you can properly care for them. Read, read, read. And learn from multiple, reliable sources.

[Booper]

Hey Booper, thanks.

Ok, to begin with I can weigh the little one but I have no accurate for the big boy. I can try and see if I can get an accurate measuring device for him.

secondly, they are both on frozen thawed.

thirdly, now Ive seen that Ive been told wrong. I was told when I got her, pinkies for the little one (shes 75g) and Hopper for him but now I can see that's totally wrong! He's only been fed on hoppers. So should I just move him up and try him with bigger, or see if he'll take the hopper first considering hes never had bigger then if he does, train feed him?

lastly I'm waiting till about 7-8pm and making sure the viv is dark ish except from the heat lamp.

For weighing I just have a digital kitchen scale I got at a home store for £5, it can weigh up to 5kg so perfect for beeps, then I just have a mixing bowl on top to put them in It works great for weighing beeps of any size ha.

And also as pointed out the husbandry in your tank is important (I completely missed that whoops), craigafrechette has asked all of the questions...

In my humble opinion (Others may have different opinions) I'd try and get the beep feeding on whatever they were being fed before, and then move them up. My boy Cinnamon is 600g-ish but he came as a problem feeder on large mice. Since setting him up with a more reliable heatsource he's eaten three times, the first two I offered the large mouse and this last time I offered two large mice, and he took both (eventually, he's another leave and come back feeder ) In a few weeks I may try him on three before I switch him to rats. You could try train feeding, I've done it with Wanda when switching her over to rats. You just need a steady hand, and obviously if your beep doesn't like having people watching if he is spooked by your hand he may regurgitate.

[TheGirlWith2Balls]

I bought a scale from Asda today, the baby is 78g and my big one is 1073g.

Ive decided to leave them both alone from today till Friday or Saturday then try again to feed them both.

Ill wait till I have a few feeds in him before I train feed the big boy 😍

[Stewart_Reptiles]

When it comes to the older one it is not unusual for an adult to go off feed and refuse to feed when they change environment it will be a matter of optimum husbandry (see caresheet) and more importantly patience, it could last weeks, it could last months.

For the younger one do this to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101, it's a proven method and considering the size it's the best you can do considering the day time activity and food refusal. At his size it should be voraciously eating and be hiding all day not be in the foliage those are two signs that the husbandry is off.

[TheGirlWith2Balls]

When it comes to the older one it is not unusual for an adult to go off feed and refuse to feed when they change environment it will be a matter of optimum husbandry (see caresheet) and more importantly patience, it could last weeks, it could last months.

For the younger one do this to a T https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101, it's a proven method and considering the size it's the best you can do considering the day time activity and food refusal. At his size it should be voraciously eating and be hiding all day not be in the foliage those are two signs that the husbandry is off.

Hey Deborah,

Thanks for your advice about my big boy. Ill keep trying every week until he eats. Next time I try will be Saturday I think.

My younger one, the husbandry must be just right, as I said in a previous post because I tried her this morning just out of hope (she was out and about this morning which is unusual for her, usually I don't see her till early afternoon when she climbs the foliage and hangs out for an hour or so) and within 20 seconds she struck and down went a hopper!

Ill leave her for a couple days now and let her 1st big meal settle. (Shes only had pinkies or tiny fuzzies before now)