To feed or not to feed?

[EL Ziggy]

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. My Cal King, Hannibal Caesar, refused food for the first time last Thursday. I didn't attempt to feed my MBK, Sasha Fierce, at the time because she was in deep blue and can be a finicky eater especially before she sheds. So it's been (2) weeks since either of them have eaten. I was going to attempt to feed them both tomorrow but Sasha Fierce still hasn't shed, even though she's post blue and has been pretty active for the last 2 days. Caesar also looks like he's going into pre-shed but has that's never stopped him from eating before. Should I go ahead and offer food tomorrow or should I wait another week? They're both pretty young so I don't want them to go too long without eating. Sasha Fierce is only 6 months old and Hannibal Caesar is approximately 10-11 months old. BTW temps look good, 76 on the cool side and 85 on the warm side.

[sharthun]

what size prey does both eat? I would try feeding both. Medusa refused food last night but she is blue again lol So I had to discard a couple mice.

[EL Ziggy]

what size prey does both eat? I would try feeding both. Medusa refused food last night but she is blue again lol So I had to discard a couple mice.
Caesar eats small mice and Sasha Fierce eats hoppers. I was thinking of giving them both hoppers tomorrow. I hate discarding mice when they don't eat even though I've got 100 of them :)

[sharthun]

Caesar eats small mice and Sasha Fierce eats hoppers. I was thinking of giving them both hoppers tomorrow. I hate discarding mice when they don't eat even though I've got 100 of them :)

Yeah I was going to suggest going smaller for caesar.

[formica]

if you know that shed is hit and miss for taking food, theres no harm in waiting


this is the great thing about having a monitor, missed feeds are never wasted lol

[EL Ziggy]

if you know that shed is hit and miss for taking food, theres no harm in waiting


this is the great thing about having a monitor, missed feeds are never wasted lol

Good point formica, I don't think I can handle a monitor though :D. Sasha Fierce is hit or miss in shed but I'm hoping she'll finish her shed today or tomorrow. Caesar has always eaten until last week. My concern is that they're both a little young to miss many meals. I think I'll give it a shot tomorrow or Friday and hope for the best. I was wondering if the change in weather has any effect on their eating habits. Its getting a little cooler here but no change in their viv temperatures.

[sharthun]

Good point formica, I don't think I can handle a monitor though :D. Sasha Fierce is hit or miss in shed but I'm hoping she'll finish her shed today or tomorrow. Caesar has always eaten until last week. My concern is that they're both a little young to miss many meals. I think I'll give it a shot tomorrow or Friday and hope for the best. I was wondering if the change in weather has any effect on their eating habits. Its getting a little cooler here but no change in their viv temperatures.


Good luck! ;)

[slowhite03]

I don't feed during shed, I don't see the point

[Starbuck]

all my snakes eat all the time. I never change my feeding schedule if they are in blue etc.

i would thaw one prey item, try caesar, if he refuses try it with sasha.

[EL Ziggy]

all my snakes eat all the time. I never change my feeding schedule if they are in blue etc.

i would thaw one prey item, try caesar, if he refuses try it with sasha.
Great idea Starbuck! This will minimize any potential losses and starts with the highest probability of success. I like the way you think :)

[EL Ziggy]

Good luck! ;)
Thanks Steve. I'll let you all know how it goes. Hopefully they'll both be hungry and woof down some vermin :crazy2:

[EL Ziggy]

Just wanted to give everyone an update. Caesar refused to eat for the 2nd consecutive week. He didn't seem interested in the least. I have no idea why he's suddenly off schedule. Temps are good at 77 and 86. Not sure what else I can do. I'll try again next week. The good news is Sasha Fierce ate 2 hoppers tonight.

[Starbuck]

glad sasha ate for you!
How old/large is caesar (weight wise)?

Is it possible hes setting up for brumation or something (even if you werent intending on it)?
Has the day/night light cycle changed lately? Are you using natural sunlight or do you have lamps on timers?

[sharthun]

Good news for Sasha!

[EL Ziggy]

glad sasha ate for you!
How old/large is caesar (weight wise)?

Is it possible hes setting up for brumation or something (even if you werent intending on it)?
Has the day/night light cycle changed lately? Are you using natural sunlight or do you have lamps on timers?
Starbuck-I'm thinking Caesar is 10-12 months old. I got him in February and he was just a baby. Unfortunately Petsmart didn't have a hatch date for him. He's grown quite a bit. He's about 30 in long and last weighed in at 90g about 3 weeks ago. I was wondering if the change in weather might be effecting his eating cycle. It's getting a little cooler here, low to mid 70's during the day and mid 50's-60's at night, but the temps inside the viv seem normal (76/86). I use natural sunlight in the room he's in but it is one of the darker rooms in my place so there's not much direct sunlight back there. Still enough of a natural light cycle I would think. Do you think this could be the reason he's not eating?

[EL Ziggy]

Good news for Sasha!
Yeah Steve, I thawed the hopper on top of her viv to see if I could get her excited to eat but I offered it to Caesar first. I dangled the mouse on tongs and he just sniffed at it and slithered away. Left it in with him for maybe 30 minutes and he didn't do anything. Reheated it just a bit and offered it to Sasha who snatched it quickly off the tongs from inside her hide. I decided to try Caesar again, thawed another, covered his tank and left it in with him for 90 minutes and still nothing. Figured I'd try to give Sasha seconds before discarding the hopper, thinking she would refuse, and to my surprise she struck hard again and ate quickly. Now if I could just get Caesar back on track I would be a happy camper.

[sharthun]

Yeah Steve, I thawed the hopper on top of her viv to see if I could get her excited to eat but I offered it to Caesar first. I dangled the mouse on tongs and he just sniffed at it and slithered away. Left it in with him for maybe 30 minutes and he didn't do anything. Reheated it just a bit and offered it to Sasha who snatched it quickly off the tongs from inside her hide. I decided to try Caesar again, thawed another, covered his tank and left it in with him for 90 minutes and still nothing. Figured I'd try to give Sasha seconds before discarding the hopper, thinking she would refuse, and to my surprise she struck hard again and ate quickly. Now if I could just get Caesar back on track I would be a happy camper.

Yeah, Medusa knocks down 2 small mice per feeding now. It's amazing how big a prey they can eat for such a slender snake. Good luck with Caesar. ;)