Fussy Albino Burmese Python

[Greenie22]

Hi Everyone,
I need some help. I have a 17mth old albino Burmese Python and she WILL NOT take a rat or guinea pig without first being introduced to a baby chick.
When I first got her she was feeding fine, taking small weaners from the previous owner without any issues. Since getting her home for the first 3 months she would not feed at all. I gave her back to the owner as he was looking after her while I went away for a few days and he managed to get her to feed but only by offering her a chick first and then poking the head of the rat into her mouth, taking the rat as if it was one big long meal.
Chicks are kind of hard to come by so ideally I would like her to just take rats but I have tried everything:-

Just offering the rat and trying to coerce her to take it
Warming the rat in warm water
Jiggling the rat to try and emulate injured prey
Tapping the rat on her nose to try and get a strike reaction

All of the above have failed. But as soon as the chick is introduced she immediately switches into feeding mode and hits it like a train.

My viv set up is fine and the temperatures are as they should be for a Burmese.

Please can anyone shed any light on this subject as i am gretting so frustrated?

[chairman]

You can try scenting the rat with low sodium chicken broth. That sometimes helps. Eventually (hopefully) the snake will take the rats without scenting them.