how do i get my BP to eat rats?

[maiden_canada]

hey ive fed my BP 12hoppers since ive had him and im moving him up to weanlings/fuzzies hes about 18-20'' i think, and he wont some near the rats, i offer them to him everyday and he looks at them for a m inute and turns his ohead even when i move them around infront of his face. i was wondering if there was anything i could do to make him ''like'' eating rats more. i would bet money that if i tossed a mouse in there he would eat it but im trying not to give in

[sapphire_moon]

why not try an ADULT mouse or something of equivelent (sp?) size in rats before you get to big of a rat....
a hatchling bp can eat an adult mouse right out of the egg.

[maiden_canada]

yeah thats what i was thinking too, but ive heard a number of respectible people on kingsnake and here say to switch to rats as soon as possible, and the rats im feeding are a bit smaller then an adult mouse. i just want to get him on rats as soon as possible

[Eric]

Get him on RATS ASAP. They grow faster on rats. Often there are ball pythons that only feed on mice. Try get your ball feeding on frozen thawed mice for a month. Then give him a live rat pup. In the long run mice feeders are a lot harder to maintain, cause any adult female could easily take 6-10 adult mice per feeding. Good Luck!

[ohh_kristina]

I agree..rats are the way to go. Try scenting the rats with mouse fur..that sometimes works.

[Alex Dew]

Hey

Im going to try and switch my 18inch bp FROM 2 med mice TO 1 small rat this weekend.
Thanks for the help Kristina, are there any other methods to switch them from mice to rats???

Thanks

Alex

[tHeGiNo]

Some will just take the rats without a fuss. I would try scenting the rats with the mice after that though.

[elevation24]

I just didn't feed mine for about two weeks. She had fed about 4 days before going into a shed, was in her shed for 8 days, and I fed her at the next feeding day, which was a few days after she finished shedding. I don't even bother trying to feed any of them during shedding as they almost never emerge from their hides, so I just figure it's better to leave them alone as they obviously don't want to come out to hunt. I guess by then she was good and hungry and she took it pretty much immediately and has been eating them for the past 4 feedings.

I haven't started my male on them yet, and my oldest female probably will never eat them. I have a pair of het piebalds on the way and plan on starting them off rats right off the bat, as that is what the breeder I am getting them from has been feeding them.

I think scenting them sounds like a good idea, or maybe sticking them in really hot water right before you offer. Rats don't seem to smell nearly as bad as mice to me, so I assume the smell isn't as strong to the snakes either. Heat should help.

[Eric]

You guy's can also try putting a live mouse in a small box with holes in it. Like the boxes at the pet store. Then place box and live rat pup in the cage with the snake. Sometime this trick works. Good Luck

[foman]

I would try not offering it food daily, give it a couple of days between offers.