How do you do it??

[bnreptiles]

HI there thanks for lookin. I wanted to know how you all feed your ball pythons. I have a couple that just aren't eating for me. Its been since Feb and still nothing. Ya ya I know they do that and it normal, but I need so input. Do you thaw in water? Keep them in water, then dry off then feed? Do you shake it in front of them? Leave it over night for them? I'm just looking for details to how you thaw your rats, offer your rats, how long you spend offering, how often you try one method then switch to another? All that good stuff. Thanks in advance. Brad

[Tinks]

i dont mean to be a useless post but you can probably find alot of these ansures by reading other ppls post about questions they have, ive learned alot from just reading the replies to others questions, like i said, just tryin to save ppl from having to repeat themselfs lol

[Bartman]

Ive found the best results, for me at least, is thawing in hot water. Usually takes 15 minutes depending on what meal size. Then I will run very hot water on the head of the prey after its been dried off with a towl. You can do that or hold the head under a very hot heat lamp. Either way just getting it very hot is key since ball's have very good heat pits.

As for how long I offer it depends on how they respond. If they seem interested (tounge flicking and moving toward the rat) I usually keep trying until they take it. If they don't take it I usually offer it something else that will eat but you can deffinetly try leaving it over night and take it out in the morning. I had a male ball that I wouldnt even bother offering because he would just take it over night every single time. The way to feed changes from snake to snake but you'll figure it out quickly once they start feeding.

If they're new then try over night, try getting it very hot, try even different color rats. I also have a female that goes after white albino rats MUCH quicker then black or brown ones. I don't think they can see in color but somehow they know the difference. Its quite interesting.

Good luck!

[Princess Erica]

Here's what I do. This works for my guy like a charm.

First off, I feed in the enclosure. Some people don't recommend that, but to me, it's a lot easier than stressing my guy out by taking him out of the enclosure and putting him into a feeding tub.

I thaw my rats in a Ziploc bag in hot water so they stay dry. When they're warm to my touch all the way through (especially through the belly) then I'll take them into my reptile room. I make sure my guy is in his cave hide because it's the only one that lets him be in the right position to hunt, and then I dangle the rat by the tail with hemostats into the tank. I drag it back and forth across the opening of the hide, like it's looking for its burrow or something. This lets him feel totally secure inside the hide and that, for him, promotes eating to the umpteenth degree.

Usually my guy will take it within the first 2 or 3 passes across the hide's door. He'll pop right out and strike it. Sometimes he coils, sometimes he doesn't, just kinda depends. I guess I've been lucky in that regard though, once he started eating for me (which took 2 months after getting him), he's nary passed up a meal.

You've just got to try different methods until you find one that works for your particular animal and go from there. :)

[nita]

I sent you an email.....

like Erica I find feeding in the enclosure to work best. Used to do it the other way but this helped with my shy feeders.

[Bartman]

then I dangle the rat by the tail with hemostats into the tank.

Forgot to mention that I find hold the rat by the nape of the neck works better. It allows the snake to get it by the face cutting down on feeding time. As well, it helps block the snakes vision of the hemostats better.

[pythonmdk]

what were they eating befor you got them? Live, f/t, p/k, rats or mice, you should always stick with what they are eating for the first few meals, once you get them used to the new environment and eating then you can play around. I feed all my guys diffently, some could be switched over to f/t, one eats only live or pre killed but still twitching rats. most I have to wiggle the food for a bit and 2 you can just drop the prey in and they will eat it later on. Most of my snakes I feed in there encloser, except my kenyans, I put them in tupperware so they don't eat any substrate and my JCP gets feed in a different enclosure because if no it gets used to eating everything that goes into her enclosure. good luck.
John

[Princess Erica]

I sent you an email.....

like Erica I find feeding in the enclosure to work best. Used to do it the other way but this helped with my shy feeders.

Cuts down on having to handle them to put them back in the enclosure while they're digesting as well. It's just easier and less stressful for us both, and personally I've never had ANY problem with aggression or getting tagged because my guy thinks it's feeding time. My handling routine and feeding routine as so vastly different that there's no way he could mistake either of the two.

[pythonmdk]

Cuts down on having to handle them to put them back in the enclosure while they're digesting as well. It's just easier and less stressful for us both, and personally I've never had ANY problem with aggression or getting tagged because my guy thinks it's feeding time. My handling routine and feeding routine as so vastly different that there's no way he could mistake either of the two.


Thats the difference between balls and carpets, or at least I have found. My carpet even though it is held every day and is amazingly docile still goes nuts if you feed her in her enclosure, next thing you know after just once meal she thinks that everything going in there is food. wasn't bad when it was 2 feet but gets annoying with a 4-5 footer, can't wait till she's 7-8 feet!! Balls are completely different from my experince, even the guys I don't hold much don't strike unless they see and smell the food. But that's just my 2 cents.

John

[Princess Erica]

I only ever offer advice based on my personal experiences. I would never be so arrogant as to say what works for me is going to work for everybody. The initial post was in reference to a ball though, and since I DO have experience getting a non-eating BP to eat F/T like a champ, I was just saying what's worked for me. Of course, you have to go with what works for you and your personal situation. If feeding outside the enclosure is what works best for you, rock on! Whatever works. The fact that they're eating is what's important. :)

[ffollett]

have a couple that just aren't eating for me. Its been since Feb and still nothing

We had a male we got form someone who we think was wc. He didn't eat for 7 months.
This is when we use to breed our own food for the snakes. We had to put a live rabbit kit in there over night to get him to eat. Once we got him started he was fine and started taking f/t rats.

[Kathy Shaw]

I start all of my hatchlings on live mouse hoppers. Try feeding them late at night without turning on the room lights if possible. DO NOT LEAVE LIVE PREY ALONE WITH YOUR BP!
Yup I sit there in the dark and watch them in what little light filters in from the hall:)

How big are the snakes... 6 months is a long time for a hatchling or small bp to go without eating.

If the mouse hopper does not work I break down and give them their natural food... live gerbil of apropriate size.