A couple hatchling feeding questions

[crocsnhots]

I have a few questions regarding my newly hatched baby corns.

I read that feeding is not to be attempted til after the first shed. Can they be fed before their first shed?
If not, why not? (Assuming they'd eat ofcourse)

Do the pinkies have to be 1 day olds or can they be a little larger?
I know of braining, and lizard scenting, are there any other tips I should know of that may come in handy for feeding hatchlings?

Thanks

[gonesnakee]

Some will eat prior their first sheds, others will not. It is pretty much standard to wait until after they have shed to feed though. Reasoning is that snakes in shed aren't always apt to eat. Baby snakes have done nothing but feed their whole lives already & it gives them a week to use up their "yolk guts" therefore making them more willing to eat as they will be hungrier. Big reason for me is because I keep them together until after their first sheds as well. This way I can keep them all in one wet humid container until they are all done, rather then dealing with keeping 20-30 humid containers. In reguards to all the feeding tips, forget about them all for now. Best thing to do is contain the baby snake with a live piinkie in a delicup first go round (newborn or dayold is best) & almost everyone will eat. The ones that don't wait a few days & try again. Remember if they have big yolk guts they will not be hungry, sometimes for weeks. All the messing around with braining & scenting etc. should be saved for 2-3 weeks down the road IMHO why go to all the efffort for something that may not even be hungry yet & worse yet get it thinking that it should eat only lizard scented or brained all the time. A good way to tell is to observe the baby snake. If it is still pooping lots despite not eating it means that it is still using up its "yolk" & may continue to do so for some time prior it wanting to eat. Graybanded Kings are a classic example of this & most will go 2-4 months before they decide to eat finally except for the odd specimens. If the snake is healthy & having movements if is probably just not hungry yet. Seeings how you only have a few babies to deal with you may consider trying to start them on frozen/thawed first meal. Its not so bad to tease feed a few verus a few 100. Good Luck Mark

[crocsnhots]

Thanks so much for your reply!
I have the babies at about 27C in their rack, should I keep it any warmer? How humid should I have it? and can I really offer them f/t as their first meal? I thought they only ever take live for their first meals. Although it's a terrible thing to think of, how long could a baby corn go without eating before it starts to look thin and too weak to survive?

Live pinkies are hard to get here, I only have 3 right now and they are already too big to be fed to the hatchlings. However, I buy frozen mice and rats from rodentpro and I'm gonna put in another order in 2 weeks, so I figured I'd pick up some f/t pinkies then for later on, but if there's a chance they'd take f/t right away, that would be fantastic!

These corns are so adorable, I hope feeding them is easier then some of my friends have made them out to be.
Thanks.

[gonesnakee]

Each specimen must be looked at to tell individually if they have gone too long. Some snakes will go for months quite healthy whereas others can deteriorate in weeks. Observe the snake if it is becoming thin & weak you will know & will worry. Corns are usually great & you shouldn't have to worry. Mark

[crocsnhots]

Thanks