BRB Feeding Questions

[phenyx]

I'm starting to think I was sold a brand new neonate BRB that's never actually fed before.

He was 27 gms the day I brought him home. From what I've found online, which hasn't been much, neonate BRBs are usually 35-40 gms. So he's either the runt of the litter or he's lost a significant portion of his birth weight. I'm pissed. I assumed that, since I was buying directly from a breeder this time, I would be getting a healthy, well-established feeder, but apparently not.

How do I get a snake that's never fed before to take its prey?
How many grams can he lose before he's in danger?
Do baby BRBs ever starve to death because they simply will not eat?

I spoke with someone at the breeding company - The Gourmet Rodent, a VERY large reptile breeding operation in Florida. They told me their babies are fed every 4-5 days on live pinky mice, but since they're a large breeder they have no specific records of my particular baby. If that's true and he has been fed previously, it's now been at least 10 days since he's eaten. Based on his size though, I have my doubts.

I was under the impression that boas were voracious feeders that were way easier to feed than ball pythons. My baby BP stuck an adult mouse right off the tongs 3 days after I brought her home from PetSmart.

So, yeah, surprise, surprise, I got a better established feeder from a mass market chain than I did from a so-called reputable breeder. If they weren't 3 hours away, I'd take the baby back to them so they can get it feeding properly before it starves to death.

Husbandry notes:
20x10x7 glass enclosure with 3 sides occluded and all but 2.5 inches of the screen top blocked by plastic. Temps are: 87 (UTH) at the warm end and 74 ambient and humidity is being maintained 95%+. He has 2 hides and a water bowl, cypress mulch for substrate and a live pinky mouse snuggle buddy.