Feeding...Just a few questions...

[iBaman]

That's good to know. I just always see people's balls that are so fat, and my guy is so skinny...healthy, but skinny. Always has been (got him right after his first shed/feed). (btw, it's not sexed. I call it a he cause I'm pretty sure that's what it is. My breeder friend is going to sex it for me sometime soon...I just never cared cause i'm not breeding xD)

[Rogue628]

A friend of mine took in a 10 year old royal a few months ago who has never switched. She has always eaten mice and won't take a rat for anything. She is perfectly healthy and seems quite happy.

I have a male royal who goes off feed for no reason at all. He'll lose a few grams but is still healthy and about as active as a royal gets lol. I think he does it as a self diet as he'll plump up, almost to the point I think about cutting his food back and he does it himself. And he still sheds for me about once every 6 weeks or so.

Royals can just be finicky creatures. I honestly wouldn't worry about him.

[alessia55]

One reason to feed inside the enclosure is that it will reduce stress. Moving your snake out of the enclosure can be stressful and can cause your snake to refuse to eat. It's also uncomfortable for the snake to be handled with a full stomach.

Getting him to switch? Just wait it out. I was able to switch my older boy from live MICE to f/t rats... but it took 5 months. He was at a healthy weight, so it didn't hurt him to go so long without food. Click on my website (in my signature)... go to the Feeding page, and scroll down. I have a video and an explanation to help you entice him to eat the rat. Remember, patience is key!!

[iBaman]

Originally Posted by alessia55

One reason to feed inside the enclosure is that it will reduce stress. Moving your snake out of the enclosure can be stressful and can cause your snake to refuse to eat. It's also uncomfortable for the snake to be handled with a full stomach.

Getting him to switch? Just wait it out. I was able to switch my older boy from live MICE to f/t rats... but it took 5 months. He was at a healthy weight, so it didn't hurt him to go so long without food. Click on my website (in my signature)... go to the Feeding page, and scroll down. I have a video and an explanation to help you entice him to eat the rat. Remember, patience is key!!

Haha, it's just crazy that they can go that long! I got nervous when I was moving, and he went about a month without eating (the week he was supposed to feed, he wouldn't eat. Next week I fasted him for the long trip. Week after he wouldn't eat again. then he FINALLY ate like a week after that =S)

[Tekpc007]

I was always worried about substrate being eaten when feeding in the tub/enclosure/RUB...then i bought a 12"x12" ceramic tile for 3 $ and put it in the cage and try to get them to feed on it , works most of the time unless they move the food around.