need advice please!

[jplum89]

Hi everyone :-)
I'm new here and in need of some help.
About a year ago I owned an 8 foot male boa.
He never ate when I got him.
I contacted old owners who suggested I try guinea pigs, deus, rats, small rabbits and quail.
I tried all of the above. Nothing.
Someone suggested a chick so I gave it a go. Success! He ate 4
Then nothing...
He would eat every 6 weeks but only chicks so a relative took him to see if they could work their magic.
He ate a rat in August and nothing since.
I am getting him back tomorrow.
He hasn't been handled in a month and is cold and just lays there.
He is in a big viv 5 x 4 x 2, I was going to put him in a 4 x 2 x 2
Or a large rub Maybe?
As my rock python hated big spaces and thrived on a rub ( he came to me on deaths door and managed to get him to eat chicks then mice at one point I thought he would die he was so lathargic)

Any advice for me when he comes back ?
I have tried:
Braining
Warming food
Covering it in chick skin
Rubbing a chick all over it

Thank you

[dannybgoode]

What are your viv temps, both warm and cool end? What are you using as a heat source? When you say he is just cold what do you mean?

[bigsnakegirl785]

If he was eating rats/rabbits, eating every 5 weeks is what you'd expect of a snake his age, but I can't imagine a few chicks would provide him much nutrition....

And yes, your temps (exactly, "perfect" or "cool" or "warm" will not suffice here), your humidity, how have you offered the prey items, are you offering any hides, how big is the enclosure, do you use red/blue/black lights, etc.?