need help with food issues!!!

[lynsey_togofire]

hi all! i'm new to this forum(i'm usually in the reptile forum) but my roomate and i have 3 ball pythons (greed and envy are the females, and wrath is the male). i was just curious if there is anyone who can tell me how to get them on dead food...we want to switch them, b/c i know when they get to rats, they are gonna have to be dead...right now they are eating adult mice (the snakes are only about 1 1/2 - 2 feet right now. they are just babies. if anyone could help me out that'd be great! right now they are refusing the dead...they are just looking at it and discarding it...not very fun if you ask me...LOL!

lynsey

[ballpython5000]

is it frozen thawed, or pre killed? i use pre killed because my male wont even touch frozen, and the female hasnt eaten yet. i suppose if trying to switch to frozen the let them scent it with a live mouse or let them see a live one running around then put the frozen one right in front of them. after they have smelt a mouse they bite at everything so that should work.

[fateamber]

Even though my Bp has always eaten frozen thawed he can still be difficult to feed. The mouse has to be very warm and i have to use forcep things to wogle the mouse arond, with enough practise you can make the mouse seem alive!

[Mike177]

i would try pre killed first and then move to frozen. and also try warming them up like what was said befor but it could take a wile i am still in the proses of moving mine to frozen but best of luck to u

[lynsey_togofire]

see...the problem is that we have 3 snakes...all with different "personalities". one of the females is injured right now on her neck and the first time we gave her a "fuzzy" right after she got hurt, she didn't kill it all the way, and ended up eating it alive.......but then we put her on frozen immediatly and she took it. however, the other female is picky about EVERYTHING. it takes us long enough to get her to eat period...let alone anything that isn't moving. we've even tried the forceps...she just balls up and doesn't want anything to do with them. the male on the other hand...he LOVES to kill...and he'll eat 2-3 adult mice if we let him...he just doesn't like the ones that aren't moving...even with the forceps...he won't bite...we are just very worried that when they move to rats they will stop eating because we refuse to give them the rats alive...that darn rats could hurt him even more then the mice can...we can try pre-killed....hopefully that works...right now we are just stunning the mice, but they aren't dead...just restricted movement...thanks for the help! really! i'll try the suggestions, but if you have any more, they would be much appreciated!
lynsey