feeding babies...ahhhhh...help - Page 2

dave68 · 10-12-07, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr_Gonz0

Have they had their first shed yet?

I was going to ask the same thing and I completely agree with Mark "GONESNAKEE" patience and good luck!!

gonesnakee · 07-21-07, 04:41 PM

Distilled water? Very bad idea. You know that distilled water "leaches" minerals etc. from the snakes when they drink it right? I know of a few folks who have had their babies die by using distilled water for drinking water. Distilled water is not meant to be consumed unless you are on a "cleansing diet" & even then it is not safe to drink large quanties of it. Mark

Kim Burge · 08-30-07, 07:09 AM

Don't know if you're still struggling with feeding your neonates but don't feel like you're the only one with this problem. Chondros are known problem feeders as neonates. Getting them started is a learned art and one best taught in person by someone with experience. Thankfully I had someone show me a couple of months into my first clutch and my second clutch was MUCH easier to start. I actually posted a couple of feeding videos on my web site for those with stubborn chondro neonates. Take a look at it and see if you find it helpful. I find that most people aren't been aggressive enough or spending enough time on each neonate. Also, I try stubborn feeders every 3-4 days. I start assist feeding pinky heads within the first month if they're aren't taking pinkies on their own.

Southern Chondros - Feeding Videos

Good luck and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

ssnakeboy · 10-22-07, 12:53 PM

Thanks for all your suggestions, and Kim the videos are very helpful, we have given the remaining babies to a friend with snake experience to attempt feeding with very little sucess. We did end up with one GTP that ended up eating every time from the beginning. It seems that GTP's are VERY different than boas and pythons that we have had for 20+ years and never had these struggles, sure we have had snakes turn off food at times or delay their first feed but always ate with little encouragement. GTPs seem to be a very different challenge and a much more fragile/fussy neonate. What a learning experience!

Kim Burge · 02-04-08, 11:42 PM

Hopefully your friend has had some luck with the neonates. Chondro babies sometimes take some intense pestering or scenting before they'll eat. I don't think their instinct is telling them that pinkies are food. There are a lot of people who do not assist feed as soon as I do. Neonate chondros hatch out around 12g and after 3-4 months you wouldn't have much chondro left without some nutrition. 8 weeks is usually the max amount of time to go without assist feeding but at that point you're looking at assisting an entire pinky down and that is something I'm not comfortable with. I say do whatever you're comfortable with because there is risk associated with assist feeding. Once they start eating well on their own you'll forget about the early difficult times!

RIBBIT · 08-30-07, 08:00 AM

thats to bad

Kim Burge · 08-30-07, 08:23 PM

What's too bad? Did I miss something?

gonesnakee · 10-12-07, 01:42 PM

Still in strong disagreement to start intravening as soon as some folks suggest. Unless the snakes are becoming thin & lethargic I would not even consider to intravene prior 3 months, maybe longer. Quite often neonates are just not hungry enough to eat prior 3 months. It happens here every year with my Graybands & various other colubrids such as Mtn Kings etc. Quite a few various Carpets at my friends went 3-4 months before starting off this year just fine on their own as well as other years. My Diamonds this year most of them (around 1/2) started at 2.5-3 months old, one male went 4 months & has taken 3 back to back FT meals since on his own. Buddy also had a couple Jaguars go over 3 months prior eating on their own this year, 1 was a "4 monther" as well. All of them started on their own with no assist or FFs. Baby snakes can & will go a long time without food sometimes it is not ucommon. I will say it again, if not becoming thin & lethargic DO NOT INTRAVENE. Its my opinion that all the continual pestering & attempting to assist & FF too soon just puts them off food even longer. But hey what do I know anyway

Cheers Mark

Brandon Osborne · 02-09-08, 01:30 PM

I also agree with waiting until at least 12 weeks. I've have many go that long and just snap into feeding mode overnight. Sometimes the tap, tap, tap for 30-45 minutes is what it takes. Once they grab the pink, you have to sit perfectly still.....just hope you don't get an itch on your nose. Whatever you do, DON'T MOVE until they are done.

Good luck
Brandon Osborne