Dodgy Irish Breeders at Show

[simon07989]

Can any Burmese Python breeders please advise me on how best to deal with a picky Burmese Python Hatchling, and or, if this is normal etc?

I bought an Albino Burmese Python Hatchling from the Doncaster Show in July. The Irish breeder told me he was 12 weeks old and feeding well.

I bought him and took him home, taking him to a local reptile breeding centre for the once over.

The centre told me he was not 12 weeks old but around 2/3 as his umbilici cord hole had not yet healed. They stated he would not yet have fed and was surviving on the egg yolk.

The centre stated they had received a few calls from persons who had bought snakes from an Irish breeder at the show, and all were in poor health and not feeding. They stated the breeder was not actually a breeder but someone who had collected all the breeder’s snakes from Ireland that they wanted to sell and sold them for them. So, the snakes had been of heat and in the back of the Irish man’s van for up to 5 days!

Anyway, it took several weeks before the Hatchling seemed to warm up and start to move and after several PowerAde baths has eaten the following:

6 weeks after birth - 1 x Mouse Pinkie
11 days later - 1 x Rat Fuzzy (left snake and fuzzy in box overnight)
7 days later - 1 x Chick
8 days later - 1 x Chick, 1 x Rat Weiner put in mouth before finished chick
7 days later - 1 x Chick

NOT EATEN NOW IN 21 DAYS
The problem is now the snake seems scared of rats and hisses at them. He will refuse any food (rats and chicks) that are left in his RUB with him overnight. Though I suspect he would eat just a Chick without a Rat in there as well .
I have tried braining them, scenting rats with chick goo/guts. Heating rat’s heads with hot water etc etc.

Should I be worried, and what do you guys advice?
I am sure that I can him eating Chicks but I fear him then never eating rodents so am being stubborn and waiting out him taking a Rat.

Or, should I try a live mouse to get his feeding/strike feed instinct going. He has only ever struck once and that was having not eaten for 5 weeks.

Thank You