1st Ever Feed (Tips)

[SLB1989]

Can I have some tips and advice on getting a baby ball python to feed.
She has had her first shed and should be ready for her first ever meal but
so far won't eat, she doesn't seem to know what is it and just ignores it.

 

[Barbel]

What are you feeding?
Frozen/thawed, live, mice, rats???

 

[SLB1989]

Frozen thawed and we are trying her on pinkies just to start her eating as
we already have them and then we are going to move her up to small mice.

 

[Alliemac]

Try warming the pink with a blast from a hair dryer so it registers as food temp for your baby. You will probably have to do the zombie mouse dance for him too with a pair of tongs. Dangle it in front of him, make it move around etc. They need to realize it's food which they will with the heat and movement. Hopefully anyway. Good luck.

When my boy was little I would gentle touch his nose with the mouse and then dance it away and repeat. Sometimes we would have to dangle it for 10 or 20 minutes before he finally got it.

 

[SLB1989]

Thanks for the tips, won't the pinky be warm enough once its been in the water defrosting?
I have been waving it around in front of her but she is more interested in exploring although
she will sniff it sometimes. I am feeding her out of her cage.

 

[Cracker]

hopefully it's eating for you by now, but if all has failed try a live hopper mouse in a paper bag. the mouse will eventually chew it's way out and the snake will be there waiting. Tape the bag shut... don't use staples just in case of any mishaps. I usually don't try feeding f/t until they're established eaters on live, but it works for some people. live pinkies don't move around enough to trigger a feeding response, and once you do switch to f/t, you've got to make sure it's very warm, and completely thawed. They won't recognize it as food unless A: it's hot, and B: it's movin around.

I'd feed it in the cage with the bag trick. Even the smallest baby bp's are still big enough to take down a normal sized mouse. Never had luck with pinkies. You'll recognize the feeding strike as the BP will sway it's head slightly side to side. That's it's little "homing device" with the heat receptors picking up on the target.

Hope that helps... if it hasn't eaten by now on f/t you'd better try a live hopper before it gets too weak to even try eating. Good luck mate!

 

[BalloonzForU]

I usually just throw a live hopper to med mouse in with them in their tub and have had very few that won't eat on their own.

Trying to start them off on F/T is almost a loose loose situations, try a lively hopper that moves around and attracks the snake.

 

[SLB1989]

She still hasn't eaten. I don't want to feed live, Id rather feed frozen.

I have tried:
Pinkie defrosted in water
Pinkie defrosted at room temperature
Pinkie dipped in Tuna juice
Pinkie left in cage overnight
Pinkie in a feeding box
Feeding during the day and night
Feeding in the cage and out
Wiggling the Pinkie in front of her nose

 

[Cracker]

it's gonna end up dead if you don't get it started. if you insist on f/t then make sure it's a mouse... not pink. get it good and warm NOT wet. Don't soak it in water to thaw it, put it on a heat pad till it's good and warmed all the way through. Once that's done, get the forceps and hold it's head only in a hair dryer for a minute.... get the head warmer than anything else. take the hide out of the cage for a few minutes before attempting to feed... and then holding the mouse behind the neck (like you see in all the books) do the little zombie mouse dance. don't hit the snake with the mouse, just keep dangling it. if no response within 5 minutes, warm the head up again... the snake should eventually hone in on the head and target that. Pinkies don't have the fur, or same scent. try a mouse... hopper or even full grown. If it doesn't eat, you're either looking at force feeding (which can kill a baby that's too weak), or gettin it started on live. Once they're started on live it's easy to switch them over.

 

[Cracker]

I know the laws in the UK are against feeding snakes live because of "humanitarian" crap.... just keep in mind the mouse isn't human, and what's worse... dying within seconds from a snake's grip, or dying from starvation because you don't want to eat a dead f/t pinkie hehehe. No offense mate, but toss a hopper in there and it'll eat. Hope you tried tonight, and hope it worked.

If it goes into a 2nd shed and still hasn't eaten, be sure to keep the humidity high.... it's going to get weak after that and you'd best at least try hoppers until it's eating steady.

 

[Cracker]

any update?