Chicken Broth

[Marquis]

Hi just wanted to ask if anyone has made chicken broth/soup from chicken bones etc..and used it to get their snakes to eat by coating the rat/mouse with it.

I have done some research and have read that snakes, find the scent very appealing and can't resist the food , I don't have access to quail or anything like that and was just wondering if this would work at all.

I know there are things like chicken stock that you can buy in a carton, but to me they don't really have much of a chicken scent to them.

Regards and thanks to any replies

 

[dragondragon]

It might work if you want to make a soup. Put some root vegtables in also for extra flavour i heard that helps.

 

[Leasdraco]

I think I've heard of it being done for lizards but not snakes

 

[sd1981]

Use the blood out of the chicken breast containers that you get from Coles etc... Soak the rat in them for a day or two, works a treat....

 

[andynic07]

Or use chicken necks to scent , they are cheap.

 

[Marquis]

Thanks to all the replies, I just wanted to see if there was a method like that to make the rat just a bit more appealing to my snake.

I really hate it when my snake will not eat, for weeks at a time and everything is in order as far as temps etc,and the only thing he really sinks his fangs into is me.

This I don't mind but I am not on the list of things snakes should eat

 

[benjamind2010]

Marquis - what is the species of snake, and how old is it? What sex is it? Male or female?

If it's an adult, and male, chances are it won't eat again for a few months because it's detected ambient temperature drops and will simply not eat until it feels those air temps warm up again - and most importantly stay warm...ie, middle of spring to summer. My adult male womas go off their food for 7 months of the year. They did that last year and are doing so again this year.

 

[Marquis]

Hi benjamind2010 - The snake is an intergrade and I was told by the seller it was just on 12 months old.

In truth I can not tell you the sex of the snake, as I don't know how to do that yet, and even though I have seen U-tube videos on "popping" I don't want to harm, the snake in anyway by getting it wrong.

I did ask the seller/breeder but he said he was not sure either :shock: So I just took a stab in the dark and said it was a male.
The reason for trying to find out what really makes rats attractive, to my snake is just so he won't starve to death, as the breeder said that my snake was a big eater,and should be fed every 5-7 days.

When I first purchased the snake I was told not to feed him(?) for at least 5 days, this I did and the snake hit that rat like a freight train.

So when the next feed time came I expected the same result, but the snake did not even strike at its dinner this went on for 6.5 weeks and I was worried my pet may starve to death,the snake ate another rat just last week, my aim was to get him to eat at least every 1-2 weeks that's all.

Many thanks for your advice

 

[Ramsayi]

What are the enclosure temps? What is the absolute lowest temp the cool side is getting down to over an entire day?

 

[Marquis]

Hi Ramsayi, Enclosure temps are 31c for the basking area and give or take a degree, 26 c for the cooler side of the enclosure and I am also running twin uv fluorescent lights 20 watts from memory.
Regards

 

[Ramsayi]

What time of the day are you checking those temps though? Have a look at them around 6/7am

 

[Tobe404]

Tuna/Chicken Cans/Oil/Brothe has worked for me on the odd occassion but never consistently.
Feeding actual Quail or Chicken has worked a lot better.

It could just not be eating because it is Winter... Ambient temps getting too low overnight. Same thing happened to my lot.

 

[Marquis]

Ramsayi & Tobe404
Thank you both for your replies, even with this current cold snap here in Sydney my snake's basking area is around, 28.5 c early in the morning getting to about 32-33 c during the warmer parts of the day.

Tobe404 I will give your method a try and see how it goes,I know that snakes may go off their food during winter,but all I am doing is just making sure that I have not stuffed up in some way.

Because the seller told me that my snake was an avid feeder and if he (?) still will not take rats after using these methods then I can put it down to the weather.

Regards and Thanks