FEEDING

[Frank]

I HAVE A CHILDREN'S PYTHON AND HAVE HAD TROUBLE GETTING HER TO EAT THAWED PINKIES. RE STARTED FEEDING ON LIVE PINKIES BUT NOW WANT TO WEAN HER ONTO THAWED PINKIES. WHAT IS THE BESZT WAY TO DO THIS?

 

[Guest]

try braining. Or warm the fuzzy up so its at body temp. (but not to hot may burn the snake).

 

[Greebo]

Frank, lose the caps mate. We can hear you just fine, no need to shout.

 

[Frank]

Sorry about the caps just an old habit. what temp roughly should they be.

 

[Frank]

Is braining when you squeeze their head so a bit of brain matter comes out their nose.

 

[Greebo]

Braining is putting a small cut in the top of the head. They should be slightly warm to simulate body temperature. Try jiggling the pinkie near the snake but not in it's face. If the snake shows any interest, pull the pinkie out of it's reach, wait and then offer it again. Kind of tease the snake. I find that this conditions them to strike more readily as they soon work out that the food will be taken away otherwise.

 

[montyette]

i have the same prob with my stimmie. had her 5 weeks, teased her with pinkies and she strikes but doent take them. I've left the pinkie in with her for a day but no go. She gets really cranky after the trying and will strike at anything that moves. Shes really starting to worry me as shes only a hatchling and was raised on pinkies from the previous owner who didnt say she had a problem. Any ideas people?

 

[Ricko]

ring the person you got it from montyette as they may be able to come round and try to feed it for u

 

[instar]

If the teabag approach (jiggling) fails, try buying a live fuzzy and rub on the thawed pinkie. Or give it a live and a thawed straight after, might work better if its hungry. Whatever works for ya, good luck. Prolly most important is not to stress the snake by offering too often or annoying it with thawed food. give it another week before u try again, it wont starve. :wink:

And dont shout at it!

 

[Elibum]

i had problems with my childreni try catching a garden skink break teh tail off then rub the teh blood from the tail on the frozen pinky... although it dosnt look liek u are placing anything on the mice. my childreni striked when i did this before i even put it in his cage
goodluck Frank

 

[Elibum]

opps i did thaw teh mice out of corse

 

[hugsta]

Have you tried fresh killed?

 

[craig.a.c]

I tease my hatchling carpet sometimes to get her to eat. Sometimes you really need to piss 'em off to strike a few times and then they realise that it is food.

 

[africancichlidau]

If nothing else works try a small Chines Barb. Be warned though, fish makes their **** smell, and I mean SMELL.

 

[Frank]

Hi all I have tried teasing, rubbing lizard blood, mice urine. I have gone through about 15 thawed frozen pinkies and she ate 1. I have two very pregnant female mice in the shed and i am going to try and feed a live freshly killed and then try following up with a thawed frozen. Will see how this goes. Thank you for all you thoughts.

 

[womas4me]

Hi Frank, try gently rubbing the pinkie between two coils or parts of the body. I've had success this way, as the snake pins the pinkie with it's body and then gets the idea and eats it. Another option for you.

Temp wise my hatchlings hot area is 37 deg ( heat cord ). I've found stimo's like it warm, my hatchies were on and off at 32 - 33 deg, now with a hotter area they just scoff anything.

 

[Frank]

Good newa. I have just had pups well my mice have . I have let them get to about 4 5- 5 days old and feeding them to her. But I have killed them first by flicking then on the back of the head and she has taken them without a prob. Last ngit I thawed out a frozen pinkie and she hit just as if it was a live.

 

[hugsta]

Good to see she is now eating Frank.