Yet Another Feeding Question..........

[sleddergirl]

.........if a baby corn refuses a meal and its been a week since the last feeding, how often should it be offered food?............every day till it eats, every other day?

[marisa]

More like 4-5 days in between each try. Every other day may be fine for less shy ones. but constantly trying can stress the snake out.

Try feeding it IN the enclosure if you aren't already, middle of the night with a very warm prey item.

Marisa

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Yup!

[sleddergirl]

It's difficult for me to do that as it is at my store. I will maybe go over Thursday night after closing and try then. Think I should wait to see if he eats then or should I leave him overnight with the prey item?.......I don't want to leave it in there with him if it will start going bad in the process. How long is too long to leave the prey in with the snake?.........thanks for the help...:)

[marisa]

I would cover 75% of his enclosure with a towel (not near the heat source obviously! lol) for a couple days. No handling. No checking. No nothing. Before leaving for the night, place a FT pinky (smaller than normal if you can) near wherever he is hiding. It will be fine overnight dont worry.

In the morning check. If he ate, great. If not, try the same procedure a couple days later with a brained pinky. If that doesnt work, a couple more days of waiting, then leave a live pinky in the cage in the same manner.

I'd be VERY suprised if none of the above works. But if not, we will have more suggestions for you! :)

Marisa

[sleddergirl]

Ok, sorry for the dumb questions............lol

His bedding is Aspen.........is it safe for me to just leave the pinkie with him in aspen?.......He had only been with us for a couple weeks, apparently he was fed the day before we got him (which meant he ate on Thursday of that week, we got him Friday) I offered him a F/T pinkie on the following Thursday and he refused. I offered him a tiny F/T pinkie on Monday and he ate it. Now today, a week since his last feeding, I offered him 2 very tiny F/T pinkies and he refused for quite a few hours till I finally removed them (approx. 4-5 hours)

What is a "brained" pinkie?..........I feel like such a spaz, is it a fresh killed pinkie?.........:confused: :D

[vanderkm]

It may be that he is coming into a shed - many will refuse food if they are in the shed cycle. As has been suggested, we offer pinkies to baby corns late in the evening, put the nose under the hidebox entrance and most take them right away or overnight. It will be a bit smelly by morning but no big deal.

If there is aspen that you cannot move away, you might want to confine him in a dark deli cup overnight with the pinky to avoid having him eat any shavings.

Every 5 days is ok as an interval between trying to feed. Hatchling corns can go for months, literally, without feeding - so don't worry too much. Certainly avoid handling him until he is feeding regularly.

good luck with him,

mary v.

edit - a brained pinky is one in which the skull has been opened and brain material is spread over the top of the head - it can stimulate some hatchlings to feed. You can also get brain material by squeezing the back of a pinky's skull -- brain will be pressed out of the nose - messy but may be effective.

[Andy_G]

You could put the prey item on something on top of the aspen i.e. paper towel.

[jjnnbns]

One thing that I found worked AMAZINGLY with my corn to get it to feed as it slowly decided whether or not to take was to dangle the mouse with a pair of hemostats. For a snake that sometimes took an hour or so to decide if she wanted to eat, she had an AMAZING strike and feeding response when the prey was dangled!

[sleddergirl]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys, I really appreciate it. I will try again and see if this little monster will eat, with your suggestions. I will let you all know how he comes along..........thanks again.

Sue