Anyone ever feed a rabbit pinky to a corn?

[BoidKeeper]

I did and he hasn't taken anything since:mad: I had a small litter of rabbit pinkies three weeks ago that were all still born. I decided since they were F/K I would see how many different snakes would take one. Well I had a Hog Island Boa, Rainbow Boa, Ball Python and a Corn each take one. Everyone else has returned to rats just like before with no problems.
Nothing has changed in his husbandry except the rabbit pinkie. I'm hoping that sooner rather than latter he'll just get hungry enough and eat what I offer him. He's never ever been a picky eater before. I'm thinking that if after next week he still hasn't taken a rat or mouse then I may cool him for a month to see if that will jump-start his appetite.
Any thoughts?
Trevor

[sapphire_moon]

maybe for an adult. I don't see any problems....unless you got him addicted on rabbit pinks! lol

[BoidKeeper]

unless you got him addicted on rabbit pinks! lol
That's what I'm afraid of. I'm hoping a bit of a cold snap might bring him back around again.
Thanks,
Trevor

[vanderkm]

Another possibility is that he is doing a spring fast looking for females - if there are any girls in close contact I wouldn't rule out the possibility that the apparent addiction to the rabbit pinky is a coincidence.

mary v.

[BoidKeeper]

All my adult females are 3.5 hrs away in another town on a "date".
What do you think of a brief cooling period Mary?
Thanks,
Trevor

[Tim_Cranwill]

Even if all the females are miles away, he may still be in mating mode. I only offer breeding males (colubris) food every 10 days or so and some of them don't even look at it. They have one thing on thier minds.... sounds like high school. :D

[BoidKeeper]

I'm not rulling it out but last year when he was cooled he still ate. This year he has not been cooled and he's not eating. He's got great weight and is 100% healthy so I'm not worried about him. However, this thread has served it's purpose, it's given me a new angle to think about. That's why I come here!
thanks guys,
Trevor

[Invictus]

A corn that is a picky feeder....

LIAR!

:D

[marisa]

Yeah I don't think he has gotten addicted. I have thrown my guys rats, mice, gerbils, etc and none of my corns have ever refused one over another, although obviously its not unheard of.

Marisa

[vanderkm]

Trevor - I don't think any harm would come from a one month cooling - may jump start him, but if you didn't cool this year - does that mean he is one you are not planning to use for breeding? If that is the case, I would be more likely to just wait him out - give him three weeks at normal temps without feeding and he will likely take what you give him. Some of our adult males became much less likely to feed as they aged (once they were over 3-4 years) and just needed 3-4 weeks between meals.

If last year was the first year he had been used, he may not have known enough to be off feed then - now he may remember what could be in store for him and be less interested in food.

Some corns can be quite picky in my experience though - we have one that got quite hooked on gerbils (when I was breeding them and had lots of culls) - maybe rabbit pinks are like crack for corns!

good luck and keep us posted,

mary v.

[sapphire_moon]

is it possible that he is still "full" from the pink? I know when I fed my corn mouse fuzzies (when she was one them) she refused for like 3 wks. Then went back to normal feeding.

[BoidKeeper]

Mary,

I didn't cool him because I don't plane on breeding him. This past Tuesday was his third week since the mouse pinkie. It's probably just love. I'm going to wait it out.
Thanks,
Trevor

[Stockwell]

Even without purposely cooling some colubrids, they know when spring comes, and males will sometime go off feed in preparation for seeking out a mate.
It's not really normal for North American colubrids to eat 12 months of the year, so enjoy the break he's taking, as its good for his health and your pocketbook.