Getting your BP on rats??

[B.O.A. asbl]

Last week when I fed my BP with a mice as usual, he didn’t strangle it. He just pressed it real hard against the wall of the tank and started eating it alive!
So I guess the prey has become to small for him. Now I already tried twice to put him on rats in the past but without success.
Has anyone here got the same problem or know what to do?
Thanks

[SD-SNAKE]

How did you try to put him on rats? What did you do? The prey item should be as big as the thickest part of the snake. Nick

[Big Mike]

Why are you feeding live? Do you plan on feeding live rats too???

Switching to F/T prey is vastly more important than switching to rats.

[B.O.A. asbl]

I don’t feed them alive but I knock them unconscious. That way I avoid that my snake will be bitten.
I feed alive so I know what my rodents has been fed and all the vitamins are still in good shape. If you give frozen food the value of the alimentation is no longer 100% as this is with all frozen food.
The last time I used a very young rat, not adult. It was twice a mice size. I moved the rat before the head of my BP (like I do with the mice). He went to it, smelt it and then returned else where. Normally it doesn’t take long before he strikes.
I left the rat for the whole night in the tank and because it was not eaten the next morning I removed it.
I really need to play with the prey else he doesn’t strike. So I think a dead prey will not be eaten at all.

[Colonel SB]

I find if you skip a meal or two then offer a rat he might be more recetpive.

[Big Mike]

"stunned" prey is better than live prey but there are people who will tell you that stunned prey has woke up and attacked their snakes. Why not just kill the prey and offer it to your snake? Why take the risk?

As far as value of frozen food...I guess if you think that if the minimal bit of degradation is worth your snake taking a bite, that's your call.

Personally, I feed F/T because of cost and convenience. I can buy 100 frozen mice for the same price as 25-30 live ones. I could breed my own but I feel that would be inconvenient for me.

Back to your question: If your snake eats mice but ignores rats. You could try feeding a small mouse followed right after by a small rat pup. After a few times doing this, skip the mouse and go straight to the rat. You could also try scenting the rat with the mouse.

Good Luck.

[B.O.A. asbl]

Thanks, I'll try this and came back to give some feedback.
Cheers