Switching to f/t

chairman · 08-22-16, 08:00 PM

I picked up a new female ball python at an expo a couple weeks ago. She was around 150g and the breeder fed her live appropriately sized rats. The breeder is reputable and the snake looked good so I figured I'd try to swap her to f/t.

For a timeline, the snake ate at the breeder's on a Sunday. I purchased her the following Sunday, so a week without food. She was in shed until a couple days past her first week with me so I ended up offering her the first meal about two weeks after I got her. She refused the f/t rat. The following week I offered another f/t rat, which she refused even though I brained it. So now we're approaching week 6 of no food so I offer her a f/t mouse instead... took it enthusiastically. The next week (the most recent weekend) she takes another f/t mouse enthusiastically.

My question now is do I give her another f/t mouse this weekend to get that first 3 feedings accomplished OR do I go with a mouse-scented rat and see if she refuses? The snake appears to be in good health, hasn't lost weight or anything.

**EL Ziggy** · 08-22-16, 08:32 PM

The answer is in your question Chair

. I think you've got the right idea. I would extend the time between feedings by a few days to make sure she was really hungry. I'd offer a smaller mouse than normal and try to follow that up with a scented f/t rat. Sometimes when they're already in feeding mode they'll snatch whatever you give them. My male bull snake will often refuse a rat if that's all I offer him. If I give him a chick first he'll take the rat 90% of the time. He strikes the chick hard but I have to drop feed the rat.

SWDK · 08-22-16, 09:44 PM

You may be doing this already, but are you making sure the good item is warmed up? I know my BP won't take anythjng unless it's hot enough. I also agree with what EL said.

chairman · 08-23-16, 07:27 AM

The rats are appropriately warm, I use a candy thermometer in my cup of warm water to read the equilibrium temp of my rodent soup and I have a temp gun to double check if someone is being picky. Also have a hair dryer just in case.

I did try chain feeding her mice because the hopper was a little small but my adult mice are too big to offer. She didn't want the second mouse.

Switching my carpets from mice to rats was very easy, didn't even involve scenting, I just had to wiggle the things for half a second. I guess I'm just trying to make sure that I'm not creating any problems, an adult female ball python mouser would be a pain. The majority of my experience is in colubrids and they're notoriously not picky.

macandchz · 08-23-16, 07:34 AM

chairman,don't give up on trying to convert her. i am stuck trying to get mac back on frozen anything! he's got to switch soon, because the pet shops around here are making it more and more difficult to get live ones.

**EL Ziggy** · 08-23-16, 07:51 AM

You're taking all the right steps to help her transition smoothly chair. I hope she gets with the program quickly

. If not, at some point it may require a little tough love where you offer nothing but rats until she comes around. You're right, BPs can be very picky, but the hunger almost always wins in the end. I haven't seen a healthy animal starve itself to death yet when food was being offered. Best wishes!

Albert Clark · 08-23-16, 10:36 AM

At 150 gms, a ball python could tolerate fuzzy rats or adult mice. I usually thaw mine at room temp for 4 to 5 hrs. Then begin warming them up with my blow dryer paying attention to the chest and abdomen of the rat. The smaller the prey item the quicker the thawing time and vice versa. All my hatchling balls are taking fuzzy rats after having 4 to 5 live hopper mice feedings. Tough love and skipping days is safer than skipping weeks at a time for hatchlings. I'd say 3 to 4 days with refusals of ball pythons under 200 gms. I must say I do have a adult pied male who only will take live mice so he gets 2 adult mice every 2 weeks. I've had him for 4 years and he's a healthy guy and a proven breeder. To answer your question, I would try the rat (warmed really well) w/o scenting and see what response you get. Then depending on that, go to plan B if needed.

chairman · 08-28-16, 08:08 PM

Tonight was feeding night. The mouse-scented rat was a no go. She also wouldn't eat a rat-scented mouse. So I thawed her a hopper mouse, which she happily took, and I managed to convince her to chain eat the mouse-scented rat too. She's got a nice little bulge this week, maybe next weekend she'll just take the rat.

SWDK · 08-29-16, 05:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

Tonight was feeding night. The mouse-scented rat was a no go. She also wouldn't eat a rat-scented mouse. So I thawed her a hopper mouse, which she happily took, and I managed to convince her to chain eat the mouse-scented rat too. She's got a nice little bulge this week, maybe next weekend she'll just take the rat.

Glad you were finally able to get her to take the first rat. Keep at it and she'll be on rats only after the next few feedings. It's definitely a bit easier once they are in feeding mode like you experienced with offering the scented rat after the hopper.

Albert Clark · 08-29-16, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chairman

Tonight was feeding night. The mouse-scented rat was a no go. She also wouldn't eat a rat-scented mouse. So I thawed her a hopper mouse, which she happily took, and I managed to convince her to chain eat the mouse-scented rat too. She's got a nice little bulge this week, maybe next weekend she'll just take the rat.

Yep! Nice move. Grats.