Young Milksnake afraid to eat

I recently got a young milksnake at an expo about 3 weeks ago. He accepted his first meal no problem but the last two times I have tried to feel him he has been afraid of any movement made towards him, even if it is food. I've also tried just leaving the pinky in his tank with no luck. How long is it okay for him to go without food before I have to force feed him? Also what are some ways I can go about force feeding him? I know how to do it, but the one time I tried to handle him the little bugger bit me, and musked, and refused to let go until I put him back in the tank.

I have an older milk snake but when I got him he was used to being handled and has never bitten me and never refused a meal. So I'm new to this type of situation.

First off congrats on your new milk! Hatchlings can be a real pain in the butt sometimes. What species do you have and what are the basic parameters of their setups? Tank size? Temps? Type of bedding? How deep is the bedding? How often do you mess with or interact with your animals? Where in your home do you keep them?

I would say try leaving the little guy alone while attempting to feed. Your presence is likely making it nervous. I usually feed my finicky feeders in a separate container for the first year or so. Sometimes I will even put a towel over the feeding tank or rack to make them feel more comfortable and or secure. If all else fails try switching to live feeders. I can not stress enough how bad force feeding is for small snakes. Not only is it traumatic to an already stressed animal but you run the risk of causing internal damage to the snake if not properly done. Just leave the little guy alone and only interact with it while feeding. My milks really dont mellow out until their 2nd or 3rd year. Snakes often go months without eating during the winter months so dont stress it!