$1400 Wasted!

Originally Posted by Melinda

I've got an 04 that is almost 1000 grams now. Paid $2500 for her way back then. She is driving me crazy. She'll eat mice, then she won't eat mice, she'll take a live rat, then she won't, back to f/t mice. I wonder what her highness will decide to eat this week?! little demon!!

Sounds like these 2 could be sisters.

Originally Posted by devenomized

Steve,

I have a similar situation w/ a female pied I purchased. I bought the snake because I wanted a pied, but she is having a growing problem too This winter she will be around 1300g hopefully

That bites.
I had a pair of het pieds that just wouldn't grow and after 3 years of going nowhere with them, I ended up selling them at a huge loss to get rid of the headaches. Found out they finally bred this year. 4 eggs. 1 pied. He got them to size finally but what crappy odds and such a small clutch.

go to wal mart and get some liquid b12 complex that is what i use for fussy eaters and it works with out fail and it actully makes them nice lil pigs when it comes to feeding

Steve, I also have a similar problem with an albino male. He will only take a mouse every ten days, I think he has gained 90 grams in the last four months, whats up with these f@#king albinos. Anyway, I respect your judgement in not mentioning the breeders name, first class! I myself am upset with my snake but I would not want to tarnish someones rep over a single animal. I'm thinking of taking mine to the local taxidermist because he is such a pretty snake. He would look good in my office.

-Jay

if any of yall care to know how to spark there feeding pm me ill tell ya how to do it with
b12 no reason to let the animal suffer when its a easy and simple solution

Only problem with that is that B-12 has never, in any scientific tests, proven to be an appetite stimulant, in spite of its being used that way as a folk remedy even by some physicians.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...tract/21/5/860 <--reference.

There are also people who will tell you that metronidazole (Flagyl) is an appetite stimulant. It's not, either.

Things I would try (and I have to assume have already been tried, after all the folks talking here are reasonably experienced): A larger bin. A smaller bin. Filling the bin with crushed newspaper. Move from the bottom of the rack to the top, or vice versa--or from left to right or vice versa.
Move to an area with less traffic.
Adjusting the feeding cycle by a few days in either direction.
Adding an appropriate-sized hide box, and feeding at night, in the dark, when all is quiet, with as little disturbance as possible.
Testing for (and treatment of, if necessary) internal parasites. I would consider preventive treatment even if none are found, as a last resort, as some species shed oocysts or eggs only intermittantly and thus are hard to detect.

But B-12? Why? No logic behind that. These animals eat whole prey. They aren't too terribly likely to become deficient in vitamin B-12.
I realize that you feel it's worked for you, and you've said so, but insisting on it and implying that folks who don't take your advice are 'letting the animals suffer' is just going to get you whacked with a great big stick labeled 'scientific method'. Put it to the test in more controlled circumstances, and I bet you will find...just like everyone else who has ever done so...that there isn't much to it after all.

y'all have heard mine before~ but since everyone is telling thiers I'm gonna tell it again.

I paid $4000 for a pair of 02 het pieds. They eat fine. They grow fine. They DON'T BREED. The male finally started breeding in 07~ the female was well over 3000 grams in 08 when she FINALLY produced her FIRST clutch~ 5 eggs......4 of the eggs died.....1 survived......it wasn't a pied. So~ $4000, 6 years......no pieds.

I did get a pied from a DIFFERENT het (an 03) this year.

I also admire and respect that you didn't blame the breeder for the snake's failure to grow, Steve. We as reptile breeders can't always tell which babies are going to thrive, and which ones are going to take the slow boat to China. Sometimes it's just a crap shoot.

im just saying so far b12 has worked for me and a number of others in helping get fussy eaters to eat it does work in my book but to each his own
i was just trying to help i guess ill stop trying to help
sorry

Originally Posted by dprince

I also admire and respect that you didn't blame the breeder for the snake's failure to grow, Steve. We as reptile breeders can't always tell which babies are going to thrive, and which ones are going to take the slow boat to China. Sometimes it's just a crap shoot.

Excellent point. That's the big difference between captivity and in nature. In captivity we can increase the odds generally to have near about any animal survive. In nature poor feeders have one road , don't eat then don't live.