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Feeding Hatchlings Question

Mooing Tricycle

Mooing Tricycle

Misanthrope / Childfree
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When can you REALLY feed Hatchling BPs?

I understand general consensus is that you feed after the first shed, but... i suppose im still new enough to this that i dont understand why it has to be after the first shed, and not before it? I could understand a few days after hatching, but by that time i would think the yolk would pretty much have been metabolized enough to allow for the hatchling ball to start catching its own food. * but the more experienced people can tell me whether i am right in thinking this, or wrong*
I just cant imagine them in the wild, choosing not to eat until specifically after this period * if they are willing to eat, i understand they can be picky* while i dont know if they even will eat, as i have not offered them anything because i was just sort of... going with the flow and what everyone else does... im interested to know.

If these guys will eat, would it be safe to offer them food now* they are just going in blue now*? I wont, of course, unless i see some really good answers saying i can.

Thanks guys :)
 
If I may offer my humble opinion Alicia, I'd just as soon wait. They will definately be ok until after they shed, and I read sometime in the last year a paper which suggests that when a snake is 'in the blue', it may be a bad time to feed because the underlying new skin isn't completely formed and stressing in out unduly by feeding 'could' cause skin problems (split skin, etc...). I'm not saying that I completely buy into the notion, but it seems plausible, especially for a young'n.
 
You can offer food now, if you want.

More likely than not they will not eat it.

After the first shed is when I offer, but usually they don't all take till about a week after.

Before it, and they won't eat, and won't be interested in food, as they do have plenty of yolk absorbed and everything...
 
mvite said:
I have this friend Tom who says "the waaaaayyyy-ting is the hardest part."
Click to expand...

LOL I love tom petty :)


Thanks guys for the replies, i really was curious about it! :D :thumbsup:

Theyre not too far from shedding anyway, so ill probably just wait. No rush on them. If they eat, they eat.

As for the shedding thing...and new skin underneath... i dunno, i feed in blue, and while shedding, and have never had an issue with it. :shrug01:
 
I thought the same thing and tried it; they did not eat. :shrug01:

Those that were ready (shed, etc) didn't eat till approximately a week or more after shedding. :eek:

So I learned something "first hand." :rofl:
 
Depends on the snake, really. I obviously don't have a lot of experience with feeding BPs before their first shed, but I've bred enough other things over the years....and there are some species that I am surprised if most of the babies don't eat before the first slough.
A few things to keep in mind, though. 1) absorbing the yolk counts as a good meal. It leaves them full & nourished. 2) by the time that they might be considering the next meal, most are transitioning into their shed cycle. 3) eating in a shed is somewhat individual (some species I expect to, some I expect not to...and, if you work with enough of individuals, you'll find some that go against your expectations).

If you want to throw a live thing in with them after 5-6 days, go ahead...but don't be surprised if you are putting those little fuzzy things back to grow for another week or two.
 
Mooing Tricycle said:
LOL I love tom petty :)


As for the shedding thing...and new skin underneath... i dunno, i feed in blue, and while shedding, and have never had an issue with it. :shrug01:
Click to expand...

I've done it before too, albeit with adults, never tried with hatchlings. Just thought it was worth throwing out there. I'll try to find the reference...
 
No studies to support this~ and it might just be my own little superstition~ but in my limited exp with it I've noticed that if I try to feed before the first shed those babies not only will not eat then~ those babies then become my problem feeders taking even longer to start feeding. I don't even offer right after the shed anymore~ I wait a week after the first shed to offer the first feed and usually they all snap it right up then.
 
Cheryl Marchek AKA JM said:
I don't even offer right after the shed anymore~ I wait a week after the first shed to offer the first feed and usually they all snap it right up then.
Click to expand...

Same here Cheryl. Both waiting a week post shed and them snatching it right up on that first offering after waiting a week post shed. I have only had one hatchling in the last 3 or 4 years go longer than 2 or 3 weeks post shed.
 
5-7 days after the first shed is when you will get the strongest feeding responce.

Messing with them before that shed is creating problems, Good Luck! :)
 
I wait until the first Wednesday following the first shed (that's the weekly live hopper delivery day :rofl: ).
 
Has anyone had good luck getting hatchlings to take F/T. Or is it important for the first feeding to be live? I have a single egg from my first clutch. Now on day 38. I have managed to get all my animals switched to F/T and would like to start out that way. I would rather feed F/T, or at least PK so as to avoid injury to my animals. Also, I like rats over mice for the economic factor. I figure if I can start out that way it shouldn't be any trouble down the road. I aquired two pair a little over a year ago that were hooked on live mice. I managed to get them all to F/T, although one is still stuck on mice. :angry:

The egg is from a het X het albino pairing. Her first clutch and two of the three eggs were duds. Not much to work with I know but I am still counting the days.

BTW, my collection consists of two pair of het pieds, a pair of het albinos, a male pastel, and a female pinstripe and spider. As well as eight Leopard Geckos and a Tokay. plus bug farms to help feed the lizards.

Have read alot on the forum but hope to contribute more often in the future.

Jerry

P.S. I will get some pictures of my animals and post them soon.
 
I have tried starting hatchlings on f/t when I didn't have any live available, and honestly had zero luck with it. And, I tried to stay away from mice too, but the appropriate sized baby rats just don't seem to do much for the hatchlings either, as compared to hopper mice. I think the activity level of the hoppers as compared to a rat of the same size is what does it, and a little hopper really isn't going to do any damage to the snake. I still follow the same basic rules as with any live feeding though, and do not leave the live hoppers in with them for any extended amount of time.

I have had few problems starting hatchlings on live hoppers, and then moving them to the appropriately sized live rat after a couple of good feedings. I feed mostly live myself, but have also had little problems switching them to f/t at a young age when I have had customers who have requested me to try to do so.

IMO, once you get them well started, making the change to whatever other type of feeder is pretty easy when done while they are still little guys.
 
Well i had the first shed today, Ill wait a few days before i try feeding.

Funny thing about these guys is they havent even struck at me. Absolutely no inclination to bite at all! Arent hatchlings supposed to be EVIL? LOL ( im not really expecting them all to be!)

:D
 
Mooing Tricycle said:
Funny thing about these guys is they havent even struck at me. Absolutely no inclination to bite at all! Arent hatchlings supposed to be EVIL? LOL ( im not really expecting them all to be!)

:D
Click to expand...

Well if that's true, then I got lucky as well, as my three never attempted to bite at all (although I did get one or two hisses :rofl: )
 
TheFragginDragon said:
Well if that's true, then I got lucky as well, as my three never attempted to bite at all (although I did get one or two hisses :rofl: )
Click to expand...

Maybe? LOL even hisses would satisfy me... these guys arent even MEAN! :rofl:

LOL Im sure theyll be the kinds who i least expect. Theyll never bite me all throughout growing up, and then one day, ill be cleaning and have the tub open for a second, and theyll nail me :D :rofl:
 
Another indication they aren't hungry yet, IMHO ;)
Give 'em time & they may be a bit more outgoing. I feed my babies 3-7 days after their first shed.
 
Well.. I have only had the chance to feed my first clutch so far.. the second is just now going into their first shed cycle.

I waited a week, after their first shed.

they all 5 ate with gusto!!!! and thus far none have refused.. I will be trying f/t very soon.

As for bitey.. I seem to have one in each clutch.. It is quite cute. HA HA HA.. I just laugh at them.. "aww. you think your big and bad" ha ha ah

so .. not all are evil.. :p
 
Ed Clark said:
5-7 days after the first shed is when you will get the strongest feeding responce.

Messing with them before that shed is creating problems, Good Luck! :)
Click to expand...

Is that what Ian does?
 
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