Tombot
New member
Last night I successfully completed my first assist feeding on a pair of hatchling Batik pythons. Here is the story-
I received a tip from a friend that a big name wholesaler was selling Batik pairs at market-crashing price. I contacted this guy, and he told me he was all out but had a clutch hatching soon and would keep me posted.
A few weeks later, he emailed me saying "I can have them shipped out tomorrow if you're ready". I asked if they had just hatched, and he said yes. I told him that I would prefer to wait until they had a couple of meals down and had shed out for the first time. He responded with "You can wait, but if I have a customer beforehand that doesn't care, I will ship them. Check with me in a couple of weeks then."
I rued over the decision for the next couple of weeks- do I take the risk in purchasing a pair of hatchlings that may or may not pan out? It was on my mind every day for the next couple weeks. What if I miss out on the clutch? I doubt this opportunity will come up again. I couldn't wait any longer. I decided to take the risk, and I called two weeks later. He had the pair, and sent them out the next day. He told me they had taken their first meal (FT) a few days earlier.
**Note: I have no intention in bashing the breeder, which is why I excluded his name. I wrote this thread to get an idea of assist-feeding protocol, and what I should plan for/expect next.**
I let the pair settle in a few days, tried a FT, no dice. Left them alone for 5 days, tried again, no dice. Tried a live fuzzy a week later, no dice.
Decided to change their enclosure. They are in a 6 qt tub now, with water bowl and on cedar mulch. At the time, I had the daytime temperature at an ambient 84-87, and at night it drops down to about 78-81.
After they settled in there for a week, tried FT again. No dice. Another week, tried FT, no dice.
Did some more reading, and decided to drop the temperatures down. Temps are now at daytime 80-84 and at night 76-79.
Waited another week. Tried FT fuzzys. No dice. Tried FT fuzzys again a week later. No dice.
I considered assist feeding, and began doing my research. My concern was not about performing it, but performing it before it was necessary. From everything I read, it had been a long enough period that, in my mind, it was warranted (It has been 8 weeks since they arrived). I am stumped as far as what husbandry improvements I could make, and felt I was losing time. For Blood pythons, they were looking really thin (I don't have a scale and have not been tracking weight)
So, last night, I did the assist feed for both. The first took longer than the second one, but both times, once it was in the mouth, they threw coils around the fuzzy and held it in place. I gently placed them back in their enclosure, and left them alone. This morning, I woke up, checked the rack, and saw that the mice were gone. Success.
Now- what should be my next steps? Should I continue to assist feed until they are readily taking the mouse as soon as I press it against their nose? I remember reading on one forum that the net weight gain from assist feeding is +/- a few grams, since the stress caused by the process negates proper digestion and the snake wastes a lot of energy fighting in the course of it.
In any case, advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I received a tip from a friend that a big name wholesaler was selling Batik pairs at market-crashing price. I contacted this guy, and he told me he was all out but had a clutch hatching soon and would keep me posted.
A few weeks later, he emailed me saying "I can have them shipped out tomorrow if you're ready". I asked if they had just hatched, and he said yes. I told him that I would prefer to wait until they had a couple of meals down and had shed out for the first time. He responded with "You can wait, but if I have a customer beforehand that doesn't care, I will ship them. Check with me in a couple of weeks then."
I rued over the decision for the next couple of weeks- do I take the risk in purchasing a pair of hatchlings that may or may not pan out? It was on my mind every day for the next couple weeks. What if I miss out on the clutch? I doubt this opportunity will come up again. I couldn't wait any longer. I decided to take the risk, and I called two weeks later. He had the pair, and sent them out the next day. He told me they had taken their first meal (FT) a few days earlier.
**Note: I have no intention in bashing the breeder, which is why I excluded his name. I wrote this thread to get an idea of assist-feeding protocol, and what I should plan for/expect next.**
I let the pair settle in a few days, tried a FT, no dice. Left them alone for 5 days, tried again, no dice. Tried a live fuzzy a week later, no dice.
Decided to change their enclosure. They are in a 6 qt tub now, with water bowl and on cedar mulch. At the time, I had the daytime temperature at an ambient 84-87, and at night it drops down to about 78-81.
After they settled in there for a week, tried FT again. No dice. Another week, tried FT, no dice.
Did some more reading, and decided to drop the temperatures down. Temps are now at daytime 80-84 and at night 76-79.
Waited another week. Tried FT fuzzys. No dice. Tried FT fuzzys again a week later. No dice.
I considered assist feeding, and began doing my research. My concern was not about performing it, but performing it before it was necessary. From everything I read, it had been a long enough period that, in my mind, it was warranted (It has been 8 weeks since they arrived). I am stumped as far as what husbandry improvements I could make, and felt I was losing time. For Blood pythons, they were looking really thin (I don't have a scale and have not been tracking weight)
So, last night, I did the assist feed for both. The first took longer than the second one, but both times, once it was in the mouth, they threw coils around the fuzzy and held it in place. I gently placed them back in their enclosure, and left them alone. This morning, I woke up, checked the rack, and saw that the mice were gone. Success.
Now- what should be my next steps? Should I continue to assist feed until they are readily taking the mouse as soon as I press it against their nose? I remember reading on one forum that the net weight gain from assist feeding is +/- a few grams, since the stress caused by the process negates proper digestion and the snake wastes a lot of energy fighting in the course of it.
In any case, advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.
