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Tips for getting hatching ball to eat??

S

SWDK

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So my hatchling pied hasn't eaten yet for me. It was hatched on 6/20/15 and only at 3 meals all ft fuzzy mice according to the breeder. It's last meal was on 8/22/15. I've tried to offer it a ft fuzzy and it cowers and hides its head. Wants nothing to do with it. Thawed it in water then heated under the heat lamp until it was warm to the touch.
 
First I would thaw the rodent out to room temperature without the use of water. Sometimes snakes get turned off by soggy rodents.

Second, I would offer a live mouse hopper or a rat pup. Leave in overnight. The hopper/pup is too small to harm your snake.

Lastly, I would put the snake in its own tub in a warm, dark closet for a week. Use a strip of heat tape if necessary to maintain proper temps. Do not open the closet for the entire week, or only at night with a red light (like the ones some headlamps have). Offer a live mouse hopper/rat pup if you can get them. If not, offer a dry f/t mouse.

Fuzzy mice seem to be a small meal. Most of my balls hatch at 70 grams and they're all able to eat young adult mice at that time (f/t).
 
Hatched 6/20...that should mean that it shed right around the end of June. 3 meals in 7 weeks is not stellar for a baby ball. There are any number of explanations for that; and getting the real one might be useful to you. I have had hatchling BPs that started on f/t; but it isn't exactly common.
You are aware that it has only been 2 weeks since its last meal, right? Not all that big a deal unless it was already looking thin. How long have you had it, and how many times have you tried to feed it? How are you offering the mouse to the snake? There are lots of variables to consider; but, personally, I would opt for getting it feeding regularly before worrying about getting it to take f/t. First thing to consider is whether the snake is going into a shed. (Ask the seller when it shed last.) Check your husbandry & make any corrections; then leave the snake alone for a few days before offering a live hopper.
 
Making sure temps, etc., are correct, and offering live, are the first things I would do.
It is best to get the baby to be a solid feeder. Once he/she is a solid feeder, you can work towards converting to f/t.
'Course, sometimes, the first live feed can get the baby "kick started", in its new home, to where it accepts f/t after that first live feed.
If feeding live does not work out, I am sure that I/we can offer some ideas on what else to try.
Also, limit handling, to simple care, and, if there are refusals (to eat), allow some days to go by between feed attempts.
 
Thanks for all the great advise. I got him 8 days agin on 8/29/15. Only handled the first day when transferring to his enclosure. Have in a 10g aquarium, aspen chips for substrate. I'm using a under tank heat pad and it keeps the hot side in hide at 85.7, middle of tank is 78.6 and cool side is 72.3 which is where I keep the water. Not sure on humidity level, but I wasn't too concerned about that since the water bowl is plenty large enough for it to submerse in. I do see it in the water bowl on a regular basis. It does not have mites or anything like that. I used prevent-a-mite spray when setting up the enclosure. I think the temps seem to be within range??

I've never had a hatchling BP before so that's why I was a bit worried about it not eating yet for me and only having 3 small meals since hatching. It's not very skinny, probably about the size of a U.S. Quarter at its fattest point.

Only reason I'm using fuzzier is bc that's what it was supposedly eating and wanted to keep it on the same food source at first. I'll see if I can find some live food today and I'll talk to my breeder about specifics on its last shed. It's definitely not in any type of shed phase that I can tell. Thanks again. Let me know what you think about the specs I replied with.
 
1) Do you have a thermostat on the under-tank heater?

2) When you say the warm side is 85.7*F how are you measuring that (analog thermometer, digital thermometer with probe, IR thermometer / temperature gun...) and where is that measurement being taken (surface of glass, top of substrate, two inches above the substrate...)

3) A 10-gallon tank is too big for a baby. I have 11 babies in six-quart tubs on paper towels with 1 snug hide and a water bowl and they are little garbage disposals.

4) What type of hides does it have and how big are they? Babies like snug-fitting hides with one hole that are just barely big enough to squeeze under.

5) Humidity is critical. If your baby is soaking then either it's too dry or it doesn't like the hides and it's trying to use the water bowl as a hide.
 
On the warm side, temp should be from 88 to 92 degrees. Cool side should be from 76 to 80 degrees.
Humidity should be around 55%.
With a tank, you can help humidity by misting once a day and placing water bowl in the center section of the tank. Also by covering one side, of tank top, with plastic or plastic wrap.
Have at least two hides. One on the warm side and one on the cool side. If there is room, a third hide, in the center of the tank, would be good too.
 
bcr229 said:
2) When you say the warm side is 85.7*F how are you measuring that (analog thermometer, digital thermometer with probe, IR thermometer / temperature gun...) and where is that measurement being taken (surface of glass, top of substrate, two inches above the substrate
Click to expand...

These are good questions.

....
 
bcr229 said:
LOL they get posted every 2-3 days over on BP.net.
Click to expand...

What does? Location that the temp was taken and the method?
They are good questions since taking temperature, at, let's say, the top of the tank, would not be the correct location for temp taking.;)
 
I'm measuring the temp with a digital probe thermometer. I placed the probe on the substrate in each location. I have heat pad controlled by a ranco temp controller set to 85. I can increase the temp higher. I'll also start to mist the tank to help with humidity.
 
Ball pythons burrow. What's the temperature of the glass under the substrate? Depending on the thickness and media, if it's 85*F on top it might be too warm.
 
he ate a live hooper mouse today. Put it in the tank and covered it with a towel so it was nice and dark. Checked it 5 hours later and it was gone. Definitely makes me feel better that it got another meal in that was a larger size than its been eating.
 
I'll get a temp check below the substrate in a day or two. I don't want to mess around with anything inside since it just ate
 
SWDK said:
he ate a live hooper mouse today. Put it in the tank and covered it with a towel so it was nice and dark. Checked it 5 hours later and it was gone. Definitely makes me feel better that it got another meal in that was a larger size than its been eating.
Click to expand...

Awesome news!
Glad he ate. :thumbsup:
 
He ate frozen thawed for me today. Thawed it out on counter to room temp then got it nice and warm under a heat lamp. Hammered it within 10 seconds of offering it.
 
Been eating frozen thawed hopper mice on a regular weekly basis. Can't find frozen rats around my location. The Hamburg, PA reptile show is next weekend so
I'll pick some up there and try switching over to scented rat meals. Wish me luck!
 
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