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non feeding hatchling update

emmachan

emmachan

New member
Hi,
A few weeks ago I posted about my non feeding snow corn. I have tried everything with little sucess and she was getting pretty thin. Today we de-tailed one of my ball python's mice and put it down her throat. After about an inch down she swallowed the rest. I dont know how shes gonna react to it, but to be honest if she doesnt eat shes gonna die anyway. I would rather risk her getting nourishment into her than leave her to starve.
So has anyone else ever fed tails to a hatchling? I know they probably not very nutritious but better than nothing I guess. I just thought even if she gets the jist of swallowing shes got a better chance.
god knows, Im no expert but i am not the type to do nothing
Just wondered if anyone else has done this before and if they had any sucess :)
thanks ,Emma
 
Yes, Emma, quite a few people have used mouse tails to try to stimulate a non-feeder to eat. It is definitely not enought nourishment and if she doesn't start eating more soon, then her chance of surviving is poor. Have you tried offering her a F/T rat pinky head? I have gotten quite a few non-feeders started that way.
 
How do u go about getting a head down a snake's throat? LOL Cud u get her going with a tail and then bung one in whilst shes swallowing? Anyway, will have to give her 5 days or so before i try again

Emma :)
 
I had a hatchling that wouldn't eat anything then i read a thread on tuna scenting and it worked great now she eats everything i put in with her i don't even scent them anymore. try it just save the water from a can of tuna and dip. just freeze it later and you can reuse it. i know it crazy but it worked....
 
emmachan said:
How do u go about getting a head down a snake's throat? LOL Cud u get her going with a tail and then bung one in whilst shes swallowing? Anyway, will have to give her 5 days or so before i try again

Emma :)
Click to expand...
LOL...actually, many non-feeders will eat the head all by themselves ;)

One more thing...hamster babies work goood for non-feeders, too.
 
okie :) i will look out for some hammys lol. So.. do i open the snake's mouth and pop the head in? Getting her cake hole open didnt seem to hard with the tail. She swallowed the tail very well. Shame i cant make a "frankensteins mouse" and attach a pinkie to the end of the tail! That way she would have to swallow it too! The poor snake has had a bad start in life. I paid the seller the equivilent of 50us dollers to have the snake couriered to me, and he sent her in the normal post! "apparently" she was eating before that. I think 24 hours in the mail might put me off my grub.
Emma
 
emmachan said:
okie :) i will look out for some hammys lol. So.. do i open the snake's mouth and pop the head in? Getting her cake hole open didnt seem to hard with the tail. She swallowed the tail very well. Shame i cant make a "frankensteins mouse" and attach a pinkie to the end of the tail! That way she would have to swallow it too! The poor snake has had a bad start in life. I paid the seller the equivilent of 50us dollers to have the snake couriered to me, and he sent her in the normal post! "apparently" she was eating before that. I think 24 hours in the mail might put me off my grub.
Emma
Click to expand...
I would just put the F/T rat pinky head in the container and see if she will eat it. I wouldn't try to force a rat pinky head down her.
 
I had four nonfeeders I ended up trying the mouse tail on. The very next day I put a day old pink in with them and 3 of them ate. It was kind of like they just needed to jump start that feeding response. Two of them have eaten every meal since. One still gave me an on again off again for a couple feedings, but I never had to do the mouse tail again. I did try the tuna scenting with some good results. The last one, I decided it was time to give up...gave him one more chance to eat a meal before meeting his fate. He ate and has had 5 consecutive meals since. Be persistent, read all the threads on problem feeders and eventually something will click...good luck :)
 
I was in the exact position you are now with a non feeder. (except for the 24hr post part).

Not everyone will agree with my process but here is what worked for me;

After offering pinky mice every conceivable way (ie, f/t, brained, scented with anole and tuna, live pinkies) this one little guy just refused everything and I knew hew had very little time left. I"gently" forced a mouse tail which he swallowed the last 2/3rds of voluntarily. 5 days later I offered a live pinky which he refused, so I repeated the mouse tail. After his 3rd tail he took a live day old pinky on his own. 5 days after this I offered a f/t pinky and he has not missed a meal since. That was 4 months ago now.

Many people will argue that it is best to just let the weaker ones go the way nature intended, and I do see their valid point, however we are messing with nature simply by keeping these animals in captivity.

It is your call either way, good luck.
 
Hiya,
I have to say I agree with you :)
Its not like Im gonna breed from her, and it is probably from the stress of a human posting her that has lead to her not eating in the first place! I dont breed my snakes, they are all kept as pets. I will do anything I possibly can to keep her alive. I will certainly give ur methods ago, thou I dont think i can get live pinks cuz I think it might be illegal and I dont know any mouse breeders. I am determined every route will be tried before i let her starve

Emma :)
 
You can also give chick legs a try if you get desparate.

If you have a place you're getting frozen feeder mice from (which I assume you do), chances are they'll stock chicks as well.

I used them successfully in the past. :)
 
Well, I cut a pinkie in half lengthwise a few times to feed to a very tiny hatchling (not a bad feeder), and that one has become a very eager feeder! It snatches its (now non-cut) pinkie, puts his head in the air and shakes it around a few times before gobbling it down in a flash, so funny! Maybe a f/t cut lengthwise pinkie will arouse feeding response with non-feeders too? It's only a little yukkie.... :shrugs:
 
good news

just an update on my little girl :)
after nearly 3 months of assist feeding she started for herself :D (last resort really) she has now taken four unaided feeds :p
well chuffed!
Emma :)
 
Thos broken off pinkie legs are a real Treat

I saw the strangest thing the other day. I was at the bottom of a bag of 100 frozen pinks and a few legs ended up in the cage. After eating the pink, I saw the snake coming around an gobbling down the broken legs. I had a pile of f/t legs in the bottom of the bag so I put them in the cage and the snake ate them like a dog eating from a bowl.
 
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