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Over worried new mom with a new baby corn.

Galataya16

Galataya16

New member
OK, so I could just be overly worried but I have fallen in love with my new baby after only a few days and do not want to take him back. We picked up our new baby on Friday. They had no idea the last time he (?) had eaten and had no feeding records because they had just gotten him. Was told to try and if he hadn't eaten to bring him in by two weeks and could get me another. I tried tonight and we are feeding FT. I thawed the pinky and warmed it in a Ziploc in some warm water for a couple minutes. He wasn't interested in it at all. Seemed more afraid of it. I left him now in his separate feeding keeper with it covered and will leave him in there for a little while and see. But thought I would ask, with all the amazing advice so far, and see if there were any other suggestions, if I just tried to soon, or if there was anything else I could do. Thanks!
 
I would suggest just leaving him be for a while to see if he takes it. If not, wait a few more days and try again. There are a lot of tricks to try if that doesn't work. When you offered it, did you move it around a lot? Or just hold perfectly still? I've had better luck when they are younger holding it just out of reach, but very still. Out of curiosity, did you see his tongue moving at all? Did he strike at the food item and then just had it sit there?
 
I tried moving it a little at first, and touching it nose to nose, and just holding it in front of him. Those were what I was told to try. Since I have gotten some unreliable info and some good info I'm not sure what all is good/bad. I did notice his tongue a couple of times but he seemed more afraid of it then anything. He never attempted a strike or any other interest then that. I'm going to leave him there for an hour and check. After that do I leave it overnight or do I toss the pinky and try again in a few days? The pinky I did squeeze with the tongs a little to hard and it did bleed just a little from it's stomach but was told that was an OK thing because then it gets more smell.
 
I'm reading, reading, reading other forum posts also. Just hope that he eats and starts eating well so I don't have to take him back.
 
With our other corn we move it in front of him. He seems not to mind us hangin around him. My snow is very new to us. She wouldnt take a f/t for us when we first tried to feed her. I had to leave it in her feed box. She seemed to not even want to go near it. But she did eat it after a bit.
 
I noticed someone else on here that had a problem feeding a baby corn: they put a towel over the container and left it overnight. It makes it dark, secure and warm for the baby, just what they need. I see a lot of suggestions saying that, if they don't, it's okay to wait a few days before trying again. Too often and they start rejecting it.

Some other suggestions I've seen:
- Drip some juice from a can if tuna fish on the pinky
- Get it warm (almost hot) and introduce it in darkness
- Brain it (poke a hole in its skull and smear brain matter on its face)

But the regulars here know I'm new to babies, so I could be mistaken or missing something.
 
Those are all good tricks! If he still hasn't taken it tonight, leave him alone for another 3-4 days. Based on the photos I saw of him earlier, he doesn't look terribly emaciated (which is good). I would, during that time, leave him completely alone (a quick check to make sure he's still in his cage shouldn't hurt, but no handling) The blood on the outside of the mouse won't hurt a bit. My guess with all of the moving and changing viv's and locations the little one is probably rather stressed. If he doesn't take the one you left for him, you might try braining it, and leaving him alone with it during the night. If it isn't gone by morning, throw it out, wait another 3-4 days and try a next method. I've heard of people having good luck making the pinkie "tuna" flavored. It won't hurt a bit if there's tuna on the outside of it. Good luck!!
 
Thank you all for your help! I really appreciate it. No luck tonight, didn't touch it. I'll try again in a few days and update you all when I try again. I'll keep an eye on temps also and make sure they are OK. No handling will stink lol, he's such a sweety. But I don't want to stress him out so I'll do that. Thanks again, and I'll let you all know when I try again.
 

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I fed my corn snake the second day after bringing it home. I actually boiled the pinkie mouse until it floated to the top, laid it on a paper towel to cool while I moved Teth from his tank to the cardboard box I was using as his makeshift feeding tank. (I took care of a ball python in the past and he would not eat without complete privacy.)

This is where it gets interesting:
I was using a pair of old tweezers to pick up the pinkie mouse, and while trying to coax Teth into lunging for him, I accidentally dropped it! Teth nosed at it a few times and I wasn't for sure he was going to eat it, but then he closed his mouth over its nose. The strange thing is, that he didn't seem interested in the pinkie mouse while I was holding it.

He's supposed to feed again tomorrow, but I don't want to try while his eyes are milky.
 
Remember next time you try, you don't want a warm pink, you want either boiled- not cooled off, or as hot as your tap water will go. And for a feeding container, you want a VERY small container, with nothing in it except the snake and the mouse. And you'll have better luck if you feed at night.
 
Ok thank you. Was using a smaller critter keeper to feed (not the smallest bit the next size up) but have aspen in it. I will take that out for next time. I used just the hottest my tap water would go but that isn't extremely warm. I'll try the boiled water. Do I take the pinky out of the Ziploc bag and put it in the boiled water?
 
I thaw them directly in water. Always have. The way I prepare boiled pinks is thaw for a minute in hot water, drain, pour boiling water over it, serve immediately.
 
Boil the water in a cup in microwave and then dunk the thawed pinky in the cup. It will turn whitish and rubbery. Then offer it to the snake. It's amazing how well this works.
 
OK great. Thank you again! I'll maybe go and get the smaller critter keeper also. He is a pretty small baby.
 
You could use a small margarine container, too. With holes too small for baby to get out. If you're unsure about the holes, put the margarine container inside the critter keeper. The idea is he can't go away from the pink and forget about it.
 
OK. I don't have a margarine container small enough to fit in the critter keeper I don't think. I might have a smaller tall yogurt container I can use though. Would probably work pretty well. They had told me at the Perot shop, since he is so small, that if he didn't eat the pinkies to try minnows?
 
That is an odd idea - I've never heard of a corn feeding on minnows. I can't say it wouldn't work, as I've never tried it...
 
So are hatchlings OK to eat a pink that is larger then them? I'll need to see if I can get my little nameless one weighed. (Never taken so long to choose a name for one of my kids either lol, keep going back to Blaze and Solarin but just don't totally jump out at me).
 
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