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switching a ball python from live to f/t

MakersMarked

MakersMarked

On the outside looking in
My co-worker found out that I got a cornsnake a few months ago, and she asked me to adopt her 9-year-old ball python because she doesn't want it anymore. I've never had a BP and I never particularly wanted one, but I agreed anyway because she seems not to have taken very good care of it (after 9 years, she didn't know what species it was beyond "a python"; it lives in what looks like a 15-gallon tank because she was told "A snake will grow to the size of its tank and stop"; from the pic I've seen, it lives in a filthy cage with old feces in it; and, worst of all, it's only ever been fed live rats).

So...here's the deal: How difficult would it be to switch the snake to F/T rats? I flat-out REFUSE to feed live, not even once. I'm (obviously) fine with snakes, but rodents freak me the eff out, and I won't even touch dead ones (I handle feeders with gloves or tongs--I know it's ridiculous). I've considered buying pre-killed rats, but I live so far away from reptile stores I'm afraid the rat will have gone bad by the time I get it to the snake.

After nine years, would it even be possible to switch a BP to f/t?

(And BTW: I'm actually friends with this co-worker's brother, and he swears the snake is healthy and has a good temperament. I believe he thinks he's telling the truth, but I don't believe he knows enough about snakes to be reliable in his assessment.)
 
A quick search on google pulled this up...http://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...hing-from-live-to-frozen-food/page2..although I'm wondering, if you ask her, maybe the next time she goes to feed the snake she could try offering F/T to see if the snake will take it (before you take the snake in?) Apparently drying the rodent off with a hair drier (has the added benefit of heating it up, instead of just leaving it out on the counter to thaw) seems to do the trick....some are easier to convince to switch over, some will be stubborn about it and some will refuse....

My advice would be to ask her if she would be willing to try feeding the next time F/T....it also depends on how thin the snake is, if the snake is a healthy weight and can be "convinced" then it might be worth a shot....if the snake looks really thin then getting it up to weight first might be in order...if that's the case, do you have someone else who would be able to handle the rodent for you?

I found at least with my corn, that if I dangle the mouse by the tail (and not just leaving it stationary) she's more likely to strike/coil it and then eat it....(you'd just be using feeding tongs to dangle it and not your hands)
 
I'm the same way. FT eaters only! Grew tired of the mice and rat colonies. Luckly I've had 100% conversion to frozen with any live eaters over the years. That said, I have never tried it on a 9 year old ball python. BP's are a pain for many reasons including their picky eating habits. But at least it's eating. Honestly the odds are against it IMO but it's still worth trying to convert it. If the BP is fat and healthy then sometimes it is a matter giving it time. Don't feed it for the first month then try a really warm FT rat on tongs and do the zombie dance to start with. It should be on a bi-weekly feeding schedule anyways so your only skipping 1 meal. Oh yeah, don't forget a good glass of bourbon in the other hand for you LOL. Before going through all the other options to convert might as well start with the basics and see what happens.

So basically what ravendance said :)
 
I was just reading that very article! I was soooo hoping it would be much easier than that. :p It mentions that balls will go off-feed if they're stressed, in the cooler months, or just cuz they damn well feel like it. If I do adopt her, she'll definitely be stressed in a new home, it'll be getting cooler (well, what passes for cool in LA), and I'll be changing her regular diet. Not setting myself up for success here. Le sigh.
 
Ahhhh patience! That is the key. In all reality, I think *most* will switch. But I have only ever switched them as babies, not adults, so.. Good luck! They can be very hard!
 
I've found one of the tricks is to really make sure the rodent is fully thawed and quite warm. I'll put out all of the rodents in a zip loc bag the night before I'm going to feed them in the snake room. I leave the bags open so the scent can get out.

By the next morning they're fully thawed and 80% of my bps will take them just like that at room temp. I have a few where I will then warm up the rodent. I will seal up the ziploc bag (its worth it to spring for the name brand freezer bags here) and run it under hot water from the kitchen sink for a few minutes. The name brand is nice because 95% of the time they won't leak and you end up with warm dry rodents.

After a few minutes running under hot water I grab the rodent by the scruff of its neck with a pair of feeding forceps and do the "rat dance." I will move the rodent around the tank a little bit. By this time they've been smelling them all night, and now they have a nice hot rodent in front of them and they'll go for it.

I've had really good luck with the hot water and rat dance method.
 
If it was anything other than a ball python I would say no problem. I'd try heating a smaller sized prey item in hot water, dry it well and then just before feeding at night on tongs, you dip the nose of the rat or mouse in almost boiling hot water....dry a bit and then offer to the snake. Most of the time the extra hot signature will help illicit a strike. If it hasn't been fed a lot it should be good and hungry too. I rescued a burmese python that had only been fed live as well and she took a f/t rat immediately. Was a little put off by the wet fur but when I offered it again she took it. Balls can be finicky though....
 
I would also suggest that you attempt to feed her the day you get her home. I've had great success in feeding new animals before they go through "shipping shock" and once they've taken the meal, they have the 2-3 days of digestion to get used to their new home and they've taken a meal there as well. I'd feed in the snake's viv (and no it won't get them to bite inside if you do more than just feed in there) to allow the snake the familiarity of familiar surroundings instead of stressing further by moving them into a feeding box.
 
You've gotten excellent advice here! I've switched many a BP to frozen/thawed, including a couple of adults. I can remember one or two that I think would have starved to death before eating anything they didn't kill, but they are the exception. Hot and dry rats seem to be key, and like Meg said, I wouldn't dare try to feed it outside it's enclosure until it's feeding well. Wait until the snake is out hunting, and hold the thawed rat by the tail for some movement. More often than not, you'll get a feeding strike. Worst case scenario, you will have one so stubborn it simply will not eat f/t, but you can still rehome it to a much better life than it was living previously. Good luck.
 
Thanks, everyone, for all the advice. I still don't have the snake, so I haven't even seen it in person. I've asked the owner to try feeding her a pre-killed or f/t rat the next time she feeds her, but it turns out she only feeds the snake once a month, so I might have some waiting to do, which is fine because I still have to build some shelving to put the cages on.
 
Once a month isn't bad for a 9 year old ball python. And feeding live isn't the "worst" that could be done. I fed my ball python live for several years simpy because I couldn't get him to eat f/t but when I look back I honestly think I didn't try hard enough. Once I put my mind to it, it wasn't all that difficult. What worked for me was giving kaa a warm soak prior to feeding him and actually i got him to take a mouse first and the scented the rat with the mouse and finally transitioned to rata Now he takes room temp thawed rats no problem. I turn off his heating pad and don't feed him during the winter, usually dec through february he refuses to eat anyway. I've had him for 7 or 8 years now
 
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