Ball Python food transition

Ball Python food transition

Postby shaun37 » Wed Mar 12, 2014 12:37 pm

Hi there

The Ball Python I will be getting within the next week has been reared on live prey, but at the moment I do not have a source of live rat pups, and I'd prefer to move her over to frozen thawed. Are they usually quite to easy to have transition between food types or is there a method to it?

Thanks in advance!
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby AKovarsky » Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:15 pm

Usually they will be fine. Just heat the food up sufficiently. If it doesn't take it you could "brain" it which involves cutting its head open to increase the scent.

Also just give the snake about a week to settle in. Don't handle it. Just let it be. After one week try to feed. Odiously provide the correct temp etc. If the conditions are not ideal chances are it won't eat.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby shaun37 » Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:30 pm

Thanks, good to know.

The plan was always to leave her be in the beginning, so she can settle in. The plan is to feed her in a separate tub to avoid the whole 'bite the hand that feeds her' issue when taking her out of her enclosure, but I'll be sure to have it closely match the enclosures micro-climate to keep her comfortable.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby krah » Wed Mar 12, 2014 2:50 pm

keep us posted on how it goes. I've still not been successful in swapping my bp over to dead prey items.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby AKovarsky » Wed Mar 12, 2014 4:47 pm

Sounds great.
Just saying I don't buy that whole bite the hand that feeds it. If you regularly open the tank to do things besides feeding (like maintenance, handling etc) they will realise that hand only very seldomly does = food.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby jhbhc » Wed Mar 12, 2014 8:09 pm

If you feed in a seperate feeding tub, there's also a chance of being bitten when you transfer the snake into its enclosure as they're often in hunt mode after a meal.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby Axanthic » Wed Mar 12, 2014 9:51 pm

Yes I rather feed them in their enclosure, just like jhbhc said, they enjoy striking after you feed them, I just have a quick question though, I have been trying to get my 2 year old BP female to feed on rats, after her previouse owner raised her on mice. I've tried everything but she gives me the "stink eye" I have brained them, I have fed her a small mouse and then tried a rat aswell as starving the poor girl for 3 weeks, and still nothing, can anyone help?
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby AKovarsky » Thu Mar 13, 2014 6:35 am

You could try scenting. Rub the mouse against the rat and feed. Also try to feed two smaller rats rather than one large one just for the first time. A smaller meal might look less intimidating so larger chances of her going for it.

Some BP's will just refuse rats no matter what you do. The only problem with that is having to feed multiple mice once they get to a certain size.

Keep us posted and let's see what happens.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby BRB » Thu Mar 13, 2014 9:06 am

Wash the rat and try and get off most of the scent, dry it off and then rub it down with "used mouse sawdust/litter". You can slowly "scent less" and eventually it should take rats. I agree with Aaron, smaller rats are better at first.
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Re: Ball Python food transition

Postby Axanthic » Thu Mar 13, 2014 7:07 pm

Will do,,,thanks folks,,,,its hard to feed a 1.8 kilo bp on mice, thanks again hope I get this fixed soon.
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