Converting to Frozen/Thawed

[GillianC]

So quite frankly, I've looked up lots of ways to convert a snake from eating live to eating frozen/thawed - I've tried several. But I have a very stubborn baby. Two, actually. Neither are corn snakes, but I figure advice on corn snakes may help. What would you do with an extremely stubborn 2 month old snake that absolutely refuses to eat frozen/thawed? Without assist/force feeding, what techniques would you use to coax it to eat?

[AliCat37]

What are you trying to feed?
Either way I'd start out with stunned/fresh killed. After you do get them eating stunned, try a fresh killed, then I'd move to F/T and thaw them out without means of using water. So Set them in the fridge for a day and then warm up with a hair dryer. Once the mouse is hot wiggle it in front of the snake.

That's what I would do.. I haven't ever had problems switching, so I'm not sure how well it works. :/ Good luck!

[GillianC]

I'm trying to feed a brazilian rainbow boa and a dotted african house snake. I've tried the hair dryer technique, as well as braining, scenting with a live mouse, and zombie dancing. The rainbow boa shows some interest (a definite curiosity), but in the end she never eats them. The african house snake used to eat frozen/thawed, but I fed him live a few times over the summer and now he's off them again.

The main problem I'm having with feeding live is just access to mice. Starting a mouse colony has been slow going, and quite frankly it would be easier to just convert them.

Thanks for the advice!