new snake, just got her chart, no good

[cardozafam12]

I just got two corn snakes that i thought was hatchlings.
they are close to a year old now.

I got them May 17th. My gold dust ate 2 large mice pinks like a champ mon 20th.
The other is an Amel. She was labled by the breeder a problem feeder, which he sold in a batch to another breeder who i bought it from.

Her chart shows her eating every 2 weeks. at every weekly feed she refused one week and ate the next. this girl is tiny compared to the gold. She just shed her skin making today 14 days no food( i attempted feed mon the 17th), but she stressed out over the soak since her shed was bad and needed help with. so im leaving her alone to resettle.

Im just at a loss. I was NOT informed of this problem that she has. i was given the thought that these gals were hatched and only a few months old.
when i was told they came from a problem feeder batch i thought it was the parents and i was told they corrected the issues with them.....

But im stuck with a baby corn who is tiny, eats every 2 weeks. the large pinks look too big for her but was fed one 2 weeks ago. She was on ASF over half the time. again i was not told this.

If i attempted a Small pink mouse instead of a large would this help get her back to weekly feedings? I dont even think she had a weekly feeding ever? How can i get her on a proper feed schedual and gaining weight?

I found one site that sells F/T asf, my cousin breeds them as well. so in case i get another rejected feed of both mice and asf im out $30 and a snake. id be giving her up to my cousin who can force/assist feed snakes back to life and health

[Myca]

When I got Charisma, it was 19 days before she accepted her first pinkie. She did not have a history of feeding problems. Charisma likes a brained, completely thawed pinkie with it's head dipped in very hot water for about 5 seconds. I offered every 5 days until she ate.

[Myca]

Once you get your two week feeder eating, you could start backing that date up a day at a time. See how close you could get it to weekly.

[Alicia P]

Get a small disposable container that your snake will just fit in, something like this (http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-TakeAlongs-Mini-Square-Container/dp/B0028LTHKI/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1366048799&sr=8-10&keywords=rubbermaid+takealongs), all scrunched and coiled up is good. Poke a couple holes in the side and top for air. Thaw a pinky mouse on a dish in the fridge for a few hours or put it in a baggie in cool water. After the pinkie is thawed, put a cup of water in the microwave for a couple of mins to get it boiling hot. Put your snake in the container and loosely put the top on, hold it so your baby doesn't slither off. Swish the pinky in the hot water for 30-45 seconds, you want to get it hot but not cook it. Plunk the pinky into the container with your snake and put the top all the way on, cover with a dish towel or if your house is noisy a pillow, then walk away for an hour or so. The small container keeps the snake from being able to ignore the prey and super heating the pinkie seems to make it more enticing.

Also corns are crepuscular, meaning they are most active at dawn & dusk. It may be helpful to try feeding later at night, around 9-10pm or really early in the morning.

[WestCoast_Redneck]

I got my first corn at 18 months that only weighed 20-something grams. She is now over 80 and thriving. I'd go with the suggestions as above, and try a small pinkie. I had to brain a few to get mine to eat once or twice. Now both my snakes are garbage disposals. They devour whatever they are offered. Eating every two weeks isn't really a big worry....as long as it's eating. I found that both of mine really developed a stronger eating response as they grew. Like I said, as long as it's eating...I wouldn't worry too much. Keep the meals small, and I bet her food response will develop with time :)

[cardozafam12]

Well im attempting feed tomorrow. I just dont want to rush it. I got her the 17th, attempted feed the 20th, the gold dust ate her share along with her pink with ease( didnt want to waste a pink, plus breeder said she usualy takes 2 large pinks easily).
She shed the 23rd with assist( stresed her some), she is slowly popping her head out during the day( aspen bedding they love it) while the gold is like a crazed snake proping herself up six inches up the tank to look over bags thats blocking the view to the outside. She loves being held and adjusted amazingly

I just wonder if i should give her( amel) a cpl more days to really settle in since i stressed her with a soak to help with a real bad shed. So far while spot cleaning the golds bathroom spots the amel didnt strike me once. even when my hand got in her comfort zone. she just laid there curled up.

yes i know a co-housing is not recomended with snakes. I will be placing her in a new tank later on account of her size. My gold is doubled in girth than the amel. She ahs truely grown more since she has been here and you can tell when you pick her up

[Alicia P]

I would give her a couple more days. It's really recommended to leave them completely alone (except for water changes) for at least 7 days after bringing them home. This gives them a chance to settle in and de-stress.

Also when you get her in her own setup she may perk up, the larger snake may be bullying her adding to her stress levels.

[MysticExotics]

I'm not sure if you read my reply on your iHerp post *here* (http://www.iherp.com/Answers/ReptileProblem.aspx?Id=37113) where I brought attention to the fact you had only had her for a few days & that you needed to leave her alone to let her settle in.
You're likely stressing her out by messing with her too much in such a short time that you've had her, by trying to feed her & "assisting" her shed process. IMO, many of the times people "assist" their snake in shedding, it's not necessary. If the snake has a ongoing history of bad sheds, then something is likely wrong with the husbandry. Not always, but it often ends up that way. Sometimes it's perceived as a bad shed, when in fact, if you just give it time, they will take care of it on their own.

People have advised you to separate the snakes, both here & on iHerp. If you have years of experience in owning snakes, & can recognize stress symptoms, then I would stress that you are not ready to deal with cohabbing snakes. There are so many factors that can go wrong. Premature breeding, cannibalism, non eating due to stress, etc.

Please, for the benefit of the snakes, separate them, & leave them alone for 5-7 days (aside from checking water) to adjust to a new home, & do not keep trying to feed them during this time.

[diamondlil]

The earlier you seperate them, the quicker you can get the smaller snake back on track. Stress is a major factor in feeding refusal for young corns, and being cohabbed, handled, assisted with a shed, all will contribute to stress.

[cardozafam12]

i got my Amel in a tub of her own now, She ate her large mouse pink with a struggle to get it down. Buying some small pinks tomorrow for her in hopes this will be easier to eat.
While she goes down a size( i think they pushed her too fast or didnt have her on a steady size, her charts was pink fuzy pink pink fuzzy large fuzzy). gold is going up to rat pinks and she is growing big time and i think she will continue to do so. She has gotten bigger since i had gotten her. She ate a tad early than her 7 day feeding, 5 day feed today since the amel refused the larger pink and took the smaller one of the pinks

[cardozafam12]

She ate a tad early than her 7 day feeding, 5 day feed today since the amel refused the larger pink and took the smaller one of the pinks

too add i did make sure she defecated before i fed her. i cleaned out the tank and while i did that i prepped the tub for the amel.

[diamondlil]

I keep to 5 day feedings on pinks. 6 days on fuzzies. 7 days on adult mice. Then 7, 10 or 14 day feedings on large adult mice. It's not set in stone and has to fit around my work schedule but 7 day intervals on pinks is too long for me, personally, unless the snake is having problems with digestion.