How long do you keep trying before giving up on feeding a non feeder

[Devilscat]

Thank you for all your different feeding suggestions. My little snow was so sweet but passed away last night. She refused everything that I tried. How many attempts at feeding do you try before you quit. I don't think I could have forced fed her. She was so tiny only 7 grams.

[Chip]

Other won't like this answer, but if it's valuable to me, I'll burn an awful lot of calories to get a baby eating. If it's a normal or common morph of corn, I'll usually try live, brained, and scented in a cup. If those don't work, it gets fed off to kings or given away. I used to cut cartwheels trying to save everything, and the animals were impossible to place unless they started feeding normally. No one wants an Okeetee that only feeds on slap-fed lizard-scented pinks.

[LBoz]

I think you'll get an awful lot of varied responses to this question. If I were a huge breeder, I don't know that I'd put nearly as much time into a non-feeder as I do as a very small keeper. I mean, I can hardly imagine RichZ going to the lengths that some do with the huge number of snakes he breeds, and he's even mentioned that Connie has taken that task over, and it's caused her a lot of stress.

I have a tiny rosy boa. She's only voluntarily eaten twice for me. The second time she regurged. After countless attempts her breeder suggested I brumate her, which I'm doing now. I'm hoping that she'll snap out of brumation with a very rumbly tumbly, but who knows. I only have six snakes, so I can really give a lot of time and attention to her, much more easily than people with huge collections.

Sorry for being so wordy. I'm sorry for the loss of your little one. I'm sure you did the best you could. ***hugs***

[Chip]

Not wordy at all, Boz. I appreciate that answer, and might get a few less "you brought them into this world, they are your responsibility" responses.

[Lauri]

I have 5 non feeders right now I have been trying to feed for 2 months now. 1 started eating on his own last month and has been doing great since. The 4 remaining are still not eating but after 2 months they are holding their own and havent lost any weight. I did force feed them mouse tails but stopped that ..I ask myself the same thing as to how long do I keep this up. Im sorry your snake didnt make it and I know my 4 remaining may not either. They say some just arent meant to be. I know I have given them all I could as you did too. I hope this doesnt stop you from trying again some time. Its a great feeling to get one feeding and growing. :)

[The_Thunderer]

I started off with 6 sporadic feeders. 3 have stated eating on a very regular basis, 1 eats VERY sporadically (didn't eat last night), 1 eats even less (didn't eat last night either), and one died.

I guess you can put me in the group that will try until they pass or until I know they're truly suffering (I think I'm at that point with the latter sporadic feeder now).

For me, it won't be easy... but I am also not afraid of what has to be done.

I too offer my condolences for the passing of your snake.

[Devilscat]

Thank you all for your response. I just feel like maybe I missed something and should have put her down. I certainly hope she did not suffer.

[LBoz]

Try not to beat youself up over it, Pat. I think there's definitely something to be said regarding those non-feeders and that maybe it's just not meant to be. Again, I'm sorry for your loss. It's obvious that you're a very compassionate animal keeper.

[RobbiesCornField]

If they appear skinny, and haven't fed, they'll go into the freezer. This year, I actually did have the time to work with one of my non-feeder hatchlings. He eventually did pass on (on the 3 month anniversary of his hatching), but there really was nothing else I could do for him. This coming year, I'm going to have quite a few pairings going on, and (hopefully) anywhere between 50 and 100(if they OVER produce)+ babies. I just won't have the time to work with every single one of them. Non-feeders will be sold off as such at a very reduced price. If someone else can get them to eat, good for them. If they don't sell, I don't like to think about it, but I will have to freeze them. Which will be good news for my king. She eats anything and everything.

[Devilscat]

[QUOTE=LBoz;735648] Connie has taken that task over, and it's caused her a lot of stress.

I have 10 snakes and this was the first one that just wouldn't eat no matter what I tried. It really bother me everytime she didn't eat. I did not give up on her.

I have a tiny rosy boa. She's only voluntarily eaten twice for me. The second time she regurged. After countless attempts her breeder suggested I brumate her, which I'm doing now. I'm hoping that she'll snap out of brumation with a very rumbly tumbly, but who knows.

I do hope that works.

[LBoz]

^Thanks, Pat! :wavey:

[danny819]

Has anyone used a pinky pump? I have very little experience with corns (working on it..LOL) but all my retics/burms that I hatched over the years will usually take a FT mouse as a first meal.I have a friend who owns a petstore and he uses a pinky pump with great success on his small non feeders.

[starsevol]

I had 2 clutches hatch this year. 25 hatchlings total. Out of those 25, only 4 ...yes 4...ate.
I sold 2 of those, and still have the other 2.
One beautiful lavender female died before her first shed.
13 went to a friend of mine who has a "gift". He got all but 1 to eat. They are his now.

2 died.

I kept 5. For nearly 2 months I just tried giving them pinks served up in different and creative ways.... Right now I am tube feeding them eggyolk and calcium twice or 3 times a week. They are getting stronger and soon I will try them on pinks again.
If I sell them I will disclose their full history, but most likely I will be keeping any survivors.

I "may" breed them, because all the parents are ravenous creatures that eat everything put in front them.

[bekers71]

I had about 10 non feeders this year, some I hatched some I got from other places. The first 3 I went as far as force feeding and after that they still died. So now I will not go that far with a baby. I like to try my best to help them get started because some babies just want to take their time. All the tricks are used, braining, leave over night, tease feed etc. But I had to realize that they weren't all meant to make it and if in the wild they wouldn't survive either. If they all survived we'd be over run with cornsnakes. LOL Once I see they are losing a little weight or regurge a time or two, it's off to the freezer then to the king. Recently I had 3 babies that I had been trying to get to eat for near 2 months with no luck so I offered them to others for free. Wouldn't you know they ate for them and are doing fine. If I have to spend a fare amount of time trying to get one to eat and it's a touch and go situation, I wont keep that snake for breeding either. I don't want "non feeding" to be passed down to future babies. But, when I sell it the person knows that snake was a slow starter and I give all the info I can on it.

Sorry about the loss of your little snow. :(