converting from live to f/t?

[chelslp]

Midas has now taken 3 successful meals from me (all live pinkies, rejects f/t).
From these past feeds and from observing his behavior, I have 2 real questions.
I've noticed that Midas seems to be interested for a very split second by movement. As in, if I tried to tease him a bit with a f/t he would get in strike pose then slither away and just try to escape. If I put a live pinkie in with him, he'd get into strike pose then start to slither away until he heard a squeak.
It seems that of anything, the sound response is what gets him most interested in the food.

Unfortunately for him, live pinkies are hard to come by and I would really much rather him eat f/t (for both our sakes).

My questions are: 1. Has anyone else ever noticed a stubborn feeder reject everything but a sound response?
2. From this, how can I possibly get him to transition to f/t? Any suggestions will be taken to heart

thanks!! :wavey:

[chelslp]

Here's a picture of Midas after his meal last night (two extra small live pinkies)

[Nanci]

Have you tried a really, really hot FT? With slits in its back? I think, if all else fails, once you get to the size that you can feed FK, then you will be able to switch. Bigger fuzzies, probably.

[chelslp]

I have, Nanci! I've tried everything in all of these non-feeder posts! Nothing works! He is just a very, very stubborn snake.
If all else fails, are you suggesting I keep up with live until he gets to big fuzzies then try him on fresh killed? If I do have to do the intermediate fresh kill stage, will I have to do it myself? I'm not sure if I'm up for that task yet =\

[autumn75]

One of my corns was/is a stubborn eater. I had to feed her live until she moved up to hopper sized mice. Once those meals became more challenging for her to catch, she began accepting f/t a lot easier than I thought she would.

She still refuses once in awhile, but I've found if I offer her a slightly bigger meal she accepts. Also, she is not one to take f/t from tongs. I have to place the f/t mouse in her feeding tub and cover her up with a towel in a very quiet room. I've also found that sprinkling some Nutribac on her meals seems to help boost her appetite.

Be patient. I worried my corn would never take f/t.

[Susan]

I've been in the process of switching several hatchlings from live to F/T (these were all previously problem feeders at started off taking nothing, then only F/T when teased, and eventually live). As long as the hatchling has been eating regularly for awhile (at least 6 live meals in a row) and has good weight for it's size, I simply offer a F/T. If it is uneaten by the morning, the hatchling gets nothing else until the next regularly scheduled feeding day. 9 times out of 10, an offered F/T is eaten. There is nothing like being a bit hungry to make that F/T looks just as appetizing as a live!

[MinLynn]

What about switching adults to f/t? Feeding day is coming up this week and I would really like these guys to switch from live. I fed them live their last feeding because it was their first feed in a new home and I suspect they hadn't been fed in well over a month. I didn't want them to refuse. I'm a worry wart! If we offer the f/t and they refuse should we just wait till the next feed or go ahead with live. Voldy just shed so I'm suspecting he's pretty hungry and hoping that may make him a little more susceptible to eat what I give him.

[Nanci]

I've switched a few adults from live to FT just by feeding FT, not by making a big deal of it.