i must say this is terrible

Originally Posted by TripleMoonsExotic

I know their are several different approaches to force feeding. I've done both of what you described in the past (though I am now of the opinion if the snake won't eat, it wasn't meant to live). .

Thats easy to say if you have a multitude of hatchlings, and are looking to strengthen the gene pool..... If it's your only snake you may have a different attitude.....
I agree though that 1-2 weeks old is too young to start to worry..... Over 6 weeks, then thats a different matter.....

Originally Posted by jpccusa

I am sure there will be LOTS of repercussion about this sentence!

No, because I don't believe that forcing feeding a weak hatchling is going to do the snake any good. Maybe it's genetically predisposed to be a bad feeder...Maybe there's some wrong inside that I can't see...There's lots of reasons why there is no reason to prolong suffering by force feeding. Heck, some people won't buy a snake that's been force fed because it can have problems down the road or never pickup and be a good feeder. If you think I'm the only one who doesn't force feed non-feeders, you're sadly mistaken.

Originally Posted by snakewispera snr

Thats easy to say if you have a multitude of hatchlings, and are looking to strengthen the gene pool..... If it's your only snake you may have a different attitude.....

We're talking about hatchling snakes and getting them eating. If someone inexperienced buys a hatchling from a pet store or whomever and it doesn't eat, they should take it back...Not potentially injure or kill the snake because of something they read/saw on the internet.

Originally Posted by snakewispera snr

I agree though that 1-2 weeks old is too young to start to worry..... Over 6 weeks, then thats a different matter.....

Then why did you suggest it to them?

TME..... It must be very difficult to be so self righteous all the time...... It seems you have your way of doing things and the rest of us are wrong..... I didn't realise the snake was only 1-2 weeks old.... If I had I wouldn't of mentioned it.... Funny how your not picking on a mod for detailing how to force feed... Scared are you....LOL
Perhaps your right for letting snakes die.....But if it's your only snake (like I said) you'll be looking for help I'd guess.....

Originally Posted by snakewispera snr

It seems you have your way of doing things and the rest of us are wrong.....

You were wrong for suggesting force feeding on 2-4 week old hatchlings. I don't care if others force feed as long as they fully disclose it to the buyer. I just won't sit around while bad advice is issued to newbies that could potentially injure/kill their snakes.

Originally Posted by snakewispera snr

Funny how your not picking on a mod for detailing how to force feed... Scared are you....LOL Perhaps your right for letting snakes die.....But if it's your only snake (like I said) you'll be looking for help I'd guess.....

O yes, I'm shaking in my boots.

I also wanted to clarify, I never said I let them starve to death. If they become severely emaciated after every attempt to do a non-evasive method to get them feeding (I've actually have had GREAT success getting non-feeders to take live ASF pinks for their first meals), they are euthanized and fed off to critters here that like the occasional snake snack (just like the kinked/deformed hatchlings).

Actually, I can't remember the last time I force-fed a baby corn snake. I've got better things to do with my time with THOUSANDS of other babies willing to feed readily.

Heck, this year, if they don't take live or frozen/thawed pinks, then tough luck to them. I'm not trying anything else to get them going. They get sent out to a wholesaler who offered to take the non-feeders off of my hands and pay me the same amount I charge him for the bulk stuff. Connie has been taking care of the problem feeders and it has worn her down over the years. So I just can't dump that workload on her any longer. She would spend HOURS on them trying to coaxe them to feed. And yeah, sometimes some REALLY nice, and sometimes unique, stuff doesn't want to eat. Tough on me, I guess, but truth be known, I don't want the "reluctant to feed on pinky mice genetic trait" passed on in my projects anyway. Hosta la vista, baby......

Originally Posted by Rich Z

Actually, I can't remember the last time I force-fed a baby corn snake. I've got better things to do with my time with THOUSANDS of other babies willing to feed readily.

Heck, this year, if they don't take live or frozen/thawed pinks, then tough luck to them. I'm not trying anything else to get them going. They get sent out to a wholesaler who offered to take the non-feeders off of my hands and pay me the same amount I charge him for the bulk stuff. Connie has been taking care of the problem feeders and it has worn her down over the years. So I just can't dump that workload on her any longer. She would spend HOURS on them trying to coaxe them to feed. And yeah, sometimes some REALLY nice, and sometimes unique, stuff doesn't want to eat. Tough on me, I guess, but truth be known, I don't want the "reluctant to feed on pinky mice genetic trait" passed on in my projects anyway. Hosta la vista, baby......

Ship them over here the Dick.... we'll do it for 20%

Depending what you mean by "forcing" / "assisting", I do think "assisting" a hatchling that didn't eat 1-2 weeks after shed is okay...

To clarify, I mean tease feeding; holding the snake and pissing it off at the pinky XD If I can get them to strike they usually figure out what to do. I've had a couple hatchlings start eating like that and took the next week's meal all on their own.
Of course, it really isn't all that stressful and invasive, if they don't go for it within a minute I leave them alone and try leaving the pink with them o/n, etc.

So, I would rec. trying to tease feed a hatchling that refused their first two meals (I offer food after shedding and at 1 week intervals thereafter). Of course it's no emergency if they go a few weeks more without eating but it's still a relief when they start!

Rich - I do usually do the same thing when I've got lots of babies; sell ones that don't eat quick and easy as non-feeders for cheap. I'm a little surprised at how quickly they get snapped up but usually I hear back from the people that they got everything eating, so good for them!

This time I've only got 6 hatchlings though so I can work a little more with the finicky ones (everyone's eating now, yay!).

Originally Posted by Silvergrin

Depending what you mean by "forcing" / "assisting", I do think "assisting" a hatchling that didn't eat 1-2 weeks after shed is okay...

To clarify, I mean tease feeding; holding the snake and pissing it off at the pinky XD If I can get them to strike they usually figure out what to do. I've had a couple hatchlings start eating like that and took the next week's meal all on their own.
Of course, it really isn't all that stressful and invasive, if they don't go for it within a minute I leave them alone and try leaving the pink with them o/n, etc.

That is not what SNR and I are talking about. We're talking about forcing the snakes mouth open and sticking a pink in (usually by "hooking" the pink on their teeth so it's harder for them to spit it out). Some go farther then that and force food the whole way down the throat using a tool called a "pinky press" or by using some sort of blunt object.

Big difference between force/assist feeding and tease feeding. If it is someones choice to force/assist feed, it should be done as an absolute last resort after 8+ weeks of not eating by other methods from a fresh hatchling.

If you HAVE to force feed baby corn snakes, use mouse tails or cut off the legs of an adult mouse, skin them, and use those skinned legs. With the legs, when you force (gently, of course) the "elbow" horizontally into the mouth of the baby snake, then turn the leg so that it is perpendicular to the ground. By doing this, when the snake opens it's mouth to try to spit it out, the leg kind of opens wider too, and the snake CAN'T spit it out. So they have no choice but to swallow it.

Oh, about the mouse tails.... You should notice that the hair on the tails lay in one direction. Cut off a chunk of the thick end, moisten it, then insert it into the mouth of a baby snake so the hairs point outwards. This makes it much more difficult for the snake to spit it up because the hairs will help keep the tail in place within the mouth.