Hip hip horray! I finally got my first pip today!

Congrats on the babies! Sorry to hear that you lost one. Watch the others carefully, in case they're also affected by the heat.

I have been keeping my eye on them. They all seem very good and even ate their first extra small pinkie mice for me tonight. So out of the first 13, not including the anery.. all but 3 have eaten. one of the hypo's that I am keeping hasn't eaten, and #3 which is a snow and # 7 which is a ghost has also not ate for me yet. #'s 1 Anery, 2, Anery, 4-Normal, 6-ghost, 9-Amel, 10-Hypo, 11 Amel, 12-Amel, 13-Normal have ate for me. So I think so far they are doing good. I forgot to take photos of the one's that shed before I fed them so I will have to wait on taking pics of them until they are done digesting food. Will post pics in 3-4 days. Thanks everyone for all the comments so far. I love these forums. I really appreciate all the help I've gotten so far and compliments on my babies.

# 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 have yet to shed their skins...so I hope to see some more tomorrow afternoon when I get up from bed.

The babies are looking good and congrats on the first feeds.
I am so very sorry to hear about the Anery you lost.
Am sure you won't do it again, and I know how horrible you must feel, but I just have to say it ... please, don't take them out, in the sun, again. It gets hotter, than one may think, inside the containers (hotter than it is/feels outside) and they do not need the UV (so, it is unnecessary to take them out for some sun).
Not berating you at all, so please don't think I am, just some friendly advice/info.

It's okay, thanks Pasodama. I understand. I do feel aweful, just didn't realize that would happen. It's pretty chilly in my bedroom because we have a window unit air conditioner and my man likes to keep it like ice cicles in there. I do have them set up on some heating cord on top of one of my stackable cages but because I have the containers stacked 3 some 4 high I figured some wasn't getting enough warmth so I just figured I'd take em out for a few min. Ofcourse, I will never ever do that again unless I just want to take one to hold outside. I've done that many of times and it be fine so I don't think that would hurt them any as long as I am holding them one at a time. I use to bring out my adults outside all the time, especially when I'm taking photos of them, even when they were much younger/smaller I would take them out for 20-30min. But I will definently not take em out while they are inside their containers.

Oh yes, taking them outside, while holding them (or for photos), is just fine. I do that too (for photos).
If the temps are in the 90's (or more), I'd only have them in the sun for short periods of time (esp. when very young). Otherwise, in shaded areas.
Yep, it can get rather hot inside the containers. Think about other enclosed areas/things, like a car, or a greenhouse, or... an outhouse ( ).
Even tubs that I keep in a heated room can get a wee warmer, inside, than what the room temp is.
What you had done was an honest mistake and I really do feel for your loss, etc.
Guess it is just something that can be chalked up to a lesson learned and move on to greater thoughts ... like the rest of your lovely babies!
Is there a warmer room, in your home, that the babies can be kept in?

Yes, all the others are seeming to be doing wonderful so far. And I just checked for more shed skins and found three. The odd thing is it's the last three that hatched that have shed. Like it's #17,18 and my snow that I am keeping Ivory which was number 19. #14, 15, 16 have yet to shed. Weird...oh, well. I will be feeding them soon. I was hoping that I could use the middle bedroom for a snake room, but it's being used for storage, and there is tons of stuff in there that I can't move by myself. My boyfriend won't help me with it, and his mom is to weak/sick to do anything really. She has diebetes and congestive heart failure and has a pace maker. So she can't really help me with the heavy things. And since it's her house I don't know what to throw away or what to keep, and or where to put things. Anyhow, since I'm getting paid today I might just go shopping and find something that will help heat them up better. Have any suggestions that might work for them? I don't have much space at all left in my bedroom but I was thinking on putting them in the closet, it doesn't have a door it's broken, but I thought since it's further from the air unit and up higher/heat travels up and if I take the heating cord I have and wrap it around the clothes rack and put some heat cord on the back of the wall that might be better and keep the heat more steady. That's just an idea I thought of. Don't know if it would work though.

Really just need to get a thermestat controller, so I can tell what the temps are. The one's on the bottom of the stack are getting a decent amount of warmth and maybe the second layer as well but to me it just seems like the 3rd and 4th row of containers are getting a very little amount of warmth. If I could put them in the closet I could just have one layer all the way across and maybe they would get the right amount of heat.

Your idea might work out okay. Am having difficulty in envisioning what you mean. At the least end, they would be further away from the AC. Maybe you could pick up a very cheap shelf unit (where you can run the heating cord, or heat tape, on the back of it)? Another idea ... Jeff Mohr has some hatchling racks for sale, in the "Other Animals and Related Items For Sale" section ... rather cheap (price) and you can run the heat cord, or heat tape, on the back of it.
For the babies that have not shed yet, I would give them a little spritz with a water bottle. If completely dry the next day, and they have not shed yet, give another little spritz.

wildlifephotographer said:

If I could put them in the closet I could just have one layer all the way across and maybe they would get the right amount of heat.

Click to expand...

Could work.
Yes, a thermostat would be a good idea ... as well as a thermometer.
With the thermometer, if unable to place a probe in one of the containers, it would be good to, at least, have it outside the containers so you can gauge an approximate of what their temps are inside the containers.

Okay, thank you. I might check the hatchling racks out and see what they are like. For the time being I'll probably just do the closet thing and see how that works. And I will spray the babies that haven't shed and see what happens. Thank you again.

Well, they have all shed their very first skins and out of 18 babies left all ate but 5 of them. Let's see # 3, 7, 18 and the two little babies that I am wanting to keep have not ate yet. which were number 5, and 19. I think so far I am doing good with getting them to eat. And #1, 2, 4, 6 have defecated which means they've digested their first meal without any problems. So I am pretty happy, just hope I can get the other babies to eat soon.

That's a fien score for the first round of feeding!

Sounds like the feeding is going pretty well.
If you can't get the others to eat, there are always some tricks you could try. If you don't know what they are, you can look them up or ... just ask.

From what I have read, you still have time to get them to eat. Temps of course could be the problem for the few not eating..just depends on the snake.

It's awesome that so many of them are doing so well already!

Yeah, they seem to be doing good pretty much. I'll wait 3 more days before feeding the non-feeders...I know some tricks, but not all of them. I know you can try bumping them in the face or shaking the mouse with tongs infront of them which I've already tried that. Then there is rinsing with dawn soap? And scenting the pinks with different rodent used bedding/shavings right? Or leaving the pinkie in over night with the snake to see if that works? I haven't tried any of those yet but the bumping. How would I get a hold of some used shavings, and what scent should I try or easily accessible/would I get the shavings from like petco/petsmart?

There is also braining (make a bit of brain leak out) and/or cooking the pinky (30 secs in water taken from the heatsource when it cookes) which I prefer over the teasing (which should not really be bumping).

I prefer not leaving the pinks in container over night just cause they get some yucky fast and so cold.

A hatchling, being too cold, may be reluctant to eat. Since you mention the coolness, of the room, this could be one problem (also, as you know, they need appropriate temps for digestion).

Here are some tricks, that you can try, ~If~ a hatchling is, continuously, refusing to eat after some attempts. Also, only offer food, or try something, every 4-5 days (which you seem to be doing).

# Tease feeding can be done by lightly dancing the pink (moving it around the container as though live) or by touching it to the snake's head or body. Continuous touching/tickling, on body, is, basically, harassing the snake until the snake has had enough and strikes ... hopefully grabbing the pink. If it grabs the pink, hold ~very still~ and pray that the snake eats the pink it has in its mouth. I would never bump a hatchling's nose as this can have the opposite affect of what you are trying to accomplish (scaring the hatchling away from the pink).

# Feed at different time of the day (i.e. morning, night).

# Place hatchling, and a pink, in a well secured brown paper bag that is placed in a warm/quiet area.

# Leave pinkie in overnight.

# Place hatchling in a container, with the pink, and leave it, covered, in quiet place (you can try a dark place and a light place).

# Braining - Puncture the pinkie's head with a toothpick, squeeze out a bit of brain fluid, & smear the fluid around the pink's face/head.

# Feed live, or pre-killed, pinkie.

# Feed pinkie that is cut in half or just a pinkie's head (cut, while still frozen, then thawed).

# Wash Pinkie with a mild soap (i.e. Dawn, Ivory).

# Simply rinse the pinkie, well, with water.

# Wash & then scent.

# Scenting - You can try scenting with any of the following:
* Chicken Broth
* Dirty mouse/hamster/gerbil/etc. bedding (if you have none, try getting some from a friend, a breeder, or a pet store)
* Tuna juice (although some may have had success, I have never had any with tuna)
* Chicken skin from Kentucky Fried Chicken, or T.V. dinner, or other.
* Lizard (from live or frozen lizard.. or you can take off a part of its tail and smear the end on pinkie's face, etc., then place the tail in the pinkie's mouth)
* "Lizard scent" (A formula that is sold by some herp supply companies &/or Fishing supplies ... make sure that whichever formula you use is non-toxic ... BTW I am going to look into toxic/non-toxic thing, myself, to see if it is something I could use).
* Chick (Can purchase frozen chicks from a feed breeder)

# "Brumate" for a short period of time.

# There is, also, a method of "tube feeding" certain items that can "jump start" their hunger & feed response. Perhaps more, on that, later.
Although ... you could try putting a mouse tail (cut in half, or 1/3, to lessen length of tail) down the hatchling's throat (basically force feeding a mouse tail). Wet the tail with water, first, and start with thicker end of tail. After this, place the hatchling back into its container with a pinkie.

# If absolutely nothing, with rodents, works ... you could try a live lizard.

# Force feeding - this is a last resort and shouldn't need to be done until the passing of approx. 5 weeks since hatch date (as long as the hatchling seems to be doing okay).

Awesome, thanks for all the tips! Lets, see so far I've tried the teasing, braining, and washing/rinsing with soap. None of those have worked. Last night I did the soap/braining and then left the pinkie in the little hides overnight to see if they would eat it. I don't think they did though. In a few more days I will try scenting with chicken broth. Then if I can find some used mouse/gerbil bedding I will try that.