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Hatchlings not feeding-when to force feed?

L

Lavred

New member
Hi, I'm hoping someone can help guide me with my hatchlings feeding issues. I've done everything short of force feeding at this point I think, and I'm unsure when to really start to panic and exactly HOW to force feed without harming the babies? I've tried boiling, cutting in half, braining, the soap wash, leaving in tanks overnight, and the teasing shoving in the face, which worked on 1 the first time, but it's refused its second feed 5 days later. And the other on the 2nd attempt ate it cold the next day. I have 4 others nearly 3 weeks old and 2 weeks past their first sheds that have no interest. some will strike and actually rip the pinkie from the tongs but they won't latch onto them, just remove them from their way! I would appreciate any advise and tips please to keep these babies healthy and growing, and any warning signs of malnutrition etc.. I should be watching for! Thank you :)
 
That was also a possible step I considered, if my petstore can provide them....I've always avoided live with my 2 snakes due to possible injuries they could get and the risk of parasites the live could carry. Is there a risk to the babies of disease if I try live?
 
No. No substantial risk at all, from a day old pink.
 
Ok :) I'll try live next then! Thank you!! Ummm....if they don't eat them what do I do? obviously it'll die...can I freeze it then and save it for later? haha
 
If you have 5 baby snakes, I bet 4 of 5 (if not all will) eat the live if temperatures are right and you put them in a deli cup. A lot of times they just have to figure out what eating is. Others can be a pain. There are a lot of threads here on getting them started, sounds like you are on to some. Live often has the best results of all for newborns, though.
 
Yes, I spent hours I'm sure going thru possible ways and tried all the tricks for the difficult eaters right away so not to waste time and pinkies and let them weaken before resorting to those methods! lol Thought I'd have it made that way....clearly babies are not voracious eaters like their parents! haha I'll definatley give the live a try here, and hopefully the babies will take and stop causing me sleepless nights! lol Thank you :)
 
I have around 160 babies this year. Probably 130 or more ate just fine with frozen/thawed. If they don't go for that after a few tries I go live. That probably got another 20 started. 5-10 of them still only take live, I'm working with them to get on frozen/thawed. Then there's the tough ones. I've got 6 left that haven't gone for those methods, boiling or braining so far. I breed a few cages of mice just for the picky snakes. Force feeding is about the worst option out there I think and the few times I've done it I had only temporary success.

Methods I didn't see you mention:

slap feeding, lizard, lizard scenting, rat urine, tuna juice, chicken broth, bologna, chicken fat, dawn soap-washed, etc.

Here are some links you may find helpful, but I would still say go with live first.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHg7sMG4CtA
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=121532
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123691
 
Ok! Hopefully they take with Live then :) I tried the slap feeding and dish soap one. I forgot about the chicken broth/fat and tuna, so I'll give those a try as well. I have no access to lizards to feed or lizard scenting....maybe...I have a bearded dragon...would I be able to use him somehow? and how? and no access to rat urine, no live rats allowed in our province! Suppose to be rat free....tilll the latest news busted that story...lol I could try the bologna as well! Thank you for the help and info! Hopefully something here works! When do I start to panic tho? How long can they go without feeding?
 
So the live feeding worked with 4 of the 6 last week :) tho it took up to 12 hours with every hour prodding them with the live pinkie to get some to take... #6 had refused that feeding tho despite having been the first to eat frozen before, and he still wouldn't take frozen after. With todays live feed of hamster babies, he finally with lots of pestering just ate and all the others took real fast to feeding except for 1. #5 still has not eaten yet. I'll tried the scenting with tuna etc, frozen and live and tease feeding...nothing... she won't strike at all! She's about a month old almost and hasn't eaten yet, I'm quite concerned....she's still quite active and is constantly travelling the top of her habitat to check for ways out and I assume food...but doesn't have any interest in it when its there....She's not afraid of it either, just honestly has no interest as if she has no clue its food! lol I've brained them and everything, the scent doesn't seem to entice her at all. When should I start to really worry about her?
 
It's very, very easy to force feed her a section of adult mouse tail, fat end first. Maybe about a 1.5-2" segment. Every three days. Get some calories in her.
 
Should I start that right away then? and how do I safely do that without hurting her to get her to open her mouth....(I'm scared I'll squeeze her too hard while trying to open her mouth with a credit card.) Thanks for the info :) And would you happen to know which forum is best to post in to help identify the morph of the babies?
 
The easiest way is if you can get her to strike it or bite it, by holding her with about an inch and a half of her neck sticking out of your hand and touching/jabbing her in the neck with the tail. Otherwise a small blunt wood skewer or toothpick will work. You just push very gently at the corner of her mouth, not the front.
 
She ate!!! A cold old dead hamster I was about to remove and discovered gone! Lol prob wasn't healthy for her... But at least she has something in her and hopefully next time she will take immediately or within a few hours next time! Lol fingers crossed she does from now on and I won't have to resort to force feeding her :) thank you so much for the info and taking the time to help me! :D
 
Oh that sounds so appetizing!! I'd feed her the exact same way next time. If she wants old cold dead- let her have it. Then work on getting her to eat what you want.
 
Ok, will do!! Thank you :) it's my first time with hatchlings/babies and I don't want to mess up and risk their health because of my own ignorance! Lol books and google only help so much! I found this site to be the most informative and helpful with experienced ppl helping with giving tips and tricks from their personal experiences over the years :)
 
The stubborn one finally ate live :) after 12 hours and pestering her lots with it! All have officially eaten at least 2x now, some 4x! I'm fairly confident they will continue to eat well from now on....it'll just be convincing them to switch to frozen thawed over live! lol Thank you to everyone for all the advice and help!!!!
 
Thanx :) No more sleepless nights for me!! I think I passed all the gut-wrenching what if and actual nerve wracking hurdles since conception with these guys! haha Next one will be making sure they do switch over to frozen/thawed easily, especially with the supposed mice shortage occuring?! And then find good homes that'll pass my expectations for them! that one may be the tricky one...nevermind finding homes period for them! lol
 
I too am having a bit of a challenge getting my babies to eat....I've force fed rat tails to some and that seems to work short term. I'm going to try some of these 'picky eater' ideas and see what I get. Someone told me to get them real hot with a blow drier...it didn't work. But maybe it'll work for you...you just never know. Best of luck.
 
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