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Do you think its time to feed again?
- Thread starter Energi2er
- Start date
Bobo's Mama
proud corn mommy!
Ozzy?
Hi all,
I know its totally-- :-offtopic -- but Mary Beth, did you find Ozzy yet? I've been very busy moving and was offline for a few weeks and lost touch with the forums and couldn't find out whether you had found him or not.
Oh and good luck getting your snake to eat. I've only had my amel for a few months, but she's never given me any problems, she'll eat live or f/t whether she's shedding or not, actually last week she ate while she was still wrapped around my arm. I tried to get her to unwind before she got the mouse, but I guess she was a little too hungry to care, so I had to hold my arm over the edge of the tank (a seperate one from her house, I call it the kitchen, with just paper towels in it) and wait for her to finish.
Becky and Bobo
Hi all,
I know its totally-- :-offtopic -- but Mary Beth, did you find Ozzy yet? I've been very busy moving and was offline for a few weeks and lost touch with the forums and couldn't find out whether you had found him or not.
Oh and good luck getting your snake to eat. I've only had my amel for a few months, but she's never given me any problems, she'll eat live or f/t whether she's shedding or not, actually last week she ate while she was still wrapped around my arm. I tried to get her to unwind before she got the mouse, but I guess she was a little too hungry to care, so I had to hold my arm over the edge of the tank (a seperate one from her house, I call it the kitchen, with just paper towels in it) and wait for her to finish.
Becky and Bobo
Bug22baby
Snakes and more Snakes
picky
I have a snow that use to refuse to eat on a regular basis. She still refuses from time to time now but I found a way to get her to eat more times then not. I did everything cut the pinks, brained and tryed live. I always feed in deli cups or small tupperware out of the viv. For my stubburn girl I found that pinky rats worked. She ate enough to get a lil bigger but not enough to be big enough for a rat pink, so at first I cut the rats and she instantly went for them. Now I have her eating 2 rat pinks a week. She still ocassionaly refuses but not as often. I tryed switching back to mice fuzzies, but she will not eat anything but the rats. So I give her rats, she still looks like a little worm compared to all my other 04's but atleast shes eating!!! Dunno but maybe if you can come across a pink rat, and cut it maybe your little guy would like rats too??? Just a thought, good luck!!!
I have a snow that use to refuse to eat on a regular basis. She still refuses from time to time now but I found a way to get her to eat more times then not. I did everything cut the pinks, brained and tryed live. I always feed in deli cups or small tupperware out of the viv. For my stubburn girl I found that pinky rats worked. She ate enough to get a lil bigger but not enough to be big enough for a rat pink, so at first I cut the rats and she instantly went for them. Now I have her eating 2 rat pinks a week. She still ocassionaly refuses but not as often. I tryed switching back to mice fuzzies, but she will not eat anything but the rats. So I give her rats, she still looks like a little worm compared to all my other 04's but atleast shes eating!!! Dunno but maybe if you can come across a pink rat, and cut it maybe your little guy would like rats too??? Just a thought, good luck!!!
larryg
New member
A live pinky could make all the difference in the world.
I knew someone would throw out the dreaded label 'POWER FEEDING', relative to feeding hatchlings twice a week. Again, pretty much every living creature ingests food more often as a baby. (check The Cornsnake Manual... it says twice, even 3 times a week is okay for hatchlings.) I feed my snakes in the viv, I use newspaper for a substrate, and I feed hatchlings twice a week (skipping an occasional meal). If someone wants to declare me to be a 'politically incorrect' Cornsnake owner, so be it. Unfortunately some people take general guidelines, twist them into 'rules', then start applying those rules to situations to which they do not even apply (i.e. baby snakes.) Yes, as with a dog or most any animal, the frequency of feeding should not be so often, once the animal has gained some size and begun to approach maturity. No, I do not advocate feeding larger snakes more often, unless they are still on pinkies. Sorry, but I don't 'feel' that baby snakes in the wild will be limited to one meal every 5 to 7 days, as I have no basis to make such an assumption. Of course my information does not come from my 'feelings' at all, but rather from books and experienced people.
I knew someone would throw out the dreaded label 'POWER FEEDING', relative to feeding hatchlings twice a week. Again, pretty much every living creature ingests food more often as a baby. (check The Cornsnake Manual... it says twice, even 3 times a week is okay for hatchlings.) I feed my snakes in the viv, I use newspaper for a substrate, and I feed hatchlings twice a week (skipping an occasional meal). If someone wants to declare me to be a 'politically incorrect' Cornsnake owner, so be it. Unfortunately some people take general guidelines, twist them into 'rules', then start applying those rules to situations to which they do not even apply (i.e. baby snakes.) Yes, as with a dog or most any animal, the frequency of feeding should not be so often, once the animal has gained some size and begun to approach maturity. No, I do not advocate feeding larger snakes more often, unless they are still on pinkies. Sorry, but I don't 'feel' that baby snakes in the wild will be limited to one meal every 5 to 7 days, as I have no basis to make such an assumption. Of course my information does not come from my 'feelings' at all, but rather from books and experienced people.
Energi2er
New member
peep_827 said:
Yes there are 2 pet stores, Petco and Petsmart. Petco is where I got the snake and they only sell f/t because they dont reccommend live. and Petsmart doesnt even have reptiles, they dont have f/t or live. Thats in Olympia, I havent tried Tacoma or Seattle, but if thats what it takes for him to eat, then its worth the drive. Do you know of any pet stores that carry live? also where can I get pinky rats? Thanx for all your help.
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
What larry says about hatchling eating twice a week or more may (or may not
) be sound advice. As has been said before, there are many ways to raise a healthy hatchling.
However, until you get him to eat I would personally (and again, this is just my opinion) wait at least five days. In my mind it is not worth the risk of the development of the permanent refusal response we hear so much about.
In any case, it sounds like you already have things pretty much under control, Energi2er. Hopefully you'll have a nice fresh shed soon (since Mary-Beth, clarified the "cloudy checker issues" that is looking more probable). Or good luck finding live pinks, or rat pinks. Keep us updated
) be sound advice. As has been said before, there are many ways to raise a healthy hatchling.However, until you get him to eat I would personally (and again, this is just my opinion) wait at least five days. In my mind it is not worth the risk of the development of the permanent refusal response we hear so much about.
In any case, it sounds like you already have things pretty much under control, Energi2er. Hopefully you'll have a nice fresh shed soon (since Mary-Beth, clarified the "cloudy checker issues" that is looking more probable). Or good luck finding live pinks, or rat pinks. Keep us updated
MegF.
That's for sale???
I would move your viv from the high traffic area you have him until he gets settled. Dogs, cats, people, lights on at all hours are not going to help him feel safe. You can try lizard maker which is a fake lizard scent for the pinky. It is possible that your snake is getting ready to shed and just doesn't want to eat. Some of mine will eat while in blue, during shed, whatever, and other's won't.
peep_827
hehehe
Energi2er said:
Look for local shops. Most of the places around here where I can get live feeders aren't the national chains, but small local pet shops. Check your phone book, there might be places you aren't aware of. If not, I'm pretty sure you could find live mice in Seattle anyway. Good luck!
amber_marshall75
New member
What I do to feed my baby and my hatchlings is take a toilet paper roll and place the pickie in it before I go to bed. At night when he comes out to explore there they are and she eats them just fine. Maybe he is just shy and wants some privacy. My baby eats 2 pinkies every 5 days. I set each of them on one end of the roll and he eats them in the toilet paper roll then comes back out when he is done. It's worth a shot.
PssdffJay
Serpensortia
Any luck yet?
I'm new here and not familiar with all the terms, what is braining? Or cutting or whatever? I up to the 6th day since my snake ate last, i have never feed her though, which is better 5 or 7 days. And Bobo's Mama, is there any problem feeding you snake in its "kitchen" does it snap or anything?
Energi2er, has Dominoe eaten yet? I hope everything is ok.
I'm new here and not familiar with all the terms, what is braining? Or cutting or whatever? I up to the 6th day since my snake ate last, i have never feed her though, which is better 5 or 7 days. And Bobo's Mama, is there any problem feeding you snake in its "kitchen" does it snap or anything?
Energi2er, has Dominoe eaten yet? I hope everything is ok.
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
Braining is really pretty simple once you get past the initial unpleasantness. You just take a sharp object of some kind (I use the tip of a pair of scissors) and press it into the top of the mouse's head, puncturing the skull (please make sure you do this on pre-killed mice only). After you have made the small puncture hole you squeeze a little bit of the brain juice up. As soon as the little snakelings smell this, they usually cannot resist, and tear right into it. Now you have a happy eating snake.
I fed my hatchlings every five days, and I believe that is generally accepted around here. Although there is some debate about when you should switch to every 7 days...before/at/after you are feeding the fuzzy sized mice seems to be the normal time to switch though.
I fed my hatchlings every five days, and I believe that is generally accepted around here. Although there is some debate about when you should switch to every 7 days...before/at/after you are feeding the fuzzy sized mice seems to be the normal time to switch though.
KatieL
Sienna, Trogdor & Melony
Oh yeah, and I meant to write about cutting too...I'll really have to invest in getting my edit button one of these days.
Anyway, cutting or snipping is a technique used to make the mice easier for your snake to digest. What you do is make several (I do 2 to 4) slits in the skin on the back of the mouse right along the spine. These slits allow the digestive juices to get inside the mouse's body cavity and digest the "good stuff" more quickly so your snake gets more nourishment out of its meal before it passes it out the other end. It helps them grow better, in other words.
I believe there is a thread started by Hurly somewhere on here (try using the search function, if you are interested) complete with pictures detailing how to do it. Good luck with your new snake!
Katie
Anyway, cutting or snipping is a technique used to make the mice easier for your snake to digest. What you do is make several (I do 2 to 4) slits in the skin on the back of the mouse right along the spine. These slits allow the digestive juices to get inside the mouse's body cavity and digest the "good stuff" more quickly so your snake gets more nourishment out of its meal before it passes it out the other end. It helps them grow better, in other words.
I believe there is a thread started by Hurly somewhere on here (try using the search function, if you are interested) complete with pictures detailing how to do it. Good luck with your new snake!
Katie
Bug22baby
Snakes and more Snakes
In its Kitchen.... I think she is relating it to a seperate feeding container thats all. I dont know for sure what you mean by snapping, but feeding in a seperate container is thought to help avoid many troubles of feeding directly in the viv. Such as it lets the snake know your hand is not associated with food, as well as avoids compaction of substrate in the mouth. It also may help with stubborn eaters to place them in a smallar feeding container because they are right on the food making them more comofrtable with eating. If you dont already Id recommend getting your own snake "kitchen" or feeding container.
Amanda
Amanda
Bobo's Mama
proud corn mommy!
Hi,
Yep, that's what I meant. The "kitchen" can be anywhere but her viv. I've put her in a kritter keeper, I've put her in a rubbermaid tub, I've recently switched to putting her in a cooking pot, because its cute... when she's done she crawls over the edge of the pot and peeks her head out likes she saying, "mom, I'm done!" Good luck with your new snake.
Yep, that's what I meant. The "kitchen" can be anywhere but her viv. I've put her in a kritter keeper, I've put her in a rubbermaid tub, I've recently switched to putting her in a cooking pot, because its cute... when she's done she crawls over the edge of the pot and peeks her head out likes she saying, "mom, I'm done!" Good luck with your new snake.
oldhand
New member
I switch to every 7 days when the snakes start eating small mice, and 6 days for fuzzies, and move up a day everytime you move up a size, but thats just my way of doing it, theirs no right or wrong way to feed, but their are more effective ways the others, depending on what works for your snake(s).
PssdffJay
Serpensortia
Bug22baby said:
Snapping, like striking, or atempting to bit you, like if you feed your snake in your viv, it might begin to think that every time you put your hand in its viv that food is associated, so if you put a snake in a "kitchen" or "feeding container or area, will the same thing happen? Sorry, if snapping is the wrong term, still trying to figure them all out.
And thanks Kateil for the info, I am going to try live mice, today is the first time i get to feed her, hope she doesnt have any problems eating, cause watching a snake kill and eat its own food is a little different then me having to now kill the live one, poke it in the brain and squeeze. *shudder* Lets hope anyway, but cutting sounds like a good nutritional idea!