i need help how to switch my ball pythons from live to frozen mice and rats. how do i do that they just wont eat them
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how do i switch live to F/t
bawreptiles
Jan 21, 2007 02:58 PM
Replies (2)
robyn@ProExotics
Jan 21, 2007 05:06 PM
check out FAQ on this very subject:
Pro Exotics FAQ- switching to thawed rodents
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robyn@proexotics.com
boredfoot
Jan 21, 2007 05:51 PM
I switched my ball in stages, starting with freshly killed mice. I waited for the snake to get really hungry first, then let her kill a live mouse as usual. I picked a smaller mouse than she'd normally take for the first one, then put a freshly killed mouse of the same size in the tank as soon as she finished the first mouse. It worked like a charm. For the next couple feedings, I killed and gave her one full-sized mouse each time (which she took without a problem), and eventually switched to F/T.
Luckily, I don't have to do the "wiggle it around" thing either. She just takes them as they lay there. Sometimes, she's so ready to eat I have to use forceps to keep her from grabbing it right out of my hand (which I'd never advice doing, by the way).
I used the same method, more or less, with my young blood python with basically the same results.
Just keep trying! It's worth the effort in every way (cheaper, lower parasite risk, convenient) to get them switched over to F/T. You'll never regret it.
