Reptile & Amphibian Forums

First off, this is not your typical "my ball wont eat" question. Please read on!

her history: 05 100% het pied. weighs 633g on empty as of today. She used to eat like a champ, UNTIL i dropped temp last Oct for the start of breeding season, which she was NOT a part of. I keep all and non breeding snake in the same snakeroom. She has eaten one live rat(i know, i know, i was weak and caved into my selfishness to get her eating again) on 4/17. Now she wont even eat another live. I have tried every trick under the sun. Here is the list of them:

Live (mice and rats)
f/t
leaving it in over night
dark box feeding
feeding at night(as i usually do)
day feedding
misting cage before feeding
placing rat in baggy for dethaw

She is in a 24x24 AP at the moment. I tried to tighten up her enclosure to see if that would help. Temps at a constant 88 on hot side. two hides, one a tupperware with Spagnum moss. I have had her on paper, aspen, and cypress. Before this all started, when she was pounding f/t rats, she was on the cypress.

I plan to run out and get more cypress. I acquired some gerbil hair (DONT ASK), and i am going to try "braining" tonight. But i am looking for more opinions and options. Anything you can interject would most appreciated.
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey
onetonyj@yahoo.com

I have two females that still have not eaten.They are finally acting hungry and tonight I will try, I am in pa and my temps here have been on the cool side till this week. If you are in a area that may still be a little cool, I believe they sense it.

Don't feel bad, I have a bunch doing the same thing. Even once they get to size, they seem tougher to get to lay than others. They are a challenge, that's for sure.

Mike

Try a 12 quart box such as a sterlilite from walmart for $2.97.
The smaller box will help her feel more secure and get her back on food faster Keep it dark, we will even go as far as putting a black sheet over the box to keep it dark enough, leave her like that for a week then try a live rat pup left in overnight and she should start back up no problem. Good luck.
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J&J REPTILES
www.jnjreptiles.com
sales@jnjreptiles.com
(207)479-6658

i have covered her opening. she is going to go in a tub in the next few days when my new rack get in. she ate a live rat pup on 4/17 but nothing after. though i have only offered f/t small rats.
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey
onetonyj@yahoo.com

Welcome to the world of balls - unfortunately she will eat when she is ready not on your schedule - just wait - the more you try to get her to eat the more stressed she is liable to become - the less likely she will eat. When she is ready she will eat.
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Tosha
JET Pythons

...funny post. my het pied girl is also my most stubborn feeder. however, i recently ran into a local breeder of the african soft furred rats. she ate two of them the first time i tried to feed them to her. she is now 800 grams, and i too am hoping to double that in time for this upcoming season. i know its a long shot, but i really want a pied. my male het pied eats everything, he even will eats while in the deepest phase of his shed cycle. i highly recommend soft furred rats for finicky eaters. best of luck.
joe

thanks Joe, its funny you bring that up, a buddy and i just arrange to get some frozen and a trio o flive as well, about an hour ago. Of the 3.3 balls i have, 4 are het pied. And 2 of the hets are problem feeders. Its driving me nuts, id give my right arm for them to eat live my Indigo!

tahnks for the help yall
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Thanks
Chad Ramsey
onetonyj@yahoo.com

this was a good page for W/C problem eaters maybe something could help you in it

http://www.thereddragonsden.com/wcballs.htm

I have my share of problem eaters and the others are right they eat when/what they want to eat not when/what we want them to eat. The fun of ball pythons

Problem WC eaters

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Misty Sprouse Ball Pythons

Had the same problem with my het/pieds and a few others. AFRICAN RATS--they're a godsend!!! Not even a hesitation!!

I have a "het burgundy" girl that has been positively stubborn,but a few AR's set her straight!
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Charles Glaspie

Where do you get these??? My het pied only eats rat pups!!!

I must agree with the african rats....Had my ghost male and het ghost female turn everything down but when those got tossed in it was all she wrote.