Sometimes hatchling Eastern hatchlings start right out of the gate taking f/t pinks. And more often they don't. In past years I have tried fish scent, egg scent, snake scent, snake pieces, and live snakes with so-so results at best. Not so this year. Each hatchling has been offered first meal after first shed in the same order: f/t pink, split-head f/t pink, live pink, force fed. Although I wouldn't want to be force feeding more than a dozen hatchlings at a time, it's been effective this year at getting hatchlings established quickly. I given them 2 or 3 pinks every 3 or 4 days. Most have switched to feeding on their own after the second shed.
There was interesting behavior this evening from two being force fed. Even though they were dangling in the air with a closed pen pushing a pink into their throat, these snakes started swallowing on their own. After being set down they finished the job and each took two more pinks gently placed right against the one just going down. I had one hatchling act this way last year. She still wouldn't feed on her own without being jump started for a few more meals. She finally did take off as a typical great feeding indigo.
