Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone, just wanted to get some ideas of what you commonly feed your baby BRB's.

I have a new batch babies and they have eaten once and last night I tried to feed them for the 2nd time but they didn't seem interested even when moving prey with tongs. At the first feeding I tried a combination of live and F/T fuzzy mice. Only a few ate quickly the rest I had leave in the box with the mouse for quite awhile but eventually ate. NOTE: that they had shed their first shed before they ate the first time and are on the verge of their 2nd shed now. Plus, I believe temps and humidity are good.

I've read that many people will feed baby BRBs rat pinks however, have not been able to find any recently in my area.

Anyways, I'd like to hear any ideas or suggestions.

Number one favorite food for a baby BRB is a live mouse hopper. Many will eat right after birth. I also feed rat pinks as my mouse colony has been sporadic at best this year. I figure out how many mouse hoppers I have and how many rat pinks I need to finish the job and start by offering the rat pinks. That way if one refuses a rat pink, I still have a mouse hopper available.

Hmmmm, first meal after first shed, and second meal near second shed, how old are these BRB's? My babies have usually had at least a few meals by their second shed.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

They are about 3 weeks old and should be hungry. I will try to live hoppers or fuzzies tonight (depending on what I can get). Hopefully that will be the ticket.

It is possible that they aren't in shed yet, but skin appears dryer and humidity is up in 90% range. They aren't turning opaque or anything yet.
thanks-

That timeframe sounds much better. May just be that new skin.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Got a few live fuzzy mice tonight and they ate them up. Not optimal size, and live, but its food and they are eating so I am happy. I need to good back tonight to get a few more cause I took only decent sized ones they had today, but more are supposed to be on delivery tomorrow.

Most pet stores are on a weekly feeder delivery schedule. Just need to find out when they get them and then you know what day to go pick feeders up.

Glad to hear they are doing better!!!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I think they have been fine the whole time, but I just expected them eat more/sooner based off what I've read.

My adults very rarely do not eat when offered but they have been on pretty regular schedule for a long time. However, even they vary in feeding behavior. The female will eat F/T large rats without any effort on my part but male usually has to have movement stimulation but not always.

>>My adults very rarely do not eat when offered but they have been on pretty regular schedule for a long time. However, even they vary in feeding behavior. The female will eat F/T large rats without any effort on my part but male usually has to have movement stimulation but not always.

Like Jeff says, you have to listen to them. They are all individuals and just like more complicated species, they have their own ways. It's up to us to figure out what works best.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

All have been eating well since last post except one. The one that has missed a meal did in fact shed for the 2nd time a few days ago. I was hoping that the reason it wasn't wanting to eat, was due to the shedding cycle but it still didn't seem interested in eating even with heavy prompting.
I have been using just plain cardboard boxes to feed the baby boas in which usually is fine. The boxes I been using were about 10x10x8 or so. I tried this again last night and it still didn't seem interested. So I waited a few hours and tried something different. I used a much smaller (plastic)container about 4 or 5 inches cubed(I made to transport an indiv boa). Although, it still didn't immediately eat, an hour or so later it had. Not sure what triggered it but I am happy anyway.

I've used that "trick" many times, forced close proximity to the food!!

Glad to hear they are eating well for you.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

The deli cup trick is often very effective. For snakes that look bored and do not seem interested in food it forces them up close and the feeding response eventually kicks in. For snakes that are not eating because they are stressed they will often kill prey placed so close to them and then either eat it right away or sometimes eat it later.

>>All have been eating well since last post except one. The one that has missed a meal did in fact shed for the 2nd time a few days ago. I was hoping that the reason it wasn't wanting to eat, was due to the shedding cycle but it still didn't seem interested in eating even with heavy prompting.
>>I have been using just plain cardboard boxes to feed the baby boas in which usually is fine. The boxes I been using were about 10x10x8 or so. I tried this again last night and it still didn't seem interested. So I waited a few hours and tried something different. I used a much smaller (plastic)container about 4 or 5 inches cubed(I made to transport an indiv boa). Although, it still didn't immediately eat, an hour or so later it had. Not sure what triggered it but I am happy anyway.

Just wanted to let you know that the baby BRB I was having a problem getting to eat, has eaten again(live fuzzy/crawler) using the "close proximity" technique. As with the last time, it didn't eat right away but by an hour later it was full. BTW, Its siblings all seem to be eating normally.

Cool!!!!

They are all individuals and while most fall within a "normal" voracious eater spectrum, there will be those that fall outside that. Typical problem eaters (in BRB's) do get the idea eventually and eat like champs. In all the BRB's I've produced (hundreds) I have only run across one (in 2007) that never figured out the eating thing. It's still alive but only because it's being force fed.
-----
Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats