Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have 5 babies from 3 different litters this summer that will not feed. I have tried live mice pinks, live rat pinks, f/t, braining, tuna juice, etc. I am now force feeding them. They look ok but are very small for their age. Force feeding pinks is pretty disgusting as they pop and guts tend to go everywhere. Any suggestions. What are the chances of them ever feeding normally? Should I just let nature take its course? I had over 30 born and these 5 just want to give me fits.
thanks for you input.

First, always first is to revisit your husbandry, temps in the mid 70's to 80. Humidity high enough so they are shedding in full sheds, not tatters.

Have you tried live mouse hoppers, some will not eat prey unless it's "huge".

Beyond that, you could get a pinkie pump to facilitate assist feeding.

Over the years I've run into a three non feeders. Two started eating after a few forced meals, the third never did eat on her own and eventually passed away. There must be something that has so many not feeding.....
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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 (02/01/2010):
42.61 BRB
27.40 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Diddo on the larger prey idea. I have a baby who wants GIGANTIC meals. It takes down live small adult mice. The snake looks hideously swollen afterwards, but this is what it wants. When you hear people talk about baby rainbows sometimes preferring large meals....take it literally. I was reluctant to feed prey that large at first, but it is amazing what these little guys can swallow and hold down.

Great advice has already been posted. 5 difficult feeders out of 3 litters is surprising. Look at small details in the husbandry. Temperature and humidity have to be right on or they will not do well. Also look at noise and vibration and light. These snakes eat best at night with limited disturbance. Too much light or noise or activity at any time will stress them and stress is often the reason for not eating. It always amazes that people waste any time feeding pinky mice to these snakes. The ones that will eat live pinky mice, which is most of them BTW, digest them so rapidly that they need to eat again a day later. Pinky mice are great for babies of the smaller Milksnake species but not for these snakes. BRBs are programmed to get as much food as possible when small and convert it to growth so they spend less time being small and vulnerable to predators. Virtually all baby BRBs prefer live hopper or small adult mice over anything else. I have never force fed a baby BRB. Force feeding is stressful and to me that seems counter productive.

I initially tried hopper mice and most snatched them right up. I need to bump my temps a bit they have been in the 78/79 range. Mom of this litter has always eaten on her own schedule. Thanks for all of your advice. These guys are a little trickier than other animals I have breed. My womas eat like no other, spotted pythons never give me any trouble, Rainbows a little more trouble. thanks again...

Matt,
...Maybe we are not understanding each other. 5 picky eaters out of 30 indicates a problem. You think the problem is the snakes and I think it is the husbandry. When the husbandry is right these snakes are eating machines. Small details are very important. You so far have not told us what sort of cages they are in or what you are using to control the temperature and humidity or what substrate you are using. All of these things can make the difference with whether these snakes eat or not. If by 78/79 you mean that the entire cage is 78 or 79 degrees I think you need to come down a couple degrees rather than go up. If you are heating with lights that could be the problem. These snakes are nocturnal. Light will stress them and cause them to go off feed. If dropping the temp a couple degrees does not get the picky ones eating try offering live small adult mice.
Good luck,
Jeff

I am keeping them in plastic shoe boxes with a heated room. There cage is to warm so I will be dropping the room temp a bit. They can get to the back to find a gradient. Paper towls as liners, water bowls always present only light is from the front of the boxes as they are in a rack system. I have tried some of the suggestions and a few have responded, Other are not. Sheds are complete, appetite on most is out of control. I will be tweeking husbandry but I am doing most of the suggestions. What do you use for substrate Jeff? I dont like the paper towls but it easy. Thank you for you help. I am going to keep pecking away at this.
Matt

I use paper towels for little ones. Other substrate would look better but paper towel replacements are easy when cage needs cleaning. Also with plain white paper towels you do not have to worry about wood oils, chemicals or bugs that may be other substrates. In a snake room with Pythons the heat from their cages may keep the entire room warm enough for little BRBs so that they need no heat on their cages.