Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a young TGP (about 16 weeks old now) and he ate a few pinky's at the breeder (about 4). Since I got him, he doesn't want to eat anything besides (small) chicken legs. Like the upper part of a baby chicken-leg. I know a pinky is better and feeds more but is it possible to feed and raise a young gtp with chickens only?
I've tried a million of things to get him to eat pinky's again but without luck. Also the temp/hum. are perfect, trust me i checked on that already. It seems i just have to give him these chicken legs and later on small baby chickens (not sure what they are called in english).

So anyway, I know he'll survive with just chicken-legs, but will he grow from it too?

Have you tried scenting the pinkies with chicken?

Yes I did.. i have even sticked a chicken-leg (of a baby chicken) into a pinky so it would become 50% chicken 50% pinky but no way he is interested. He is sooooooo not interested... its so odd because he ate them without problems at the breeder. And whenever i give him a chicken leg he knows imidiatly its eatable and eats in within 10 sec. I think he can see what is chicken and whats not or something....

here's the little kid btw

Are You Washing the pinkie BEFORE You try to scent it? If Not, wash it with soap and water, rinse really well and THEN scent it with chicken or some other bird scent.

Fingers Crossed......

I did not wash it with soap... with water though. I'll try to find some soap without perfume so it won't get the perfume smell.

Im thinking it's not only the smell he doesn't like, but the way it looks too, because he doesn't show ANY interest at all..

When I keep a chicken-leg in the box he is in, he comes after it, I nearly have to move it to let him get after it.

When I keep a pinky in his box, he acts like it just isnt there, like he doesn't see it or something... just complete ignore.

I'll try to scent it again tonight

He sees it. It's just not something that he's interested in as food. You have to get rid of the "Mouse" scent, and make him think its a bird. After a few times of eating scented, you can try to give him a scented followed directly by an unscented.

Good Luck!

...for short term it is not a big issue but chicken legs are not a complete food. Snakes being purely carnivores rely on their preys to provide them with all the nutrients they need (vitamins, minerals, fibers...), many of these are present in the digestive track of the preys and their other organs, especially the liver...Long term, you will likely run into problems of malnutrition.

Try utilizing various parts of the chicken. I have a lot of success getting stubborn Drymarchon babies to feed
I know of a couple of breeders, who feed their Drymarchon almost exclusively on supplemented chicken parts, with great success.
I'd try dipping the pink in chicken broth and offering it, or try wrapping it in a thin layer of chicken skin.

Best of luck to you..