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I have 1.1 BRB neonates that I am raising up. This is my first attempt at this particular species. The male eats every time with no problem. The female, on the other hand, is very stubborn. She only eats sometimes. And never more than one prey item at a feeding. It has been two weeks since she last ate. They are this years crop, so she is still pretty young.

So what can I do? What's the problem? Is this just one of those animals that is destined to die? I am not real keen on force feeding. I am not real keen on letting her starve either. Pinky pump? What to put in it? What about scenting? I do not raise my own rodents, so live ones are not easy to get, but I can if I have to. Thanks for any help,
T.
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"No tree would have branches foolish enough to argue amongst themseleves".

Try it with a live hopper alone in a brown paper bag for a while. Also get a pinkie and weanling (live). Experiment and see what gets her going.

Accomodate as necessary. Also try feeding late at night as these are nocturnal species. Warmer temps increase metabolism so feed them in 80 degrees or higher as they are more active.

Good luck and keep us posted.
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-Iman
1.1 Sugar Gliders (Gizmo and Nema)
1.0 Ball Pythons (Spot)
0.1 Guyanan BCC (Ruby)
1.1 Brazilian Rainbows

Loving to Learn
Learning to Help
Helping to Love

Stimulate debates, stifle arguments.
Please be nice always.



Imans House of Herps

T.,
..I have raised hundreds of baby BRBs. I have never had one that would not eat. Some of them easily switch to frozen thawed prey and some of them take some time. All of them will eventually switch to frozen thawed prey. I never work hard to get them to switch for the first few months. I feed them what they want, which is live hopper mice or live pinky and fuzzy rats. I want them to eat well and grow some before working to get a stubborn one to switch. I will offer them dead prey but if they do not eat it I then feed them a live hopper mouse or pinky or fuzzy rat. When one is reluctant to feed it is always because something is wrong with it's environement or the way it is being fed. Most stubborn feeders will turn into good feeders if you get their husbandry right. Make sure the cage is in the low to mid 70s on the cool end and the high 70s or low 80s on the warm end. Make sure the humidity in the cage is above 80%. Offer food at night. Offer live hopper mice. Hopper mice get a much better feeding response than pinky or fuzzy mice. There seems to be something about a mouse that runs around that makes the snake kill it and then eat it. After the snake has gotten used to feeding I will then start working to get the stubborn ones to switch. I offer them frozen thawed and if they do not eat it I let them go hungry for a week and try agian. If this does not work I try fresh killed still warm rather than frozen thawed. I repeat this for several weekly feeding attempts and it always works within a month. If you make a newborn BRB go a month without feeding it may get in trouble. If it has been fed for a few months and grown some it can easily go several months without a meal while you work to get it to switch. Force feeding is not a good idea with BRBs. They will resist being restrained and this stress will cause them to continue to refuse to feed. I have force fed many other species and had mixed success with it.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>I have 1.1 BRB neonates that I am raising up. This is my first attempt at this particular species. The male eats every time with no problem. The female, on the other hand, is very stubborn. She only eats sometimes. And never more than one prey item at a feeding. It has been two weeks since she last ate. They are this years crop, so she is still pretty young.
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>>So what can I do? What's the problem? Is this just one of those animals that is destined to die? I am not real keen on force feeding. I am not real keen on letting her starve either. Pinky pump? What to put in it? What about scenting? I do not raise my own rodents, so live ones are not easy to get, but I can if I have to. Thanks for any help,
>>T.
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>>"No tree would have branches foolish enough to argue amongst themseleves".

I have a question for you. I love your sig. Who is it from?

Linda

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Link to sagehouse website

So tell me...What book are you looking this stuff up in? Not really, just kidding. Thanks for the reply. I really like that one.

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"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

Linda,
..I knew that quotation with slightly different words and had no idea where it came from. A google search found it on that website I had trouble posting the link for. The standard place for finding this sort of stuff before the internet got big was Bartlett's Quotations. Today Google can find most any quote. Google is really amazing. Try typing your phone number with the dashes into google and see what happens.
Jeff

>>So tell me...What book are you looking this stuff up in? Not really, just kidding. Thanks for the reply. I really like that one.
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>>"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance- that principle is contempt prior to investigation." Herbert Spencer

Yes, I got the answere I was expecting. I suppose I need to make the drive tommorrow, and pick up some live ones. I'll be glad when this phase is over, but it will prepare me for things to come.

My signature is a Native American saying. Not really sure who made it stick, or where I heard it, but it has been with me for some time. Only recently have I decided to apply it to my life. I beleive it to be a powerful concept, which plays to powers of good in the universe. Although I am not of native blood, I do share a wild spirit in common. I no longer pray to god or christ, but to our almighty creator The Great Spirit. I've been doing a lot of re-evaluating, and this is the direction I can truly accept in my heart. I do not have all the answeres, but I now seek them in a different way. This signature is indicative of my true heart. One way to interpret it is,...go with the flow, or don't rock the boat. But this is on a deeper level. To look upon life in this mannor has so far been a positive change for me. This concept also helps me to get a grip on my otherwise tenacious attitude. It helps me to let go of things. It brings peace to my soul. May it do the same for you.
T.
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"No tree would have branches foolish enough to argue amongst themseleves".