Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well, as many of you may know I had three (out of 136) BRB's this year that have so far shown little to no interest in feeding. One born 08/21 had never eaten and of two born 10/13, one also had never eaten and the other had eaten once (11/15). I have tried everything I could think of, different sizes, different colors, mice, rats, varying temps, varying humidity, various times of day, leaving food overnight, leaving food through the day, doing the BRB feeding dance and even voodoo No luck!!!! UGH!!!!!

Tonight I gave up letting them self feed and attempted to assist feed them. The basic principle as I understood it was to use a retractable ball point pen (with the point retracted) to open the mouth and then insert food. Sounds a LOT easier then it is. First, they don't just open up and as soon as you remove the pen, mouth closes. To get the mouth open, I had to use the pen in my right hand, straight on, wiggle it a little to get it started in the mouth. Then as the mouth opened, lay the pen sideways such that the tip was out the other side. Holding the head and pen with my left hand, snatch up a pinkie and put the head in as I slid the pen out with my left hand, yes, the same hand holding the head.

The first "patient" was the toughest, as soon as I got the pinkie head in and let go, he was trying to spit it out. I had to stuff the pinkie in and work his neck to get the head sliding down the throat. After a couple more soit out attempts, I finally got the pinkie down so only the rear haunch was still in his mouth. He then got the idea and swallowed. Took him abnormally long to finish swallowing once the pink was completely in.

The other two were actually harder to get the mouth open but both of them got the idea right away as soon as the pinkies head was in their mouth they did the hole chomp side to side thang and down the hatch they went.

Not something I'd recommend for the squeamish. But I felt it was necessary to not let this go on any longer. I'll keep y'all posted on their progress. In all fairness, if/when they turn around and eat on their own, I will sell them discounted, as pets only and with disclosed original eating problems and current eating habits. I'm hoping they will start eating now and be the "wolfing everything offered and growing like weeds" lil BRB's they're supposed to be.
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Dave,
...When I used to assist feed I had good luck opening their mouths using a bidness or playing card. If you keep their heads pointing up after you get the card into their mouths you can balance the card on your thumb and fingers on either side of the snakes head and that way the card stays inside the mouth keeping it open until you get the pinky started into the snake's mouth. When the pinky is in and keeping the mouth open then you can tilt sideways a little and the card will fall out of the way. With a little practice this method will make it so you do not feel like you need a third hand when assist feeding.
Good luck,
Jeff

>>Well, as many of you may know I had three (out of 136) BRB's this year that have so far shown little to no interest in feeding. One born 08/21 had never eaten and of two born 10/13, one also had never eaten and the other had eaten once (11/15). I have tried everything I could think of, different sizes, different colors, mice, rats, varying temps, varying humidity, various times of day, leaving food overnight, leaving food through the day, doing the BRB feeding dance and even voodoo No luck!!!! UGH!!!!!
>>
>>
>> Tonight I gave up letting them self feed and attempted to assist feed them. The basic principle as I understood it was to use a retractable ball point pen (with the point retracted) to open the mouth and then insert food. Sounds a LOT easier then it is. First, they don't just open up and as soon as you remove the pen, mouth closes. To get the mouth open, I had to use the pen in my right hand, straight on, wiggle it a little to get it started in the mouth. Then as the mouth opened, lay the pen sideways such that the tip was out the other side. Holding the head and pen with my left hand, snatch up a pinkie and put the head in as I slid the pen out with my left hand, yes, the same hand holding the head.
>>
>> The first "patient" was the toughest, as soon as I got the pinkie head in and let go, he was trying to spit it out. I had to stuff the pinkie in and work his neck to get the head sliding down the throat. After a couple more soit out attempts, I finally got the pinkie down so only the rear haunch was still in his mouth. He then got the idea and swallowed. Took him abnormally long to finish swallowing once the pink was completely in.
>>
>> The other two were actually harder to get the mouth open but both of them got the idea right away as soon as the pinkies head was in their mouth they did the hole chomp side to side thang and down the hatch they went.
>>
>> Not something I'd recommend for the squeamish. But I felt it was necessary to not let this go on any longer. I'll keep y'all posted on their progress. In all fairness, if/when they turn around and eat on their own, I will sell them discounted, as pets only and with disclosed original eating problems and current eating habits. I'm hoping they will start eating now and be the "wolfing everything offered and growing like weeds" lil BRB's they're supposed to be.
>>-----
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"
>>
>>
>>0.1 Wife
>>0.2 kids
>>4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
>>1.0 Hypomelanistic BRB
>>0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
>>0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
>>1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
>>0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
>>0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
>>1.0 BCI albino het stripe
>>1.0 BCI salmon hypo
>>0.1 BCI ghost
>>
>>lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Thanks Jeff, I'll try that next time. I'm assuming they won't just start eating on their own right away. Should be a good use for a Joker!!
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB)
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 Het for Hypomelanistic BRB
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)
1.0 BCI albino het stripe
1.0 BCI salmon hypo
0.1 BCI ghost

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats