I did end up getting them to eat a mouse tail by assist feeding it was tricky with how small there heads are
I did try with the head first but I couldn’t get them to keep it in there mouths
Iv been trying to get smaller mice but im having no luck smallest I have at had is 1.8g wish id held back some of the 1g ones I had but didnt know they’d still be refusing so I stared all babies on the smallest and working my way up
The rest of the bunch have had 6/7 feeds and 9 will be going to there new homes over the weekend
Back when I bred Brooksi Kings I had a few tiny hatchlings I started on mouse tails because I didn’t have f/t Pinkies small enough for them, it was enough to hold them over and gave them just enough of a start to move forward with Pinky heads.
Don’t give up hope.
I believe Josh’s Frogs has scents you can order to use.
Good job! A mouse tail is indeed a start! Like @cmsreptiles , I’ve started some that way just to get something into them. You can use a segment of a tail from an adult feeder, if that wasn’t what you did. Something roughly 2 cm long is a good start for a small one. (Wasn’t sure if you used part of a pinky.) Sometimes getting something into them for a meal or two will fire up their appetite. Fingers crossed!
Quick q: after you got the mouse tail into them, did they start eating it and finish it off? If so, that’s a good sign. It means they’re almost ready to eat on their own. If not, it’s good you got something into them. If it takes the whole season (I had 16 last year that had to be force fed all the way), brumating them, the waking them up In the spring usually does the trick. Something about the longer days wakes up their appetite. It stinks in the meantime, but I kept all but one alive last year with this method. I did eventually have to get mice in them (more than tails), and it is definitely a trick you have to learn (sorry but there will be exploding guts), but you can do it!
If they do start munching on the tail, try putting a mouse right behind the tail and see if they take ahold of it while they are working on the tail already. Sometimes it does the trick.
@deanaii and @caryl I have also been demotivated by difficulty finding things. My iPhone makes the layouts really wonky, too, like the curser is in weird places compared to typing, and I have to hit a random blank spot on the screen for the button to think I’ve hit it. Very weird.
I thought I was the only seeing this. I am so accustomed to tech being weird around me - I am sure user error plays a part - that my default assumption is that it’s something I am doing. I don’t think so here anymore.
Don’t give up! It is super frustrating and very deflating (great word choice) when they keep refusing. Sometimes it takes only one or two assist-feedings. Sometimes it takes months. Just keep trying. After you get a feeding or two into them, even against their will, you should be able to see a bit of weight gain. That is encouragement to continue.
We know the deflation. We are sorry. Working with challenging feeders can be one of the hardest things ever, and also one of the most incredibly satisfying when they eventually eat on their own. Hugs and prayers until you get there.
You’ve got some of the best of the best on your side over here so do not lose hope and do not give up yet. This is the “not so fun” part of breeding but it’s still a part of it. You’ve got a whole team of supporters here! You can do this!
There is definitely still hope! I know it’s discouraging (been there), but I promise that eventually a light bulb will click on in their little brains and they WILL start eating. You just have to help them hang on until it happens. @caryl and @caron are right. This is the worst part of breeding, to be sure, but it does get easier with each practice run, and it feels pretty awesome to know your persistence is the very thing that kept them alive.
