My newer ball python used to Eat live with her old owners im trying to switch her to frozen she is also around 1300 grams and I I have no idea how to switch her over and get her to eat frozen
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Hi @cadenk713
So, she what size is she currently eating, and of what? Additionally, how are you warming up the F/T prey? Ball pythons are notoriously picky when it comes to change so this may take some time but it can happen if worked with strategy and patience. If you don’t mind posting a picture of her, please do so that we can see her body condition and work from there.
In addition to my respected friend Lumpy.
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1, ensure environment is perfect and what its used too,e.g, size, Hides, humidity and temps, and exposure (type of enclosure e.g not glass if its used to tubs)
2, try feeding in and out of hide. even let it put its head out of the tub in a hunting mode.
3, try to match it it what it was used too previously, including substrate and exposure (type of enclosure),
4, jiggle food items on at least a 1 foot tweezer (don’t let them see your heat and movement)
5, try to feed in low light.
6, Try different heating of prey items, e.g. wet and dry heating. (either way always heat)
7, try different prey , ASF, mice with chicks last resort.
8, check prey size its used to, match or lower.
9. try drop feeding.
10, make sure no retained shed or eye caps or any other health issues.
11, don’t handle any more than essential;
12, don’t try to feed too often and stress it out.
13, use freshly frozen food, not old frozen with freezer burn.
14 don’t be scared of a bit of a fast.
15. listen to other members advice
Some of or combination of the above has always worked for me.
In addition, scent or trick feed to get them back onto rats if you get them stared on a different prey
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Also keep in mind if you’ve now got her and are trying to switch it may take time…
So you may have to carry on feeding live like the previous owner and then eventually change over…
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ooh she thicc. I’m no expert but she looks like she’d be fine for a while.
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In my experience it can be very difficult to convert adult ball pythons to F/T that have been fed live their entire life. I encountered this early in my ball python keeping and decided to breed my own rats. Great tips already shared but the only thing I would add is to incorporate environmental changes as this can be a very useful tactic to get picky feeders eating. My favorite things to do in this regard is change the substrate from paper to coconut husk and add hides.
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