We have bounced all around boiled pinks except for the reason some snakes prefer them. Could you shed a little light on the subject? My baby Rosy boa was eating fine for a few weeks but then quit so I hibernated him for several weeks thinking he would come out slamming but unfortunately that’s not the case. Do you think a boiled pink might be in order?’
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The whole concept behind boiling (cringe at that term) is to get them as scent free as possible, not to physically start cooking them. You can try to wash them with ivory soap, as it essentially does the same thing with the same results.
These are all tricks pioneered back in the early days of colubrid breeding, that have been twisted and lost by modern herpetoculture.
Just some background info.
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Aaaawwww! The light bulb has come on! I never thought about that! Thank you!
And just thinking about cooking mice in the microwave makes me sick! Lol! I would NEVER cook anything else in that same microwave! 
!
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After I smelled burning wood lol! I had a thought. Don’t snakes find their prey appealing by scent in part? I know movement plays a part as well, at least in the wild.
Or is it a baby snake thing? All that smoke has confused me???!!! 
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Scent can both serve as an attractant or a counteractant.
Remove counteracting scent, and you may get results.
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I am going to try it on my baby rosy boa
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Okay, so a more complete answer for you here
When our prey items are frozen, they are not cleaned out of their gut contents so they basically have their full payload. A lot of those bacterial are benign/beneficial under normal circumstances but that is because they are held in check by the body and their neighbour bacteria. But once the animal is dead, the fine balance tips and ordinarily harmless bacteria can reach harmful levels if left to their own devices. This is not a particular problem for our animals because the prey items are frozen very shortly after they are killed. So while the bacteria are still there, the imbalance does not have a chance to form and when we thaw them out they are not left thawed long enough for it to make any difference.
Where the issue can occur is when we, as humans, are exposed to these bacteria that are not normal for us. The simple explanation is that this is basically a case of “exotic wildlife invasion”. Our bodies are not used to seeing these things and they do not have a “normal” place to live in us so, even in small numbers, they can frequently get a foothold and wreck havoc on us. This is why it is incredibly important to wash your hands after handling prey items. You would not work with raw chicken and then go eat a sandwich without washing your hands well first, so why would you handle a dead, raw rat and then eat a sandwich without washing your hands??
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That all makes sense. And thank you for taking the time to come back to this question with a more complete. That’s a wonderful trait. 
An excellent point, and one which does bear restating. I’m often amazed - and not in a happy way - by the way some dismiss the importance of hand hygiene.
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There’s a whole litany of tricks to change scent and hopefully trigger a feeding response. @ericivins is correct, it’s all about making the rejected prey smell like something the snake wants for dinner. The list includes washing with Ivory soap, washing with Dawn dish soap, scenting with lizard, with frog, with dirty hamster bedding, with chicken, hot dog, bacon, tuna… I think people have tried just about everything at some point. And at some point, these things have worked for someone with some particular animal. It’s about finding what works for thatspecific creature.**
@Caron, good luck with your newly picky baby. I don’t want to hijack the thread and I don’t have any experience with Rosy boas. Maybe they go on food strikes regularly. 
If one of my corns who was feeding regularly were to go off food and I wasn’t sure why, I’d consider a vet visit. I’d think a fecal check would be in order.
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Just out of curiosity, do you “hibernate” your corns in the winter months?
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I do not. It’s one of those thangs where Mother Nature has multiple approaches and so do we humans. Corns have a broad range in nature and parts of it are cold enough that they brumate. Other parts are much warmer and corns are active all year in these places. I have done it with my breeding adults and frankly it was a pain in the neck. Had to work hard to cool their area, didn’t enjoy not interacting with or watching them. It didn’t make a noticeable difference in the following breeding season. So I haven’t bothered since.
Mind you, there’s nothing wrong or unnatural about brumation captive corns. Plenty of wild ones do brumate. But there’s nothing wrong with not brumating, either. It’s totally a matter of personal choice.
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Ok what you say makes sense. One way or another it won’t hurt the snake……
Thank you! 
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Exactly so. This is one of those instances in husbandry in which it really, truly is up to human preference.
You’re welcome. 
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I am happy to report that my little gray banded king girl ate a ft unboiled pink tonight! However my Hoagie hog has become impossible! He was literally digging in the upper corner of his enclosure on the cool side and is still refusing food. I think he is begging to hibernate/brumate?
Would it be wise to let him do that?
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A little bit of a cool down nap is often prescribed to get a stubborn non-feeder to start eating, so it might not be a terrible idea
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I’ll second @t_h_wyman there. As long as he’s still in decent shape, a short nap shouldn’t do any harm. Animals who are noticeably thin or fragile shouldn’t be brumated but as long as he looks healthy, it’s not a bad idea. And hey, he’s got an empty digestive tract so you’re good on that point. Finding that silver lining.
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And @caryl I agree so he is down for a winters nap. I am in IN so the days are short of course and it’s cold. Thank you both for your confirmation. The poor little guy was almost frantic! He is a good weight so that’s not a problem. I am going to give him until the end of February. He is tucked away……
Thank you both! 
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Hopefully your little one will awaken with a bright, new attitude and appetite. I’ve a feeling he will.
So jealous. I could use a long Winters nap. Or at least a good night’s sleep. (Although being off my food is not a problem I have!l)
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Thank you! And yes! A long winter’s nap I could use but definitely not the added appetite! I am good in that department! Lol:joy:
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