Green = Picky eater.

revkkoolaid · #1 (**permalink**) 09-19-2002, 11:39 PM

Does anyone know any tricks to make a Green feed on mice or rats?

I bought my green last April and the only she would only eat is birds (chicks) or rather large fish. This was fine in the spring and summer because chicks were available at the local feed store very cheap and constantly. I had planned on buying several dozen and freezing them to make it thru the winter if she didn't take to mice but they quit shipping them up here before I could do so. She hasn't been starving since then by any means. But I've had to buy her Button Quail and assorted "pet" birds and Pond Koi or large fish. They're kind of pricy but thats really not the problem, its the lack of availability. I've had to cut her down to one large meal every 2 or 3 weeks.

I've noticed with the fish I feed her that she is only interested in rather large feeders and had no interest in anything smaller than 6''. (Btw she is 4' and dog tame

So maybe she isn't interested in mice because they are too small in her mind? I dont know. . .? Any suggestions?
Maybe rubbing a bird or bird litter on rat?

RevKkoolaid
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najaboy · #2 (**permalink**) 09-20-2002, 12:27 AM

If you find yourself needing frozen chicks, just check with Rodentpro. They offer them in sizes ranging from 30-145 grams.
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morti · #3 (**permalink**) 09-20-2002, 03:09 AM

Welcome to Redtailboa.net!

I bet food is hard to come by up there. I agree wtih Naja though... www.rodentpro.com has a lot of great prey items.

-Your Sick Uncle Morti.
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bigred · #4 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 12:56 PM

LMAO [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
a green annie in alaska??
have you tried to feed her while she is in the water? one of my yellows proved to be a picky eater so I tried her in the water and she has insatiable ever since.
I would hate to clean a green annie poultry induced poo [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
good luck
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Hibidyjibidy · #5 (**permalink**) 09-22-2002, 05:07 PM

Revkkoolaid, your annie only eats chicks... mine only eats rat pups (i'm trying to vary her diet with chicks/hamsters/gerbils and mice). Some say that chicken broth works but i had no success with that. Perhaps you will have some?
My green didn't eat for just over three weeks after i got her and all i could feed her at the time was LIVE rat pups. She is very picky even now after i try to offer her thawed. She is 3 feet.
Try this method...

Fill up your entire feeding tank with enough water to allow your annie to completely immerse herself. You then need to have a land area (another container unsidedown in the water) with the new food placed ontop of it just above water level. Wet the food with chicken broth (out of the cage) and then offer it. This is to encorage feeding her from the water to attack the food on land and then make her think she is drowning it by constriction. I read somewhere that if you have an extreamly picky only chick eater then you could try the grotesque method of skinning your chick (thawed i hope) [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif[/img] and then tightly wrapping your new prey source.
Good luck.
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revkkoolaid · #6 (**permalink**) 09-23-2002, 10:57 PM

Thanks to all.

I checked out shipping chicks all the way up here at Rodentpro and the shipping was . . .um. . .rather "steep" to say the least. My local supplier is looking for someone to ship up frozen chicks with his usual stuff to save me some shipping costs but he has found a steady supplier for "jumbo" goldfish that will end up only costing me a buck a piece. But this raises a new question. . .does anyone know if this will pose any potential health issues? Primarily "disease" issues are what I'm concerned about since I suppose any nutrional issues can be avoided by vitamin dusting.

Any comments?
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Hibidyjibidy · #7 (**permalink**) 09-24-2002, 04:23 AM

I can't say that my green eats fish. I tried a live one in her water bowl but she was too scared of it as it was live. She wouldn't even give it a second look when i tried feeding her a f/k one on her carpet. I guess she didn't like the scent? Besides... they say anacondas eat fish in the wild but even if your green did eat fish, i would definately try and turn her onto rats as soon as possible with only the occasional differ in food for substitute.
I'm not too sure that adding vitamins could replace the nutrients of a rat either?
Whatever you do, may the force be with you.

By the way, Welcome to RTB.
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Bettina · #8 (**permalink**) 04-30-2003, 09:03 PM

Goldfish have a very heavy slime coat (which is their excretions and toxic waste, which they excrete onto their scales) and prolonged feeding of only goldfish could potentially poison your snake. I would try to vary the feeding so that the fish is only every other meal at most.

Bettina
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Macholizard · #9 (**permalink**) 06-08-2003, 04:17 AM

You could try keep a chick in the freezer and everytime you go to feed her rub the chick on the rat/mouse real well to get that scent going and/or let the rodent soak in chicken broth.
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