Scenting opinions

[garthy]

I am interested in the opinions of the experienced herpers in regard to scenting food Items.
- Do you think scenting with blood is more effective? eg blood from a chicken on a rat pup rather than rubbing chicken scent on the rat pup.
- Or blood rather than putting feathers in the mouth of the rat or tying them to the rat?

The reason I ask is that I have a very fussy olive juvie and she is hesitant to take anything but birds, if I insert a pink rat or mouse into her mouth she will eat it, and she has taken a rat pup with feathers inserted into its mouth before. If I offer her a day old chicken (bantam) she readily accepts but is becoming more reluctant with the other offerings. Day old chickens are becoming scarce and I desparately want her on a more available food source.
Her "boyfriend-to-be" is an absolute pig and will eat anything (same age)

I am going to try fresh chicken blood tomorrow and will post the results. but in the meantime I would be interested in hearing your experienced opinions.

 

[Helikaon]

i have never used blood but i cant imagine it would be as help full as feather or oil scenting. i have had good success with pythons using wet quail feathers stuck to the rat pups head. usually after this for a few feeds they go straight onto non scented rat pups fine. you can also rub the rat pup on the birds oil gland at the dorsal base of the tail. but yeah i'd try to wash the rat pup first to remove the rat scent and then add the bird scent. but yeah bllod im not sure, all blood smells the same to me, that metalic smell, and i assume they would get the same affect.

 

[llasher]

I have been through this. I have kept doing the feather in the rat's mouth, and gradually she has become more accustomed to rodents. I too have a same age unrelated Olive male who will eat anything. After some persistence, she now will eat rats, but still likes day olds better. I would suggest finding a supplier of chicks and fill your freezer, and gradually wean her off.

 

[Retic]

On the odd occasion I have had to do it I have found it is enough just to rub a day old chick on a rat, of course it varies from snake to snake. One Jungle I had to feed chick legs then a pink rat immediately after, eventually it took rats on their own. They are all different.

 

[garthy]

The reason I asked about blood is that one of my Bredli juvies wasn't interested in rats despite vigorous rubbing of pinky mice on them. However the second I put mouse blood on the pink rat it devoured it.

 

[Helikaon]

The reason I asked about blood is that one of my Bredli juvies wasn't interested in rats despite vigorous rubbing of pinky mice on them. However the second I put mouse blood on the pink rat it devoured it.

thats interesting and it definitely wont hurt to try.

 

[diamondgeeza]

Chicken blood works an absolute treat. I have had snakes that were not interested in mice or rats and showed a slight interest when a baby chick was rubbed all over the mouse and a few feathers placed around the mouth and head area.

I then chopped the head of the chick off and rubbed that over the mouse which initiated a very strong strike and feeding response in one of my females. Since that time I found that smearing the chickens blood over the mouses head always got the desired response.

She now does not need the food to be scented as she now associates the shape of mouses as being food as opposed to just the smell.

 

[garthy]

Chicken blood works an absolute treat. I have had snakes that were not interested in mice or rats and showed a slight interest when a baby chick was rubbed all over the mouse and a few feathers placed around the mouth and head area.

I then chopped the head of the chick off and rubbed that over the mouse which initiated a very strong strike and feeding response in one of my females. Since that time I found that smearing the chickens blood over the mouses head always got the desired response.

She now does not need the food to be scented as she now associates the shape of mouses as being food as opposed to just the smell.

THANKYOU, that was the response I was looking for. I am picking up a pile of chickens today so will get straight onto. Once again thanks.