Fussy Checkereds

[guidofatherof5]

Those of you that have raised checkereds, I could use some advice.
My one and only group of babies born on the Ranch refuse to eat worms unless I bait them into eating them. I use a small container with cut-up night crawlers and a few guppies flopping around. They will eat the worms only because they think they are grabbing guppies. If I try to use worms only I have a bunch of hungry snakes that ignore the worms.
Anybody got any suggestions as to how I can get these guys to eat worms, other than baiting them.
Not a single Checkered born will eat the worms alone.

[mustang]

hmmm well you could do what i did for fish but its risky(they might get hooked on it) just leave them in a dark quiet box with only worms(put some water on the floor of box so worms dont dry out) and leave em over night.....for my first snake dusty i had to leave him in there for 3 days(keep fresh water in a bowl also)

[guidofatherof5]

hmmm well you could do what i did for fish but its risky(they might get hooked on it) just leave them in a dark quiet box with only worms(put some water on the floor of box so worms dont dry out) and leave em over night.....for my first snake dusty i had to leave him in there for 3 days(keep fresh water in a bowl also)

I'll give that a try, Robert.
I've never done the extended time in the feed container thing.

[indigoman]

Steve, i usually have a mixture of salmon or silverside bits with my cut up nightcrawlers and they seem to have their preferances. I did start them off with some regular worms from the yard they seemed to like the texture.

[drache]

are you attached to them eating worms, Steve?
my marci babies all took f/t pinky strip or trout , except for the one who took nothing and perished young
I did feed them in deli cups to get them going

[HazAnga]

I cut up pieces of f/t pinkies and worm. Put it in a dish in their cage and they didnt touch it till after the lights went off. Which is when they decided to eat. Otherwise some guppies in a shallow dish worked too

[guidofatherof5]

I cut up pieces of f/t pinkies and worm. Put it in a dish in their cage and they didnt touch it till after the lights went off. Which is when they decided to eat. Otherwise some guppies in a shallow dish worked too

I'm trying to get them away from the fish based food and more towards a worm/pinkies based diet.

[Snakers]

I'm trying to get them away from the fish based food and more towards a worm/pinkies based diet.

Is this only because of the store bought fish have been giving people trouble?

[guidofatherof5]

Is this only because of the store bought fish have been giving people trouble?

That and the expense of guppies.

[sirtalis01]

Hey Steve
i start all my marcis on guppies and gradually change them to pinky parts, even tho some will not feed on anything thats not fish like till they are about 3,4 months...stuborn little buggers lol