Baby won't eat unless handfed

[masontg]

Hi all,

I posted about this in the health forum a few days ago but haven't gotten a response so figured I should try here.

I brought my new baby back last week. He's a rescue and very small right now. The first couple days I brought him back he ate about 20-30 crickets a day in a separate tub and lots of veggies. But since then he is not hunting any crickets in the separate tank and when I put him in there he just tries to jump out the whole time. When I take him out and put him back in his regular tank he eats about 10-15 crickets a day when hand fed. He still eats tons of collard greens though. Now he only eats when hand fed and I don't know how to get him to hunt again.

His temps are 105-110 on the hot side and about 85 on the cool end. He has a repti sun 10.0 that he can get within 8" of and aside from not hunting, is active and loves being handled and pooing daily now. so should I just not hand feed him until he gets hungry enough that he will hunt in the separate enclosure again? Please help! Thanks!

 

[Lindz0518]

Some of them will only eat if hand fed. Maybe you could try skipping a feeding to make him hungry, but I wouldn't since he is just a baby.

 

[sweetpea1981]

how many crickets are you putting in the separate bin with him?

 

[masontg]

Thanks for the replies guys. I don't particularly have a problem with handfeeding him as long as it's not detrimental but it would be A LOT easier if he could hunt for himself.

I'm only putting about 2-3 crickets or less in the separate tank with him so he won't be stressed out. He seems more stressed by the enclosure itself. So maybe I will have to resort to feeding him in his own tank. Any other suggestions?

 

[sweetpea1981]

It took my baby awhile to be ok with feeding outside his enclosure, I switched to phoenix worms to make it easier on myself, so that way I could put his food in a bowl and he could help himself when he wanted, the phoenix worms can't get out of the bowl! Neither can dubias, so those types of feeders are easier to feed than crickets, at least in my opinion.