The answer is yes your Boa Constrictor will eat pre-killed rats without any problems. I recently got a Boa Constrictor that had been fed live rats his whole life. I was worried that he would not eat pre-killed rats and I would have to feed him live food or teach him to eat pre-killed rats. He took the first pre-killed rat straight off the feeding tongs with a violent strike and consumed the rat. He has eaten more pre-killed rats since and I will continue to feed him on pre-killed rats.
List of Factors that may have encouraged my Boa Constrictor to eat pre-killed rats
My Boa Constrictor is young and is not set in his ways
My Boa Constrictor had not eaten for about a month before I got him making him hungry
My Boa constrictor was fed a small rat. Snakes are more likely to eat pre-killed rodents if they are of a smaller size. Rather feed two small rats than one medium rat.
The rat was purchased frozen but was defrosted and offered when it was very warm in temperature.
My Boa Constrictor is in the correct size cage and is kept at the correct temperature and humidity.
My Boa Constrictor was given a few days to acclimatize to his new surroundings before being offered the rat.
My Boa Constrictor was not in a shed phase at the time of feeding
My Boa Constrictor was fed in a quite room with no spectators other than myself and no dogs or cats were present during feeding time.
My Boa Constrictor is housed by himself, so no competition to put him off.
I gave my Boa Constrictor the rat off feeding tongs stimulating movement rather than simply placing the rat in the cage.
It is interesting that my Boa Constrictor still tries to ” kill” the dead rats by wrapping his coils around the rat for a few minutes before swallowing it. This proves the instinct to kill is still alive and well in my Boa Constrictors brain at least for the time being.