Last summer when I was just beginning to raise axies I had 16 small juveniles in separate containers. I had to go away for two weeks and left the task of feeding to my willing but anxious wife. I had managed to convert the young critters to eating Instant Ocean Brine Shrimp (Gel). I demonstrated that when you drop the bit of shrimp near the axies mouth it would snatch it up. I was confident that my wife would do a good job and left town. I was amazed at what I saw when I returned! Beggars, indeed. These axies were only about 2 months old (max) and when I went downstairs to see their progress they were huge in comparison to when I had left them. Not only that, but every last one of them was looking at me and saying, "Hey who are you? And, where's my food!!!"
I asked my wife how she had managed that and she replied, "I just did what you showed me. I put the shrimp gel on the end of the eye dropper and feed it to the axolotl." She had essentially trained them to come and take the food off the eye dropper. She wasted no food, whatsoever, doing it this way and they ate tons.
Like I said, this was my first experience with axies - large or small. And, though I'd read comments on this board about their personalities, etc. I hadn't experienced that first hand until this time. I am currently raising their offspring and the older ones are already beginning to get the hang of how to manipulate their keeper.