feeding... how often is too much

I am considering breeding my normal ball python sometime next fall / winter. I adjusted her temps and humidity to where she is eating whenever I offer food to her. I started off trying to feed every 10 days, and tonite went ahead and fed her after just 3 days from past feed because she acted hungry and she ate. I don't want to "overfeed", but she went thru a 4 month hunger strike in fall of 11 and I'd prefer not to repeat that. she is slightly underweight, but doesn't looktriangular in any way.

its hard to resist offering food when her cute little snakey head is sitting there watching my every move LOL

I feed mine on a 4 day schedule until they hit 600 grams then I move them to a 7 day schedule.

Age is a big factor as is weight and how large of meals you feed each time.

I always feed mine as close to 15% of their body weight as possible.

I feed weekly, every 7 days like clockwork, whether it's hatchlings or adults. The only snakes I feed more often are females that have bred(to pack weight back on) or seem ready to breed...I'll feed them slightly smaller meals every 4 days, pretty much mid-end of summer until they start slowing down on their own.

I also feed weekly with all of mine, although I know people will feed every five days for very young snakes. I find weekly with 10-15% of their body weight works best, and then you don't have to worry about them being TOO well fed and deciding they don't want to eat for a while, which some might do.

Everybody less than 700 grams or so gets offered every 5 days. Sometimes I'll go upwards of 800-900 grams if they're eating really well (mostly females, sometimes they start refusing at 5 days and I know they're ready to switch to 7). Over that, every 7. I have a couple designated, "garbage disposals" that may get something a little more often when someone refuses.

My younger bloods I feed on a 5 day schedule until they are around 600 grams then switch to 7 days, adults usually 10 days. My ball pythons around the same, but depends on the individual and whether they are breeders or not


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Your gonna get a laundry list of feeding schedules, but most have them on a 4-5 when they are young (2 yrs or less) and then move to a 7-10 (normally 7) after that. All depends on your snake!