Does cutting eggs before pipping create bad feeders?

On May 4th, day 54 of incubation, one baby from my clutch of 7 eggs pipped, so I decided to cut the rest that day. I avoided cutting veins and placed them back in the incubator for them to emerge on their own. They all came out over the course of two days, and all yolk sacs had been absorbed and their belly buttons closed. Seemingly perfect babies!

Maybe it's jut coincidence, but all except that one that pipped are terrible feeders. She was impressive, eating 2 days after her first shed, an f/t pinky rat, no less, and has been pounding them ever since. One I have only gotten to eat 4 times on its own. The rest have to be assist fed as no trick in the book has worked. One of them hasn't even had its first shed.

My question is, Could there be a correlation between eggs not allowed to pip on their own and insecure babies? Or did I just get a very weak clutch of animals?:taz:

I dont think cutting affects how they eat at all. How are you trying to feed them? How are they set up?

Each in their own 6qt tub, paper towel substrate, crumpled newspaper to hide, temps 91-93 warm, 78 cool (measured with temp gun) 58% humidity

I've tried live pinky rats, f/t pink mice (I know it's small but tried it anyway) live fuzzy mice and f/t hopper mice. Mice are in extremely short supply here and I only breed rats, so I am still actively looking for some live hopper mice to try out.
I've tried leaving the food in the cage overnight, braining the f/t rodents, and putting both snake and meal in a small tupperware, wrapped in black cloth or paper bag and kept in a dark spot overnight.

How long have you waited? They could take as much as month before assist feeding is necessary.

Assist feeding is extremely stressful, and should only be used as a last resort.

How many times did you try feeding them before you assist fed?

I wouldn't worry about it. I had a male spider last year that took over 2 month to eat after hatching. I was getting really worried about him so i tried assist feeding and he still would not take. Im not comfortable with force feeding so i just wait. He did lose some weight with him not hatching. But after month 2 he started eating on his own with out assist feeding and never turned back since. It was also my first year breeding so it was bothering quite a bit, but learned to be patient.

Last year I noticed that some clutches started off on frozen thawed without an issue. I then realized that they were clutches that I didn't cut. This year I decided not to cut eggs unless the eggs didn't pip within 48 hours of the first one to pip. So far 5+ clutches have started on frozen thawed which is unheard of. I've gotten approx. 40 babies to start on f/t and haven't had to offer live yet. Maybe there is something to it??

Hmmm.. I would like to hear more data.

Hmm. I wonder if it could have something to do with it? I just really don't see how though.

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This interests me.

It so happens I have two clutches hatching now. I cut both clutches on day 57, there were a few signs of pipping, but none had actually pipped the egg open. I will now make an effort to record sheds and feeding efforts, and will be posting the results. I am curious to see if mine are difficult to feed since I pipped them.

Gale