9 little babies

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Double check your adults to see if you accidentally left an extra male in there. If you have more than one male per colony, or if any adults were added after the colony was established, that's why your babies were eaten.

If you don't find the problem ASF and remove it, every baby born will continue to get eaten.

[Jessica Loesch]

Well all the females are preggo with nipples so I know they are not males. All rats were added at the same time.

Don't know where to go from here. Hoping the next litter is better.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

Have you looked at this sticky?

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70212

If you're positive then just try to sit there and observe them from a distance once another litter is born to see who the culprit is.

[Jessica Loesch]

Yes, believe me, its a 1.3 group. No doubts about it. Like I said, the others are preggo. I know you're trying to help. But I'm 100% sure.

[Jessica Loesch]

I have read over and over that first time moms often eat the pups. This is slightly comforting yet unnerving all at once.

Additionally, they were okay for 2 days before this all happened I am definitely going to keep a close eye on them but don't want to disturb them too much.

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

None of mine ever have.

I haven't heard that at all. The only time I ever had a problem in any of of my colonies was when the colony was too old or there was an extra male in there.

My first time moms have huge litters of at least 15 and they've never eaten any. That's what mice do. Not ASF.

[Jessica Loesch]

Just repeating things I have read about asf. Some people have had it happen.

[rperry03]

That really sucks and their 2nd litter will tell you alot

I had a 1.2 colony that babies would disappear and could not figure out who was doing it until one morning I found the male stealing the babies and momma attacking him. He was pretty beat up, a bp had a tasty breakfast that morning! Even hoppers would disappear. The females would never accept another.

Not sure if this has anything to do with it but I have since started feeding them lab blocks and have not had any problems since. The litters have also gotten bigger, maybe it was their age or the food???? I am now waiting for my first hold backs to start breeding to see confirm that it is the food.

[Jessica Loesch]

I'm going to try switching the food. I have been feeding lab block from the petstore and am switching over to native earth even though I think its very similar.

[rperry03]

Which brand from the pet store? I wasnt using Mazuri because it was really expensive for a 5lb bag and ordering it was hardly better after shipping. I was using the other brands then I ordered a bag of the Native Earth and have it on auto ship every month even if I don't need it.