Unexpected babies...couple of questions

[Sunnieskys]

Thanks everyone. I will talk to my partner about the live for the first meal. I can't decide this alone. Last time I did live I literally cried lol. Maybe she can do it...I know I won't be able to lol. Im a sappy wussy.

[rufretic]

Thanks everyone. I will talk to my partner about the live for the first meal. I can't decide this alone. Last time I did live I literally cried lol. Maybe she can do it...I know I won't be able to lol. Im a sappy wussy.

I can understand your issue, I love all animals and have always had a hard time dealing with killing any animal even for food. You just have to understand this is nature and if you want to keep a predatory animal your going to have to accept what it eats even if you love that animal as well. If you can't then you probably should not keep animals like that.

What I have found to be the least upsetting way of dealing with live feeders is make absolutely no contact, don't even look at it. Of course you're going to fall in love with it if you're looking at it, holding it or interacting with it in any way and that is why it becomes so upsetting to see it get killed and eaten. I put mine in a bucket and don't look at them until it's time to feed and then I simply grab the tail and drop it in the tub, close it and walk away. Over the years this has allowed me to become less sensitive and it doesn't really bother me anymore, it still would if I held the animal and looked at it like a pet. If you are so sensitive that even looking in the bucket and grabbing it's tail to drop it in is enough to make you feel attached, then try to get a single feeder per single container and don't even look at it, open box and dump it in snake enclosure with never even looking at it. This is only safe when the feeders are too small/young to do harm to the snake. But at least it can get you past this first very important meal for the hatchlings. If you ever need to feed larger feeders you will need to be ok with checking on the feeding to make sure the rodent doesn't harm the snake but hopefully this first meal is all you need to worry about and then they will all easily switch to F/T. Good luck.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

First if they shed out to 6 to 8 days ago they should not have been offered food twice already, the more you offer the worse it is.

If you have not already they need to be setup like this https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-hatchling-101 to a T and I mean a T

Hatchlings can start immediately once they hatch or up to 6 to 8 weeks whether you intervene to the next step of assisting will depend on their overall shape.

I always offer the same prey (live hopper mouse) 3 times 7 days apart if that does not work I do the same with rat 3 times 7 days apart, then if they still do not eat that is when I may start assisting with a small F/T hopper. Depending on again overall shape and original weight.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

I will talk to my partner about the live for the first meal. I can't decide this alone. Last time I did live I literally cried

The question will you cry too when you have reached the point of no return and they fade away or become poor feeders or die because they you did not do everything you should be willing to do if you have hatchlings?

I understand not everyone wants to feed live but this is something everyone should be willing to do when it comes down to it because those are snakes.

[bcr229]

Also I assume they all absorbed their yolks? No twisted umbilical cords, runs, or anything like that in the litter?

[Sunnieskys]

The question will you cry too when you have reached the point of no return and they fade away or become poor feeders or die because they you did not do everything you should be willing to do if you have hatchlings?

I understand not everyone wants to feed live but this is something everyone should be willing to do when it comes down to it because those are snakes.

Yes I will cry. I also do understand that these are animals that eat live animals in the wild. I will do it if I have to do it. However...my partner will most likely do it instead of me. I have fed live before...I just don't like to do it. And I will not let them get to the point of no return.

[Sunnieskys]

Also I assume they all absorbed their yolks? No twisted umbilical cords, runs, or anything like that in the litter?

Yes no yolks or twisted cords. No runts.

she laid 8 eggs and 1 slug.
5 hatched and one died the next morning.
4 remaining babes weighing 54-60g
3 eggs didn't hatch not viable.

[Sunnieskys]

Thanks again everyone...I am taking everything in and will make it all happen. I appreciate everyone. Like I said this was out of the blue. One morning there were eggs. We did not even know she was paired nor did her previous owner.

[Sunnieskys]

Here are the babies. And if anyone can tell me what the whiteish one is....
Mom is a pastave and dad we think is a normal het for something. The previous owner has a female normal that we now know is a male....

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[Danger noodles]

I can’t see the eyes but looks like u have a bel!