Advanced hatchling help need

[Mike Cavanaugh]

I have produced and started over 100 hatchling ball pythons.

This is what I usually do:

1.) leave the clutch together in tub until first shed. once everyone sheds I separate and set them up in 6quart tub rack then try feeding 2 or 3 days after that. for first feeding I leave a fuzzy / hopper size mouse in overnight.
2.) If they don't eat I pull out mouse and try again in one week. Again I leave it in overnight.
3.) If they don't eat I pull out mouse and try again in one week. Again I leave it in overnight. If they don't eat I kill mouse and assist feed.
4.) a week later i put fuzzy/hopper in overnight.
5.) If they don't eat I pull out mouse and try again in a week.
6.) If they don't eat I pull out mouse and try again in a week.

I have never had one go past #6 without eating on their own.

Well, I need help with a plan for my trouble cinny hatchling. For the LONG DRAWN OUT STORY click here. http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...d.php?t=124251

To make a long story short, she was underdeveloped, starving, and almost dead when she came out of the egg. I had to force feed (working mouse all the way down to her stomach) shortly after she hatched in a last ditch effort to save her. Well, now she is doing much better, but doesn't seem to grasp the idea of strking and constricting. I strayed away from my "normal" fussy feeder hatchling rules listed above because she was so skinny and weak. It is possible that she shed when she was in with her siblings, but I am pretty sure that she STILL has not shed yet. (her siblings shed like 3 weeks ago)

She refused a fuzzy mouse overnight again last night so I assist fed her this morning. The second I put the fuzzy in her mouth she started swallowing. She is obviously Hungry, and knows what to do once it is in her mouth....

So, tell me. what should I do the next feeding? the one after that? and so on. I think that although she is still very small compared to her siblings, she has enough strength and weight on her now that I need to probably move towards not assisting, and letting her figure it out, or perish.

Please help.

here is a picture of her with her sister.

[Freakie_frog]

Mike I have had hatchings that I've had to assist feed for 10+ times before their metabolism really kicks in and their body tells them they must eat on their own.. I've had a couple that as soon as the rat touched their mouth they would coil it.. and swallow..

The fact that she is swallowing on her own is encouraging.. keep going like you're going offer live leave it over night and see.. maybe even skip a week or even two, she's gotten a couple of meals in her now..then offer..watch her weight when you skip if she looks like she's going down hill..step in again..

Animals like this can be saved and go on to be great feeders they just take a little more time and hands on care.

[J.Vandegrift]

Just keep assist feeding her. She'll get going on her own soon. I would try assist feeding a bigger meal next time. That seems to get my picky ones going.

[kellysballs]

I had a 07 ch baby that was similar to this one. She had to be force fed (like you said getting the rat pink all the way down) 3 times. From there she was assisted (placing the prey in this case pink rats to fuzzy rats in her mouth and her swallowing on her own) at least another 3-5 times before she began constricting the already dead prey item once it was in her mouth. After she was assisted 3 times and she constricted 3 times the prekilled prey I placed a live rat fuzzy in her mouth and she constricted it on her own then ate it. Once she constricted and killed the prey item on her own she seemed to get it and begain eating (striking, constricting and swallowing) any prey item I presented to her. She is now pushing 2000grams and is one of my favorite balls. Her name is Pee Wee.

I never skipped a week of feeding with Pee Wee because she seemed to respond so well week after week even with forcing and assisting. She was so small I never wanted her to take a step backwards.

Good luck I hope my experience helps and your baby thrives!

[muddoc]

To your original question, after I assist feed the first time, I continue until they eat on their own. In other words, I work it like this (after the first assist feed)
1) Offer appropriately sized rat and leave in for 1 hour. If not eaten:
2) Offer hopper mouse the next day for 1 hour. If not eaten
3) Immediately assist feed (read as push mouse into throat with back legs hanging out of mouth).
4) Repeat the above process every 7 days until they begin eating.

I have never had to assist more than 8 times (only one went that long, the rest of the time 5 assists has been the most).

Remain diligent, and your efforts will be rewarded.

Hope that helps and good luck,

[sho220]

What is the reasoning behind leaving them all together in one tub until after first shed?

I hope she gets going for you soon Mike. I'm going through a rough time getting my male Lesserbee started. It's really heartbreaking to see all his clutch mates thriving while he seems to have no idea what to do...

Good luck!

[appygirl84]

I don't know if this will help for future reference or not, but on the Markus Jayne website I read about their "Miracle Ball". They fed her egg yolk.
http://www.ballpython.ca/miracle.html

[WingedWolfPsion]

I offer food every 3 days. If they don't eat on their own by 2 weeks, I assist feed...then offer live again overnight 3 days later. 70% take the food at that point.
If not, I assist-feed again...and try again with live food in 4 days. From there, I just keep up that pattern until they eat on their own, but I haven't yet had to assist-feed any hatchling more than 3 times in a row. I did have one stop eating again...another assist-feed, and it restarted and stayed started.

Snakes that have to be assist-started aren't necessarily fussy eaters once they get going.

The very small, weak hatchlings will often rally if you leave them alone for a few days after they hatch. I had one last year that was severely undersized and practically limp. Within the week, she was acting normally, and started eating without issues.

I have another tiny hatchling this year that failed to absorb her egg yolk, but she's a bit stronger--she's still noticeably weaker than ordinary hatchlings. They do seem to metabolize what little yolk they managed to get, and get stronger in a day or two.

I also had a hatchling last year that didn't go through its first shed. I finally gave up on waiting, and offered it food. It ate, and continued eating, and eventually shed out about the time the rest were doing their second shed.

I would just keep assist-feeding this one, make sure it has a good hide, and keep offering food items once or twice a week--leave them overnight. If the snake is consuming food and growing, chances are it will eventually eat on its own.

[Jsh]

This thread came at a good time, I have 11 hatchlings but only five of them have ate for me and I'm thinking I'll need to try something new soon.

Hope everything goes great with that smoking cinny Mike.

[JEWSKIN]

sigh shes alive yay means shes a fighter I'd say once she does start eating shes gonna have a retic complex when it comes to food. hehe so cute we just bought a little one as a rescue they claimed she had eaten for them I honestly dont think she had a meal until us now she wants the rabbit we're baby sitting.... I think you have one determined baby that's going to be a monster ball when she's grown runts are always the bestest in my opinion!