Ball python eating question

[gusanr14]

Hello,
I don't have a snake yet, but I am planning to get one within couple months when repticon comes to my town.
I am still thinking between ball python and corn snakes. I have done research of both snakes and so far, I think I am more towards ball pythons.
However, one thing I am worried about ball python is the feeding.

I know that they are picky eaters and saw many people suffer from feeding ball pythons.
My question is, do every single ball pythons refuse to eat once in a while? Even if the husbandry is good? I heard when they shed, they refuse food but I am worried about unexpected refusing food.
My situation is that I can't store mice/rat in the freezer so I am trying to buy one from my local reptile shop on the day of feeding.
I also heard that they can refuse food for months. What do you do with the mice/rat that snake refuses? I don't feel safe about refreezing so does that mean I have to waste food every time snake refuses to and keep buying it until snake eats one? What is a good term to retry feeding when python refuses one.

[Starscream]

Hatchlings shouldn't refuse unless something is wrong -- either husbandry, or not being offered the same prey items as the breeder. When they get older and approach breeding age, they are more likely to go off feed.

From what I've observed, you offer less often during a fast so that a refusal doesn't become habit. So, if you offer once a week and they refuse, you wait two weeks before offering again, and then three weeks if refused again, and so on. But only for older ball pythons. I personally haven't had mine go off feed yet, so you'll probably want to wait for someone with experience to confirm.

Fortunately my BP isn't a picky eater -- she'd probably eat a chick if I gave it to her, but I don't really want her hooked on chicks when I have so many rats lol.

[Godzilla78]

Yes, you will have to waste food occasionally if you own a ball python. If it bothers you to have to throw out food, don’t get one, lol. I have multiple balls now, so if one doesn’t eat, I move it to the next one and this way there is no waste.
They are finicky for sure.


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[gusanr14]

Is there a specific fast season for ball pythons? Like which months do they usually go off feed? I heard winter but any other seasons?

[Quahog]

I've heard of beeps closer to adult weight / size go into fasting in the winter months for mating reasons. I don't think hatchlings go on feeding strikes as long as they feel secure in their homes. More experienced keepers will know better than I, and there are loads of them here ! I've only had my beep for 4 months.

If it helps, the first 2 weeks with my hatchling were a mess. I made a bunch of mistakes! Horrendous stuck shed, and not knowing how to take temps properly (i.e. measuring temp below substrate), removing her hide to feed her (couple this with new type of food and feeling vunerable, no wonder she didn't eat). Since I got help from the wonderful people here, Coco is thriving, gaining weight and seems like a content lil' noodle!

[elleon]

Refusing meals is something you just might have to deal with if you habe a bp. I've had my yearling for maybe 6 months now and he's only refused once, but is difficult some other weeks and a great rat eater other weeks! Feeding issues can be caused by stress, inadequate temperatures, insufficient heating of a frozen/thawed feeder, shedding, or just because it's breeding season. As for storing feeders, I keep mine in individual zipped bags, labeled with their weight, in a brown bag on the bottom shelf of my freezer. I usually only have about a month's worth so they don't take up too much space. There's lots of good information on here to help you get all set up for your new friend.

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[Zincubus]

Hello,
I don't have a snake yet, but I am planning to get one within couple months when repticon comes to my town.
I am still thinking between ball python and corn snakes. I have done research of both snakes and so far, I think I am more towards ball pythons.
However, one thing I am worried about ball python is the feeding.

I know that they are picky eaters and saw many people suffer from feeding ball pythons.
My question is, do every single ball pythons refuse to eat once in a while? Even if the husbandry is good? I heard when they shed, they refuse food but I am worried about unexpected refusing food.
My situation is that I can't store mice/rat in the freezer so I am trying to buy one from my local reptile shop on the day of feeding.
I also heard that they can refuse food for months. What do you do with the mice/rat that snake refuses? I don't feel safe about refreezing so does that mean I have to waste food every time snake refuses to and keep buying it until snake eats one? What is a good term to retry feeding when python refuses one.

If you get a Royal buy it off a reputable breeder - someone off here ... and demand s good feeder

There are plenty of excellent feeding Royals , I have two or three that are like flaming King snakes at feeding time .

Some Corn snakes go off their food for months each year around breeding season ..


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[dadofsix]

When you say that you can't use the freezer to store things like mice and rats, I'm guessing that the freezer you are referring to is connected to a refrigerator, and that both are located in the kitchen area. I also had a similar problem. Though I live alone, I often entertain family and guests who would be, shall we say, shocked to find a frozen rat in my freezer. lol

If that is, indeed, your situation, you might want to check out the costs of portable freezers that you can put in your bedroom. You can store your sodas, your snacks and your frozen rodents there to your hearts content. If you have the finances, buy new. If you are struggling for cash, there are lots of used freezers being sold on various websites and in local pawnshops. A caution, however, if you have not yet achieved your majority (if you're not yet an adult), make sure that you work with a parent or responsible adult before you go the used route. Do NOT do it alone. I do come by my user name honestly! lol

Good luck.

<><Ciao

[Zincubus]

I have my rodents in the family freezer but I'm allocated the bottom tray so the rodents are in sealed plastic wallets with a sheet of white Perspex over the top creating a false bottom . Nobody would ever know they're there .


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[cchardwick]

Adult ball pythons going off of food is of no concern at all, it's perfectly normal. They can fast for six months or more, the longest I had one fast was about eight months. I have yet to hear of a ball python passing away from starvation, I've even seen people feed hatchlings very little to where they hardly even grow at all in the first year, not that I support that kind of care but it seems some big breeders to it to save costs, the main point being that it won't kill the snake (probably not too good for it though...). Right now I have several that are fasting out of about 50 snakes. It is winter and I'm in the middle of the breeding season but it seems that no matter what time of year some go on a fast. I also have a couple females now that are HUGE with eggs and not eating. I'm guessing they won't eat until after they lay. I also have a couple that refuse to eat anything - frozen thawed, pre killed, or live (rats or mice).

Frozen thawed is a bit more tricky to feed than live, I had about half of my snakes that wouldn't eat using frozen thawed or fresh killed. When I switched over to live I had almost all of them eat. Feeding live can be dangerous for the snake and I've had a few battle wounds, it's best to feed rodents on the small end of the range when feeding live to give the snake the advantage. For rodents larger than about 80 grams I feed pre killed with CO2. In fact if you have an aggressive eater it's best to euthanize with gas just before feeding.

I never waste a single rodent during feeding. When I feed live I leave the rodent in the tub for five minutes. If it's not eaten within that time I'll take it out and move it to another tub to give a different snake a second feeding back to back. I have enough snakes to use up all the non eaten rodents. If you feed a pre killed with CO2 and they refuse you can always freeze it, then use it again as a frozen thawed the next time around. If you thaw a frozen thawed I would never refreeze it. If you have multiple snakes it's always best to try to feed the picky ones first then follow up with the more aggressive feeders. Some people feed half of their snakes every 4 days then feed the other half 3-4 days later. That way you have extra snakes per feeding to use up any uneaten rodents.

Another option is to get a second snake that is a more aggressive feeder. When I started out I used frozen thawed quite a bit and bought a dwarf reticulated python as my garbage disposal. She would eat anything that was left over from all the other snakes. Actually a pure super dwarf retic would be the best, very aggressive feeder and won't get too big. I've also seen people use other disposal creatures like alligators or monitor lizards that can eat an endless supply of left over rodents.