A few months ago, I had three beautiful baby ball pythons born, one male and two females. They were all undersized, and I was worried about them, but they were beautiful and acted normally. However, the male was born with prolapsed hemipenes, and the females never ate on their own. I tried everything I could. I cluttered their tubs (I don't know the quart size, but they were smaller than the average shoebox by a significant margin, though I think a little bigger than a six quart tub), I added hides, I monitored their temperatures (88-92 hot spot, ambient 77-80), and I never handled them except to clean their tubs (they were kept on paper towels, by the way). Naturally, since the females were so small, I started assist feeding when they continuously refused. Still, they never ate on their own. They were offered frozen thawed and live pinky rats, I tried braining, I tried tease feeding, I tried freaking everything I knew how to do. I started breeding mice in my bedroom because I hoped that hoppers might help, and I can't buy hoppers where I am since no one sells them.

However, I went to check on them today, and well, I guess those hoppers won't be needed for them. Both of them were lying dead in their tubs this evening. They never were able to gain weight since I couldn't give them large prey while assisting. They always spit it out. And maybe I wasn't assisting frequently enough. I don't know. I just... did I do everything all wrong? I did the best I could, but they went from acting totally normal just a few days ago (I was out of town so hadn't seen them for a few days) to dead. I'm terrified now since I have four more young snakes (though admittedly MUCH larger and more robust) that I've also had to assist feed since they won't eat. They're only slightly younger than the ones that died. I really don't know what else to do anymore. The brother of the two that died is still alive (though he hatched with prolapsed hemipenes, he is now totally okay and seems normal), and he's eating well. I just don't know what's going on with these other snakes. I have no clue what's gone wrong. I feel like a failure as a keeper, and I'm not sure if this is something I want to do anymore. Just.. does anyone have any idea what went wrong? I just haven't the slightest clue. The male was kept in identical conditions and had underwent more stress in his life due to having surgery on his hemipenes, and he was born smaller, but he ended up okay. I don't know what to do from here.