I feed them as frequently as they will eat using rats that are as big around as the widest part of their body.
If they start refusing meals on a 5 day schedule, then I bump them to a 7 day schedule. They'll still put on tons of weight.
If small rats are the right size...they get smalls. If mediums are, then they get mediums. I have found that this time now is the 'feeding season'. Once the females have laid eggs, they become ravenous, and all the snakes that were off feed for the winter also get back their appetites and start chowing like there's no tomorrow.
I just had a 2008 female who refused anything except mice for her entire life suddenly start taking small rats, and eating them every 5 days.
Breeder and 'up and coming' females get fed up rapidly until they're at a healthy breeding weight, then they're put on a maintenance diet for slow gain until the breeding season starts.
I have found that some 800 to 1200 gram females will go off feed for the winter. If a snake doesn't make 1500 grams, I do not breed her. I would rather hold out one more year, and have larger clutches and a bigger female.
My two first-timer 1500 gram girls gave me clutches of 5 enormous and 7 regular eggs, respectively. (Honestly, I've never seen eggs so big, even my 3000 gram girls laid smaller eggs, lol).
Conversely, the undersized female I purchased from someone local had laid only 4 undersized eggs. We shall see how she does this coming season, as I'm feeding the heck out of her.
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