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Just to be clear here we are talking ball pythons not boas. I have yet to have an overweight ball python. If anyone has any reports of ball python deaths because of voluntary feeding (not force or tube feeding) please let me know.
In my experience a ball python who has had enough to eat will strike and refuse to eat. Most of my animals strike from 2 to six months a year.
My holdback animals are fed an appropriately sized meal about twice a week. This continues until the animal reaches "max food size" which for males is a small rat and females a medium. At that point I back off to a weekly schedule unless the animal is on strike. The only time I break this regimen is when a female begins eating again after laying. Depending on the animal and its weight I will bump up the feeding schedule until the animal hits its before lay weight.
In my experience animals experience better growth when fed something that is the diameter of the snake no more than once a week (see exception above). Multiple smaller prey items fed frequently is probably not the best idea. Python digestive systems are designed to eat a relatively large meal then rest. If the animal is eating frequently the digestive system will not take the rest period it is designed to have.
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