Feeding schedule for neonate ball pythons and such?

[SilverSerpentExotics]

What is the length of time between meals before resorting to force feeding babies? Starting from time out of the egg and then between meals if using live pinkies (will try to update with relative pinkie weights). I just got my first hatchlings of the year I got four healthy axanthic babies. This is my biggest year yet and I'm expecting alot of babies and the organizational task of managing the feeding schedule. Looking for system pointers. I raise my own Norway, multimammate, and field mice stock so I have a steady supply of anysize rodent. Anyone got a spreadsheet though they wanna share?

This is my first post, I'm looking for personal experience from people who have done this more than me, last year I had 21hatchlings and only 15 survived. Wanna do better this year so I'm trying to participate on here. I can provide other details upon request, don't wanna give you all my life story just yet.

BTW my name is James, check me out on Instagram @silverserpenteg we sell alot more than snakes!

[asplundii]

First I would skip over pinks and move straight to hopper mice as they elicit an almost immediate feed response for most hatchling balls.

I generally do not force feed until a couple months have gone by.

As far as how often to feed... For the first six months or so I feed as often as they will eat. After that I move to a 5-7 day cycle.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Your best chance to get them started fast and taking the first meal offered is first have optimum husbandry which mean security, second offer a live hopper mouse (you will get a higher percentage of animals eating their first meal offered compared to rats)

After that it varies and depend on a few factors, weight of the animal, whether the animal absorbed his yolk or not etc

After 3 failed feedings I will change things around, different prey, hide, different substrate but on average with a healthy animal I give it 6 to 8 feedings before assisting.

That type of thing is really a case by cases thing.

[SilverSerpentExotics]

First I would skip over pinks and move straight to hopper mice as they elicit an almost immediate feed response for most hatchling balls.

I generally do not force feed until a couple months have gone by.

As far as how often to feed... For the first six months or so I feed as often as they will eat. After that I move to a 5-7 day cycle.

Thanks for the hopper tip. How many months are we talking before force feeding, 2 or 3? Before I should start to be concerned.

[asplundii]

Thanks for the hopper tip. How many months are we talking before force feeding, 2 or 3? Before I should start to be concerned.

Depends on the individual animal really. If it seems to be holding weight and not declining then I am less likely to force feed. If it is looking poor and losing weight rapidly then I try an assist feed to get it going.