Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I wanted to get a feel of what other breeder believe is an acceptable amount of time to wait before your assist feed your ball python hatchlings. I count days, but more often go off of the snakes appearance. Do you prefer to start your hatchlings on hopper mice or rat pinkies? I prefer to start them on rat pinkies. With that said, if you are feeding mice - are your hatchlings more receptive to mice in the beginning? Do you start the feeding timer from hatch date or shed date?

Thanks

Dwayne

I don't offer food till after the animals have their first shed, and even then usually a few days after that has happened. I prefer starting all the babies right onto rats, and will only use mice as one of the last resorts for getting a meal into them. Most babies we have usually go right onto the rats without a problem, but there are a few every year that will need mice instead, or even some further assistance on our part. I don't really worry for the first week or two after its shed and still not eaten, keep watching its weight and appearance and if everything we have tried so far isn't working, then more is needed, some babies really do need a bit of a jump start before they take off. Not always fun to do, but if it helps out and the animals do a great turn around then it was worth all the extra hard work and worrying.
-----
-Amelia
ES Tropicals

IF you have more than a couple babies still not eating I would look into some husbandry issues? Do they have the proper temps (say, 85-86 on the warm end - yes, some keep them higher but I've found they do much better in this range)? A nice tight hide? A dark enclosure?, etc, etc?

I only have one or two out of every few clutches that don't start eating on their own within 2 after their first shed. Try live mouose crawlers...bigger than a fuzzy but far less spazzy and intimidating than a hopper. I've found colored mice are preferred over white ones. Try at night.

To answer your question, I don't assist feed in the first month post-shed unless there is some overriding factor. Good luck!

I have gotten two ball pythons less then 3 days old... now me being the newbie I am at this I didnt think of offering hoppers or anything smaller then a full size mice, however the day she shed I offered her the full size mouse. she took it no problem less then two month later I put her on small rats. after reading this for a few months I realize I was lucky in being able to switch my python to rats.

I hope this helped alittle