Hi snake community I hatched an 8 egg clutch last month with 5Bels and 3 GHI Mojave. In my past experience (10 years) i have had clutches with 1 or maybe 2 neonates that do not feed on their own. So here i am with 8 neonates where only 1 feeds, 7 are assist feeding right now. Has anyone experienced this before? If so were you successful in turning the tide? I have always had success previously but not that hopeful this time. Thank you
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That is a lot of babies to fuss with!
We’ll probably need some more info. Here’s the questions I have at the moment:
-how are they set up? Bedding, temps and housing size?
-when did they have the first shed? Or what day were they all out of the egg if shed date is unknown.
-what have you tried feeding them already?
-live? And what size?
-how often have you tried feeding?
-when did you start assist feeding them?
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Oh, my goodness, @anvilhammer, you have my sympathy. That is indeed a bunch of babies who need extra attending. I work with corns so I can’t offer insight specific to BPs but I did have one clutch several years back where most of them needed scenting, and quite a few were assist fed for a while. It was distressing and depressing and frustrating for what felt like forever. Gradually, they all started to feed independently without any “tricks.” So yes, there is hope.
Fwiw, I didn’t repeat that particular pairing.
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Hmmm I didnt think of pairing. That could be a thing. Although I have been doing this a long time data from others is irreplaceable. I think I will pickup another male ghi lesser and see what happens. In the meantime getting ready for assist feed round 2 today. I do 3 Sat and 4 on Sun.
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Good luck to you. I have a few who need encouragement this year, but considering how many babies I had (for me), it’s thankfully a small number.
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That’s a shame that you are faced with such an unfortunate situation. I know nothing about breeding ball pythons but sometimes nature has a way of for whatever reason throwing a monkey wrench into even the most well laid plans. Even though you are facing an uphill daunting challenge at least you are not a newbie breeder and you have some experience under your belt to handle this situation.
Here’s to hoping these little sweet babies learn to eat on their own and begin to thrive…. 
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So they are setup in VE 6E rack. This rack can be configured for just about anything. They are housed in the hatchling bins not sure pn off top of head. They are on news paper. Temperature 79-86f cold side hot side.
They shed 2 weeks after getting out of eggs. Have tried mouse hoppers to start (my usual start animal) 1 animal fed on hoppers just fine. All others just avoided them. Then tried pinky rats no takers not even the hopper feeder. I didnt start assist feeding until week 6. Assist feeding has acually gone well for ghi mojave animals, once in their throats a bit they will wrap up my hand and I just wiggle out and they look like they did it all themselves? The BELs are different they absolutely disregard food. It is a struggle with them. But once I get shoulders past jaws they seem compelled to swollow and are good for another 5 days.
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So this will probably a really stupid suggestion but maybe the Bels don’t like the rodent “scent” so if you tried “boiling” the ft rodents first possibly these guys would accept them………
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Best idea I have heard today. The other was placing vanilla on feeder head and necks…I will try the boiling first and then because I am curious try the vanilla if boiling doesnt work.
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Hmmmmm. In all my years of keeping I have never heard of using vanilla on rodents. Interesting! Let me know if either of these tricks work! 
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There are all sorts of scent tricks. Apologies, I thought you’d done that route. A quick dip in boiling water does it for some. Washing thoroughly on blue dish soap does it for others. Scenting with frogs or lizards if you have access to those or to their sheds is a favorite for my picky corns. Some go for egg yolk dabbed on the prey. Some (weirdly, to me) like tuna, salmon, other fish. You can try chicken, scent or parts. If you can find ASFs those seem popular with BPs from what I’ve read, but I don’t have BP experience myself so take that with a grain of salt. There’s always the “zombie mouse dance,” wriggling the intended meal with tongs/chopsticks/etc. to stimulate interest.
If they’re swallowing once you get them started, that’s great. In my unfortunately long experience with stubborn corns, most don’t take too long from that point to feed voluntarily.
Hi you know this was the easiest assist feed for Bels that I have had so far!!!
Boiled a few frozen thawed and there was a short fight not a long 1 like normal. I will bestow upon you BALL PYTHON GENIUS for assisting me. There was a big difference. I think that even the GHIs went even faster at least to my poor tooth stabbed fingers…Dont know how to thank you. Perhaps if you are interested in the future i can send you an establisehed Ball Python as a small token of my gratitude. You Da Bomb
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Well I am sooooooo glad that my suggestion helped! I know that I had to do this for my gray banded kingsnake way back when.
As for the very kind offer I will have to decline as I already have 18 ball pythons as of today due to my addiction for them. However, if you would just pass along this little boiling trick to the next person in need of feeding response ideas, that’s more than enough for me!
Best of wishes to you and your little ones! 
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I will very much dpread the news on this. I have 1 regret and that is I didnt get the chance to try the vanilla on the head and neck…lol
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Well vanilla on a rodent just sounds weird but then again, “boiling” a rodent sounded kinda weird until I tried it and it worked! 
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I’m sure that sooner or later, you’ll encounter an extra stubborn one that allows you to try the vanilla trick. 
Glad you’re having a easier time with it for now.
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Thank you for this reply…yes it was immediate relief tonight. Normally it takes about 4hours÷ with these 8 troublemakers every week.
Tonight about 25 mins max 4 phase 2 night 4 animals.
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Yayyy!!! 
I know that relief. I am very glad that you had an easier time of things. Hopefully soon they’ll decide that a full tummy is a good thing after all and feed totally voluntarily. Yayy!!!
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Maybe this is for the best vanilla is such a nice smell and mixing it with warm rat might be gross. My lab had to use peppermint oil for a study and the smell of peppermint mixed with rat and rat urine ruined my ability to eat anything minty
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I have a friend thats a mortician that cant stand the smell of Vicks anymore…lol
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