Crushed babies?

[Bear-Cat]

So our snake gave birth on August 9th, we have looked up boatloads of care guides on them. They are feeding on fresh farm raised tilapia that we buy from the grocery store with no additives, no nothing, just straight up fish. I'm only having 5-6 babies out of previously 16 eating food. I spend about 2 hours with them each day, doing everything I can to get them to eat. Some just aren't interested, some gobble it down as soon as they see it. I have read that some people have had troubles getting their little ones to eat, so I thought nothing of it, as it hasn't quite been 3 weeks yet. I have been dusting their fish with reptical calcium, but more importantly I just want them to eat.

I went to feed them today, and there was an overturned baby, crushed, biting his side, floppy and cold, already dead. Thing is, this is a baby that hadn't eaten food. And just a few minutes ago, there was a baby that suddenly started flailing and spazzing around, his sides crushing in. I'm pretty sure he's dead now. Yet another baby that hasn't eaten. I'm not quite sure what's going on. I had at first thought that the first baby was possibly defective, as he didn't respond quite like the other snakes (allowing me to just pick him up and move him around without any reaction), but this snake was perfectly fine other than the fact he hadn't eaten.

They are on papertowel bedding, their water is fresh filtered water that sits out for a while before I give it to them, in a well thoroughly cleaned pickle jar lid. (Didn't clean it with soap or bleach, just ran hot water over it for a long time.) They are all staying hydrated, I keep moist papertowels in their hides which were toilet paper tubes, but I took those out temporarily to find out the cause of their random crushing.

I would appreciate any and all help I can get, I can't find any info about this, and I'm starting to get worried about them ._. (More so than when they were born, lol. stressful.)
Thanks in advance.

[jitami]

Man, so sorry to hear about the lost babies. I sure hope someone has some insight. This baby raising stuff really is stressful!

[ssssnakeluvr]

a lot of babies will only start on live fish or worms..... takes time to work them onto chopped fish. those that are feeding on chopped fish should do well.... you should separate them from the others to monitor feeding. some babies will not make it, that's nature. it's called failure to thrive. I have had a few die, occasionally see one that has grabbed himself....I don't know why they do that either. they could be thin due to not eating...

[Light of Dae]

Nerological issues? what is the breeding pair? are they related?

How often are the moist paper towel changed? They can get moldy fast without looking moldy. I use moss it lasts longer and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

[Bear-Cat]

a lot of babies will only start on live fish or worms..... takes time to work them onto chopped fish. those that are feeding on chopped fish should do well.... you should separate them from the others to monitor feeding. some babies will not make it, that's nature. it's called failure to thrive. I have had a few die, occasionally see one that has grabbed himself....I don't know why they do that either. they could be thin due to not eating...

I have heard that a lot of babies take to chopped up pinkies without bones. I was going to the petstore tomorrow to attempt that.
The majority of them are nice and thick, it could just be the frail ones in this batch that are having the failure to thrive..

[Bear-Cat]

Nerological issues? what is the breeding pair? are they related?

How often are the moist paper towel changed? They can get moldy fast without looking moldy. I use moss it lasts longer and has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties.

I haven't the slightest clue as to who bred with her, we found her in our parking lot when it was snowing, and she wasn't moving.
We change the paper towels every 1-2 days, they poop a lot. I wish we could get moss, they would really enjoy burrowing in it, but that's not really viable.. No stores around here sell moss. But we do change the towels often.

[joeyjoe9876]

if you have a home depot near you they will most likely carry some sphagnum moss you could get.

[Invisible Snake]

I have heard that a lot of babies take to chopped up pinkies without bones. I was going to the petstore tomorrow to attempt that.
The majority of them are nice and thick, it could just be the frail ones in this batch that are having the failure to thrive..

In my personal opinion I think it's a little early to start them on chopped up pinks considering they are only a few weeks old. Try getting them to eat live feeder fish and/or chopped up nightcrawlers consistently and then in another month you can start mixing in the pinks.

Feel free to post pics of the babies and the mom

[-MARWOLAETH-]

They could have not eaten because they where put off by calcium powder.My snake hates the stuff.

[Light of Dae]

I haven't the slightest clue as to who bred with her, we found her in our parking lot when it was snowing, and she wasn't moving.
We change the paper towels every 1-2 days, they poop a lot. I wish we could get moss, they would really enjoy burrowing in it, but that's not really viable.. No stores around here sell moss. But we do change the towels often.

That could be it, right there. ... maybe.