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Is it wrong to let a hatchling starve to death?

Is it wrong to let a hatchling starve to death?

  • Yes

    Votes: 26 74.3%

  • No

    Votes: 2 5.7%

  • Torn

    Votes: 7 20.0%
  • Total voters
    35
Focal

Focal

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By starve to death, I mean a non-eater after hatching. I was thinking about this all day today and some things that came to mind are, it's not wrong because this is how natural selection would work ... but then I thought, what if I am a factor in her not eating? Is it something I did? If I am totally capable of helping her live and I don't, am I wrong? What if I let her starve, but one assisted meal could have changed everything?

Basically, is it wrong to not assist feed ball python, or any hatchlings? I've thought before, well these are the weak links and probably not solid genetics, but I know many will attest to non-feeders becoming some of their best feeders.

How do you feel on this topic?
 
I voted yes.

I feel as breeders it is our duty. Our responsibility. Just like it is our duty to cell deformed babies, I feel it is our duty to assist feed if needed.

We are the reason they are here. I feel that since they are captive hatched there are too many variables to say it is just natural selection. I am not saying it isn't natural selection, I am just saying since there is no way to know for sure, we must try.

If we are capable of helping them survive and we choose not to, that is wrong in my opinion. Again, they are here because of us. If they need a little help, we should be the ones to lend them a hand.

If I stopped feeding my problem feeder of a 2yr old daughter, that would be wrong. (And trust me, sometimes I want to just say fine, don't eat.) Of course I can not do that. I, myself feel the same way about animals I produce.

Good thread though...
 
I voted no, but I also want to clarify. I don't think it's wrong for a snake that refuses to feed to die, but letting it starve to death should be prevented by euthanizing them when it's obvious that they are not going to make it.

I don't assist feed or use any tricks on cornsnakes I hatch out. If they refuse to eat I just keep offering every week until they start to loo weak and then they are put down.

I have been assist feeding ball pythons, but I have also had more luck with them turning around. If one ever got to the point that it was looking like a lost cause I would put it down as well.

And before anyone says anything about the value of the animal coming into play let me just say that this year I put down a hypo lavender stripe cornsnake ($150), and at the same time assist fed a normal male BP ($20) 5-6 times before he finally started.

I have had ones die before I realized they had gotten that bad, but to just sit back and knowingly let one starve to death would be considered cruel.
 
I voted yes taking the context at face value. To literally let a hatchling starve to death shouldn't be done. If you're against assist feeding, or a hatchling does not eat on their own after a couple to several assists, then it is up to the breeder to put them down. Natural selection does not come into play when talking about snakes in breeder racks, and we should not try to mimic natural selection. It is the individual's selection of what to do, but putting down a non-feeder is the way to go over letting them starve to death.
 
I voted yes because for natural selection to work, imo, it must be in nature. We take the odds out of natural selection by breeding these animals in captivity, therefore taking their lives into our hands.
 
Live, and let live... or not.

Is it wrong ?

I am all for using your conscience as your own moral guide, but do not feel that it should be used to judge others, or to set "industry standards."

If you feel like the right thing for you to do is assist / force feed slow starting hatchlings, then go ahead.

If you feel that the right thing to do, is to allow hatchlings that do not start well on their own to expire, or even that it is your obligation as a breeder to bring about their end, then go ahead.

You may find that your position on the matter changes one way or the other over time, or even that it varies from situation to situation.
 
Thanks for the replies and input.

To clarify, when I mean starve to death, not like "screw it, if she won't eat, good riddance." More like a battle of wits that went to far and one day you just noticed a dead snake. BTW, there is no significance too this question. I have thought about seeing how long I should go before assist feeding, hoping that the point of starvation would change their mind. I'm easily broken though and have always assist fed.

In lighter news, the most problematic hatchling I have had just ate on her own for the first time moments ago :D
 
Maybe you asked the question in too simplistic a form- I voted "yes" before I read the discussion..... :eek:

I have assist started problem feeders and had them turn into great adults, so I do think that assist starting is fine, and I have force fed snakes to get them over a problem time.

I wouldn't, however, indefinitely FORCE feed (which is a different thing), and I would cull (rather than allow to starve) a neonate that persistently refused to feed and was losing weight and health.
 
Helenthereef said:
Maybe you asked the question in too simplistic a form- I voted "yes" before I read the discussion..... :eek:

I have assist started problem feeders and had them turn into great adults, so I do think that assist starting is fine, and I have force fed snakes to get them over a problem time.

I wouldn't, however, indefinitely FORCE feed (which is a different thing), and I would cull (rather than allow to starve) a neonate that persistently refused to feed and was losing weight and health.
Click to expand...

:iagree::iagree: I hesitated to say anything, in case it came out wrong... this is an excellent explanation that is both humane, yet doesn't overdo the "*sentimentality" of "saving" a snake to its detriment.

*I had that lesson beaten into me when I first started.* :rofl:
 
I think you should assist feed......I have had my own problems with babies not eating that would have certainly died if I didnt assist feed them but now, they eat great!!!
 
Helenthereef said:
Maybe you asked the question in too simplistic a form- I voted "yes" before I read the discussion..... :eek:

I have assist started problem feeders and had them turn into great adults, so I do think that assist starting is fine, and I have force fed snakes to get them over a problem time.

I wouldn't, however, indefinitely FORCE feed (which is a different thing), and I would cull (rather than allow to starve) a neonate that persistently refused to feed and was losing weight and health.
Click to expand...

:iagree:

I wasn't quite sure about the meaning of the question, at first, either. :)

There reaches a point where it's highly unlikely for the baby to survive, and when that happens, I think it's best to put it down. These things happen, whether it's because of something environmental or something we had no control over. Assist-feeding, on the other hand (ignoring that this is a very broad term), is different.

Going the "it would happen in nature" route is not only a logical fallacy but also a moot point because most of these morphs would not exist without us. I'm not meaning combo morphs--I mean that a Lavender Albino in the wild would get eaten pretty quickly. ;)
 
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