Skaarf up!
There is very minimal scientific evidence available to support any method of feeding. The debate about wild feeding rates is bound to come into this. The fact of the matter is wild feeding can be just as erratic, and if food were regularly available, they eat it (eg water pythons at fogg damn, they skaarf themselves).
It is interesting to actually see what happens when a snake is fed to it's absolute limit (feeding to refusal). In captivity it's hard to overfeed hatchlings because of their potential growth rate and the constant temperature that is maintained. As they reach sub-adult size which can easily be achieved by 9 -12 months they begin to refuse food on their own and regulate their own intake (in
childrens pythons anyway).
There are a few scientific studies going on a present that could aid in shedding some light on this subject.
My personal opinion is that you can go fairly hard (skaarf) from hatchlings to sub-adult hood. Poo cycle is fine, which is every 5 days for mine. Once at this sub-adult stage food can be backed off to fornightly or even monthly with small lean rodents. The quantity is not as important as quality (IMO). Fat rats make fat snakes).
Many breeders have succesfully bred pythons such as womas at 15 months of age and these pythons are still alive today.
Fatter liver disease isn't from regular feeding of lean rodents it's caused from regular feeding of high fat meals just as it is in humans!
