How big should I feed?

A large mouse should be perfectly fine. Usually if well fed, constrictors will shed once a month. And don't worry about feeding him prey items that are on the larger side, his stomach will not explode. Constrictors stomachs are capable of stretching to incredible lengths. Maybe try feeding every 5 days. Those younger snake may be bigger because the owner is probably hyperfeeding them, which makes them grow faster. It's really the choice of the keeper how quickly you want you snake to grow but a 15 inch ball on LM sounds good to me.

Once a week is generally the schedule suggested, but different snakes are different.

I feed my snakes depending on how long it takes them to digest their last meal. I wait for the lump/bulge in their body to become normal again, then wait a day or two, and then feed again.

EDIT: To "lillin68"

A 2.5 ft Ball Python shouldn't be fed a hopper. It should be eating adult mice or a rat. You are depriving your snake of crucial nutrients that are only available in larger more developed mice. And also, even the smallest of baby ball pythons can easily take a fuzzy or a small hopper right out of the egg.

And the snake's stomach will not explode...that is complete BS! Quite the opposite will happen actually....the mouse will explode from the extreme pressure of being swallowed. The body cavity will rip and the entrails will come out so the snake can swallow the prey easier.

I have a ball python who is about 2 1/2 feet long. I feed him one "hopper" a week. When I first got him he was 1 foot long and I feed him a small "pinky." If you are feeding him a large mouse I think you are doing fine. Also, some ball pythons like to eat twice a week. I feed my ball python sometimes once every 4 days. If your ball python is moving around a lot and is more active than usual that means he is hungry. Try feeding him twice a week. Make sure the mouse isn't too big for him. Most ball pythons will try to eat a mouse even if it is too big for them and if that happens their stomach can explode. The hopper I feed my ball python is about 3 1/2 inches long without the tail. Hope this helps :)

you be feeding him mice/rats at the same size as his widest girth.could try feeding him evry 4 days if he is a good eater and seems hungry.dont seem to fill up when food is small

next time you buy mice, get him two and see how he responds. if he strikes the second as quickly as he took the first, he obviously wants more food. the more you feed the faster he will grow. we often increase the amount we feed our babies to increase their size