Don't hit me to hard

[susang]

A few months ago I started raising rats because I couldn't get or grow feeders big enough for my big snakes. Then I fell in love with the rats, couldn't kill them at first. Now I have to get serious about killing them and a thumping isn't working to well. So today as I have about 30+ rats a good size for feeding, I tried something new.
I thumped them and then vacuum sealed them. Is this just awful, I did two to see how it works. I'm just not sure, no killing is humane but they were unconscious. :shrugs: susang

 

[kshannon]

That is why I refuse to raise food for my snakes, they would become pets. I absolutly love rats and nearly any creature for that matter. I only have snakes because I can buy F/T. I am a softie.

 

[wade]

Oh Su sang, I did that once and you're right it's bad. Now I never vacuum seal until after I have frozen them. I have found with big rats you need to really whack them hard. I have a large hammer that I lay on the table and then whack them on the hammer head.

Better still, I use dry ice on rats. It's easier on them and much easier on me.

 

[susang]

Oh Su sang, I did that once and you're right it's bad. Now I never vacuum seal until after I have frozen them. I have found with big rats you need to really whack them hard. I have a large hammer that I lay on the table and then whack them on the hammer head.

Better still, I use dry ice on rats. It's easier on them and much easier on me.

So you get the dry ice put it in a sealed tub put the rats in and they day, how quickly? I did seal some mice had culled the other day, that wasn't bad.

I also understand people who don't want to kill them and buy frozen mice. I just have some inner "thing" if I don't have the courage to kill another animal for food then I need to be a vegetarian. I know it's wierd it's just the way I am.

 

[ghosthousecorns]

I did a little searching and found this link... I think they sell the CO2 cartridges at paint ball stores etc. A little investment up front but worth it if you plan to keep on breeding your own feeders, here ya go
http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51834

 

[Dale]

That is why I refuse to raise food for my snakes, they would become pets. I absolutly love rats and nearly any creature for that matter. I only have snakes because I can buy F/T. I am a softie.

My attempts have been horribly unsuccessful on a large scale, but there was a time I tried to raise a small colony in my classroom just to see if I could do it and not screw it up.

I am not a softy, I can kill indiscriminately when it comes to feeding my reptiles, I should be able to, I teach and preach the concepts in my classes (the contradiction of eating McDonalds yet being a teen PITA/Vegen). Ah logic, such a rarity these days.

But, when you raise a baby rat, that stands out, and seems a little more intelligent than the others, and comes when you call it, hops in your hand, sits on your shoulder... does things that a well trained dog wouldn't do, it gets tough. I NEVER saw it coming, and no way was this little girl going to a snake cage. And tragically before reaching adulthood, she came down with some unidentified illness, weakened, and passed.

Last time I tried breeding on my own.

 

[susang]

I am not a softy, I can kill indiscriminately when it comes to feeding my reptiles, I should be able to, I teach and preach the concepts in my classes (the contradiction of eating McDonalds yet being a teen PITA/Vegen). Ah logic, such a rarity these days.

But, when you raise a baby rat, that stands out, and seems a little more intelligent than the others, and comes when you call it, hops in your hand, sits on your shoulder... does things that a well trained dog wouldn't do, it gets tough. I NEVER saw it coming, and no way was this little girl going to a snake cage. And tragically before reaching adulthood, she came down with some unidentified illness, weakened, and passed.

Oh! I'm sorry abut your ratty. The one thing is one of my females had all the same color and marking white paws, belly and tip of tail. So that make the cute factor OK. Another rat had all the same color also, she is a bit of a snot so I'm leave a male and female with her. The hairless no way and I sold some of the hooded. The first one I fed was the hardest.
I also believe your theory of eating McDonalds but don't kill a cow:shrugs: susang

 

[wade]

So you get the dry ice put it in a sealed tub put the rats in and they day, how quickly?

I'm not hard hearted. I can see the cute in the rats same as everyone. I didn't make the rules. The snakes are going to starve if the rat doesn't die. If I get to choose, I choose the snake.

To kill using dry ice and CO2 is very easy and painless. I use a 27-quart Rubbermaid sweater box with a lid. I put wood shavings in it cause the mice/rats loose their water as they die. I stop at the grocery store on the way home from work and pick up two pounds of dry ice. It costs about 0.79 per pound. I put the dry ice in the sweater box. Just lay it on the sawdust. You don’t need to put it in water, that just makes a lot of water vapor, which we don’t need. The CO2 is heavier than the air so as the box fills with gas, the air flows out the top of the box. The lid just keeps air currents from blowing the CO2 out. I have cut a round hole in the lid about 5” in diameter. I just drop the mice/rats through the hole. I put a plate over the hole when I’m done. That’s it. I just drop them in. No blood, no guts, no squealing, and no biting. After about 20 minutes, I gather them up and freeze them. They die very quickly. If you want to watch, they go to sleep almost instantly. With in a minute, they stop breathing.

I know everyone has all kinds of opinions. This works very well for me. It’s easy. Two pounds of dry ice will kill several hundred mice. I’d throw my elbow out if I had to whack that many

 

[ZoologyMajor]

I agree that if you are going to eat something you should have the guts to kill it if needed. I like feeding my snake the frozen stuff because even though I wouldn't have a problem killing the mouse i am uncomfortable with the normal :smash: method. And with the way you do it wade those critters are going to go out happy in the process. I have seen 2 many humans do the CO2 thing because it is supposedly fun. Even though I have no issues killing mice... rats would be a different story. Rats are extremely intelligent and make great pets. They are actually highly recommended as a child's first pet.

 

[starsevol]

I'm a wuss. I can't kill anything. I have nothing against mice, but mice and rats are on a totally different plane of existance as I see it. Mice are cute. Rats are social, extremely intelligent, and can love you back just like a dog. They brux and boggle to show contentment (and sometimes excitement). Scientists have actually recorded what they could only interpret as rats laughing while they were playing. They get bonded to their cagemates, and can go into mourning when a cagemate dies. If kept alone, they can get depressed and psychotic, just like a person in solitary confinement.

In my world, rats are friends, never food. I know in the "real" world, they are food. But they can be SO MUCH MORE. So just...do what you need to do, just as humanely as you can.

 

[Flagg]

CO2 is really the only humane way to do it.

Dry ice can get expensive and it doesn't last and you can't really control the volume or rate of CO2. I prefer using 20 oz paintball CO2 tanks, which are refillable. You can control the rate of CO2 and do it properly, and you always have CO2 on hand when necessary. Refills last a LONG time and cost maybe $1-$2 or even free depending on your store.

Sure there is an initial cost of around $40 for the tank and the remote coil and connectors, but in my opinion it is well worth it and once the initial cost is paid there is little to no further cost to it. It's well worth it to be able to take care of feeders easily and humanely.

I bought a tank at a chain store called "Bad Boyz Toyz". refills are free on Tuesdays if you leave their sticker on it. Otherwise refills are $2. I have 2 tanks and need to refill every 6 months or so.

 

[grimm1]

i didn't like the head thumping, got bloody once. i now use vertebral separation. just take a pair of hemostats (big ones), place behind the base of the skull and under the jaw and clamp tight. instant on the smaller ones but for my boids, i gas those suckers (rats not the boas).

 

[susang]

I'm not hard hearted. I can see the cute in the rats same as everyone. I didn't make the rules. The snakes are going to starve if the rat doesn't die. If I get to choose, I choose the snake.

To kill using dry ice and CO2 is very easy and painless. I use a 27-quart Rubbermaid sweater box with a lid. I put wood shavings in it cause the mice/rats loose their water as they die. I stop at the grocery store on the way home from work and pick up two pounds of dry ice. It costs about 0.79 per pound. I put the dry ice in the sweater box. Just lay it on the sawdust. You don’t need to put it in water, that just makes a lot of water vapor, which we don’t need. The CO2 is heavier than the air so as the box fills with gas, the air flows out the top of the box. The lid just keeps air currents from blowing the CO2 out. I have cut a round hole in the lid about 5” in diameter. I just drop the mice/rats through the hole. I put a plate over the hole when I’m done. That’s it. I just drop them in. No blood, no guts, no squealing, and no biting. After about 20 minutes, I gather them up and freeze them. They die very quickly. If you want to watch, they go to sleep almost instantly. With in a minute, they stop breathing.

I know everyone has all kinds of opinions. This works very well for me. It’s easy. Two pounds of dry ice will kill several hundred mice. I’d throw my elbow out if I had to whack that many

Could't rep you but "thank you" I don't want to say sounds easy, but easier then whacking them. susang

 

[Stephen29]

I'm not hard hearted. I can see the cute in the rats same as everyone. I didn't make the rules. The snakes are going to starve if the rat doesn't die. If I get to choose, I choose the snake.

To kill using dry ice and CO2 is very easy and painless. I use a 27-quart Rubbermaid sweater box with a lid. I put wood shavings in it cause the mice/rats loose their water as they die. I stop at the grocery store on the way home from work and pick up two pounds of dry ice. It costs about 0.79 per pound. I put the dry ice in the sweater box. Just lay it on the sawdust. You don’t need to put it in water, that just makes a lot of water vapor, which we don’t need. The CO2 is heavier than the air so as the box fills with gas, the air flows out the top of the box. The lid just keeps air currents from blowing the CO2 out. I have cut a round hole in the lid about 5” in diameter. I just drop the mice/rats through the hole. I put a plate over the hole when I’m done. That’s it. I just drop them in. No blood, no guts, no squealing, and no biting. After about 20 minutes, I gather them up and freeze them. They die very quickly. If you want to watch, they go to sleep almost instantly. With in a minute, they stop breathing.

I know everyone has all kinds of opinions. This works very well for me. It’s easy. Two pounds of dry ice will kill several hundred mice. I’d throw my elbow out if I had to whack that many

Wade, I hope this is not a dumb question. Is C0 2 emitted fromm the dry ice ? I'm quessing so, since I didn't here any mention of crtridges , etc.

Thanks, Stephen

 

[desertanimal]

CO2 is really the only humane way to do it.

Dry ice can get expensive and it doesn't last and you can't really control the volume or rate of CO2. I prefer using 20 oz paintball CO2 tanks, which are refillable. You can control the rate of CO2 and do it properly, and you always have CO2 on hand when necessary. Refills last a LONG time and cost maybe $1-$2 or even free depending on your store.

Sure there is an initial cost of around $40 for the tank and the remote coil and connectors, but in my opinion it is well worth it and once the initial cost is paid there is little to no further cost to it. It's well worth it to be able to take care of feeders easily and humanely.

I bought a tank at a chain store called "Bad Boyz Toyz". refills are free on Tuesdays if you leave their sticker on it. Otherwise refills are $2. I have 2 tanks and need to refill every 6 months or so.

Plus, you can use it to make your own carbonated water, and save yourself a ton on buying the bubbly stuff at the store (plus less waste on packaging).

 

[dionythicus]

I have a 20gal that I put my mice in and put a kritter keeper with dried ice and water in the middle of it once they mice are already in the tank. I would not leave the dry ice out in the open for them to come in contact with as that would be a painful burn.

 

[wade]

Stephen, Yes, dry ice is carbon dioxide in solid form. It is normally a gas at room temp. When it "thaws" it really sublimes, it changes directly from a solid to a gas without becoming a liquid.

I am thinking of the average snake guy that kills mice on every other Saturday. If you need to kill mice frequently, I agree a co2 tank is the way to go. If you go to a welding supply store, you can rent a tank for close to nothing. I costs about $100 to buy a regulator. On tank of gas will last a big outfit like the Mouse Factory probably a year. That is what I use. It costs 30 bucks to refill the tank.

The small paint ball tanks work great on a smaller scale. It just depends on your needs.

Cervical dislocation and co2 are the only two methods approved by the humane society. If done correctly, they both work well.