Killing Mice by drowning

Hi Nanci,

Thank you very much for your reply. Finally I get facts rather than emotional and personal opinions. So I will switch to CO2 !

Olaf

If YOU can't stomach doing the cervical separation, then buy frozen or get out of snakes. The drowning thing is just a horrible idea.
KJ[/quote]

Who said I can not stomach cervical seperation ? Sorry, but YOU missed my point completely......

Olaf

Originally Posted by Capt O

Pls see my other replies below. Why is it less painful to gas them than drowning ? Swollowing water and then becoming unconsious does not hurt.

Olaf

I would suggest going out and try the drowning thing before passing judgment on it. As someone who almost drowned, I can assure you that it is not painless. It had been suggested to me as a way to help the barn cats with the mice and I couldn't do it because of those memories.

i think drowning is one off the most painfull deaths you can experience. if you can't find gas or dry ice you should look for a ''better'' way. but i think drowning is very painfull. but i understand killing an animal without pain is impossible.

Originally Posted by Capt O

Who said I can not stomach cervical seperation ? Sorry, but YOU missed my point completely......

I said IF - not that you can not! I was precluded the most common argument people have against cervical separation. I didn't know or care if you had a problem with cervical separation. Your problem, however, was that you weren't getting the answer that you WANTED to hear, so you were disregarding what people were telling you.

KJ

Originally Posted by KJUN

I said IF - not that you can not! I was precluded the most common argument people have against cervical separation. I didn't know or care if you had a problem with cervical separation. Your problem, however, was that you weren't getting the answer that you WANTED to hear, so you were disregarding what people were telling you.

KJ

Dear KJ,

Let's not split hairs here. However, I was expecting answers with substance ( see Nanci's reply ) rather than emotional bla bla. I am a sailor and I came close to drowning on a couple of occasions. Once you get water in your lungs it is actually not too bad. Just the struggle before to keep your breath is a bit frightening. I understand not all people are the same and the idea of drowning freaks out a lot of non-ocean going people.

Peace / Olaf

if u can not find dry ice or co2 or what ever freezing them is the best/cheapest way
2 do it and u dont have to freeze em solid! 15 mins (depending on size) should do the trick?but remember to thaw them out before feeding to your snake as this can be harmful...

Freezing them while they're alive is just as bad.
Not a good suggestion.

I'm going to agree that, if CO2 is hard to get then breaking their neck is the fastest and most painless way to kill mice. It's not hard either, except possibly in pinkies.
When I used to breed feeder mice I remember it being VERY hard to kill pinkies... even CO2 takes a long time because they are quite tolerant to hypoxia (probably because they still have fetal hemoglobin circulating which binds O2 better than adult hemoglobin, enabling the fetus to get O2 from mom's blood)

If you don't have co2 avalable and aren't sure about breaking the necks (it takes a few times to get it right) I would say to hold the mouse by the base of the tail and throw it to the floor really hard, they shake for a little bit and are dead in a matter of 10 seconds. I am not saying it is a completly humane or politicly corret thing to do but it will kill them quick and if I had to be offed in any of the ways we euthanise our prey that is what I would pick for myself.