pinkies

Originally Posted by simple_minded

When you order online from rodentpro or cheese factory, do you honestly think they manually crush the skulls of each and every one of their pinkies? No. They probably just dump them all in the freezer.

Check out
this post from the guy at Ratcicles. Heck, read the whole thread - this seems like a popular topic. But to your point, your freezer is not like professional freezers.

-Sean

There are problems with Co2 as well ... if you dont leave them in long enough they "come back to life". Dont use enough and it can be quite painful to the animal (instead of suffocation you are poisoning it).

I think CO2 works very well on anything over fuzzy size. A really well written website is http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is heavier than air and nearly odorless. In low concentrations (7.5%) it is an analgesic (pain reliever), and at medium concentrations (30%-40%) it can be used as an anesthetic, causing rapid loss of consciousness without struggling, distress, or excitation. 3 At high concentrations (>80%) CO2 causes quick death. High concentrations, however, painfully irritate eyes and the respiratory tract, so it is important to first induce an analgesic effect, then bring about deep anesthesia (within 1 to 2 minutes) before exposing the animal to high concentrations.

I have found this to be true. I use a glad tupperware with aquarium airline going to a bag with baking soda and vineger in a small cup. Most online articles say to try to empty all air first so you get as must CO2 as this method can produce quickly. Before I read this article, I was wondering why the mice would flip out before passing out. Now I think they were overloaded with high concentrations and went into shock. Nowadays, I dont empty air at all. I spill a little viniger to start the reaction and then squeeze air out of the bag to make sure it gets to the mouse. www.alysion.org/euthanasia/ suggests some mice seem to like the viniger smell and so far, my feeders agree. After they have had some time in low dose CO2, I spill all the vineger in the baggy which puts the mouse down and out. Often, they just seem confused but no sign of panic or pain.

quick freezing dose the trick for me once they are in the freezer dont look at then for a while much better than sitting squeezing heads and such and only a sicko would stand watching a mouse or otherwise get its head crushed there are other ways ha ha