How do you thaw your rodents?

[EddieA]

I get the impression that people here are doing this several ways. I would like to hear the different ways you all thaw your mice/rats (pinkies to adults).

 

[robcat]

I've only dealt with pinkies so far but what i do is this:

1) put frozen mouse in a plastic sandwich bag
2) fill bag with warm to almost hot water
3) wait 5 to 10 minutes and drain water
4) serve

 

[mynamesrick]

I just throw my mice/rats in a mason jar full of really hot water for 8-12 min(depending on the size im feeding). then i take it out, wait for it to cool down a little, then serve it too my corn/BP!

 

[Rowdy]

I use bags and put 7 mice in each but dont use water
on the mice
It seems to Dilute the smell of them
my percentage of mice accepted seems to be much higher then when they are thawed without contact with water

 

[Velvet]

I put rodents in bags and put bags in water, rodents do not come into contact with water directly. I use water that is hot to the touch but not too hot.

 

[Raiyne]

I use bags and put 7 mice in each but dont use water
on the mice
It seems to Dilute the smell of them
my percentage of mice accepted seems to be much higher then when they are thawed without contact with water

I agree about water diluting the smell. The only time I was able to get Candy to eat was when I heated the mouse without getting it wet. Shesha also has a more intense reaction to food when it hasn't been dunked in water. I just put the mouse in a plastic baggie and place the baggie in hot water.

 

[kimbyra]

I put the mice directly in hot tap water to thaw. I've never had a snake reluctant to eat from them having been in water. As a matter of fact, the water washes off any urine, poop, or tiny bedding pieces, that are on the mouse. I even change the water twice to keep it hot and get rid of any of the mentioned issues. I think the prey goes down quicker/smoother, having been wet, as well. But everyone has their preferences for feeding.

 

[Susielea]

I also thaw in hot water, timing depends on the size of the mice. I usually just have a good feel of the mouse, once I think it's been in there long enough, to make sure it's fully defrosted and warm all the way through. If there's any parts feeling cool to the touch, I top the jug up with more hot water, then feel them again a few minutes later. I don't want to be giving my snakes a mouse that still has ice crystals in it :nope:

 

[EddieA]

I also thaw in hot water, timing depends on the size of the mice. I usually just have a good feel of the mouse, once I think it's been in there long enough, to make sure it's fully defrosted and warm all the way through. If there's any parts feeling cool to the touch, I top the jug up with more hot water, then feel them again a few minutes later. I don't want to be giving my snakes a mouse that still has ice crystals in it :nope:

This is what I do as well. Was just wondering if I could do anything better. Thanks all!

 

[Widget]

I put the mice into baggies since most of mine don't like wet mice. Thaw in cold water while I'm putting everyone into their feeding tubs, then heat with hot water. Dry off any necessary and feed while nice and hot.

Some of mine are kind of picky. One of them insisted on having her mouse thawed in stinky mouse bedding or she wouldn't touch it. uke02:
Now she'll eat without it.

 

[wade]

I fill a 5 gallon bucket with screaming hot water. Throw in 25 to 30 adult size mice. Repeat as necessary. I fill a 2 quart picture with hot water and throw in 30 fuzzies (never use a water glass). After about 20 minutes the fuzzies are thawed. I go and feed the small snakes. By the time I'm done with them, the adult mice are thawed and I feed them. That's it, nothing special or tricky.

 

[doortech9]

How come you never use a water glass wade? :grin01: I get the impression its for the same reason i dont use one anymore.....uke01:

 

[stephen]

thawing feeders

I use a big plastic bowl then I drilled holes in it half way up. I put the bowl with feeders inside, under luke warm running water in my sink .the excess water goes out the holes the feeders tumble in the bowl and get washed and thawed at the same time. When all the feeders are thawed I place them on some clean paper towels and dry them off and feed ,works great for me!

 

[Susielea]

I fill a 5 gallon bucket with screaming hot water. Throw in 25 to 30 adult size mice. Repeat as necessary. I fill a 2 quart picture with hot water and throw in 30 fuzzies (never use a water glass). After about 20 minutes the fuzzies are thawed. I go and feed the small snakes. By the time I'm done with them, the adult mice are thawed and I feed them. That's it, nothing special or tricky.

The bold portion = especially while drinking tequila when feeding the snakes :grin01:

http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66290&highlight=dying

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[bekers71]

I toss the mice into an old 1 pound butter tub filled with hot water. After a few minutes, I dump the water and refill with new hot water. Works pretty good so far.

 

[stephen]

Way Cool

I toss the mice into an old 1 pound butter tub
Does the butter seem to help them go down?

 

[bekers71]

I toss the mice into an old 1 pound butter tub
Does the butter seem to help them go down?

:laugh: It has 2 purposes actually..

1. To help the mice go down

2. It has lots of fat, so don't need to buy rats any more for the boas. LOL

 

[Mushu777]

Oh I not very creative, I just put my mice in a cup of hot water (As hot as the water goes) and then wait 15 min. I am using fuzzies, just FYI

 

[FunkyRes]

What I use to do:

Day before feeding: put rodents in fridge to thaw.
Day of feeding: put rodents on ZooMed heat pad to warm

What I do now:

Get 3x5 card. Write down rack number of each snake I intend to feed and how much. Check snakes for blue, cross out snakes in blue.

Total various sizes.

Fill ceramic bowl with hot water, dump in rodents, put a pot lid on ceramic bowl. Watch an episode of Andromeda or Stargate or whatever. Empty now cool water (getting rid of mouse poo etc. that has thawed off of rodents) and add warm water again (just to warm mice) - wait a few minutes, feed snakes, starting with largest prey.

Yes - new way means the mice are wet. The snakes don't care.

 

[toyah]

This is a quote from an article on the Ratsnake foundation website:

Prey should also not be thawed in water, this greatly increases the loss of nutrients, as the frozen water in the prey un-freezes, it then leaks into the water the prey is being stood in. Nutients that are unstable when thawed in water are vitamin ascorbic acid, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and pyridoxine.

With that in mind I don't allow food to defrost in water, although I will dip the heads in hot water to heat them for my royals.