BabyMowgli
just one more....
I think I'll keep buying mine from the pet store, I only have two snakes at the time, I just can't do the hands on thing. It isn't that I care about the mice, cause I don't. I just can't kill them....ewwww. LOL
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How old is too old to just freeze them?
- Thread starter Amanda E
- Start date
wonton
Marzipan's Mom
BabyMowgli said:
I'm the same way. Buying a frozen mouse is like buying meat the the grocery store for myself. I don't feel so bad about it because I didn't kill it personally. I'm the type of person who won't even squash bugs on purpose.
Killing mice for snake food doesn't bother me as snakes gotta eat! I just don't want to do it myself.
- Megan
retrievers
New member
i,m thinking of starting to breed my own mice for my snakes but how and what is quickest death without the suffering i just thought of putting them in the freezer job done but what does this co2 method involve
Bobo's Mama
proud corn mommy!
Just an FYI, you should create a new thread, but I'll answer you anyway :wavey: . I use CO2 and it seems to work great for hoppers and on up. Its hard to use CO2 with fuzzies and pinkies because they don't use much oxygen to breath, otherwise they would get smothered by their bedding, siblings, and mom constantly sitting on them.
The CO2 method I found that works for me and doesn't require a large investment is as follows. You take a gallon size ziploc bag, put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in it. Get a 3ft long section of clear plastic tubing. Tape one end of the tubing to the handle of a 2-cup measuring cup. Leave the other end alone for now. Then place the measuring cup inside the bag with the baking soda. Pour vinegar in the cup, to the 2-cup mark, trying not to spill the vinegar. Then tape the bag shut with the tubing sticking out. Put the mice or rats into the container you are going to use. Milk jugs and juice jugs work great. Place the other end of the tubing in the jug so that the end is in the middle of the jug. Then start pooring the vinegar out of the cup and into the bag. Go slowly at first, like do a few ounces at a time. If you do it too fast the bag will fill up with gas too fast and it will pop open. It shoudn't take too long for the mice to fall over and die. I usually wait a few minutes before taking them out, just to make sure they are good and dead. Also, line the container with paper towels, because they will pee and poop when they die. There are other methods of CO2 that include using dry ice or paintball CO2 tanks.
For fuzzies and pinkies, I use the whacking method to kill them before putting them in the freezer. Because they don't have much hair, you can just put them in the freezer and they will die quickly, but I just feel bad doing this. So I whack them. This is how I do it. I hold on to their left arm so they stop wiggling, then I flick them on the backs of their heads with my thumb and middle finger. Do it in the palm of your hand first to see how hard to do it. If you do it to the palm of your hand and it stings, that's hard enough.
Hope this helps!
The CO2 method I found that works for me and doesn't require a large investment is as follows. You take a gallon size ziploc bag, put 2 tablespoons of baking soda in it. Get a 3ft long section of clear plastic tubing. Tape one end of the tubing to the handle of a 2-cup measuring cup. Leave the other end alone for now. Then place the measuring cup inside the bag with the baking soda. Pour vinegar in the cup, to the 2-cup mark, trying not to spill the vinegar. Then tape the bag shut with the tubing sticking out. Put the mice or rats into the container you are going to use. Milk jugs and juice jugs work great. Place the other end of the tubing in the jug so that the end is in the middle of the jug. Then start pooring the vinegar out of the cup and into the bag. Go slowly at first, like do a few ounces at a time. If you do it too fast the bag will fill up with gas too fast and it will pop open. It shoudn't take too long for the mice to fall over and die. I usually wait a few minutes before taking them out, just to make sure they are good and dead. Also, line the container with paper towels, because they will pee and poop when they die. There are other methods of CO2 that include using dry ice or paintball CO2 tanks.
For fuzzies and pinkies, I use the whacking method to kill them before putting them in the freezer. Because they don't have much hair, you can just put them in the freezer and they will die quickly, but I just feel bad doing this. So I whack them. This is how I do it. I hold on to their left arm so they stop wiggling, then I flick them on the backs of their heads with my thumb and middle finger. Do it in the palm of your hand first to see how hard to do it. If you do it to the palm of your hand and it stings, that's hard enough.
Hope this helps!
this is a really good thread thxs i only have 1 snake at the moment but we know how addictive it is and might start breeding mice if its not too much hassle but never thought how to kill the mice, think i would feel bad just freezing i like it to be quick will definatly be popping back in here for more info thanks for the info
Here is an alternative Co2 chamber.
You need a 5 gallon bucket (with Lid), a small "tupperware" type bowl (with lid) that will fit into the bucket, and a source for small chunks of dry ice.
Take the tupperware type bowl and drill a bunch of holes in the lid (most of mine are 1/4" holes). The "tupperware" bowl and lid is to prevent prey from coming into direct contact with dry ice. Contact with the dry ice will cause frostbite and limbs to fall off (on prey).
Get about 1lb of dry ice. I smash it with a hammer to create more surface area, then pour it into the "tupperware" bowl. Then add water til it is at 2-3" above the level of the dry ice (once the water hits the dry ice it will immediately start to off gas, so you may want to pre measure an amount). Put the drilled lid back on the "tupperware" bowl.
Put the "tupperware" bowl into the 5 gallon bucket
Place the bucket lid on LOOSELY (do NOT make it air tight or the lid will pop off and can cause injury).
Start putting in the prey you want to euthanize. I put 2-3 medium to large rats in every 30 seconds. They will pass out in about 10 seconds and expire within 2 minutes (usually less but 2 minutes is for just in case).
This method will produce Co2 for about 7 minutes. More water can be added or the bowl shaken to produce more.
This can easily be scaled up for more at a time ... however do not use Iris tubs (these crack real easily with drastic temp changes), or glass fish tanks.
If anything needs more clarification please post back.
Bryan
You need a 5 gallon bucket (with Lid), a small "tupperware" type bowl (with lid) that will fit into the bucket, and a source for small chunks of dry ice.
Take the tupperware type bowl and drill a bunch of holes in the lid (most of mine are 1/4" holes). The "tupperware" bowl and lid is to prevent prey from coming into direct contact with dry ice. Contact with the dry ice will cause frostbite and limbs to fall off (on prey).
Get about 1lb of dry ice. I smash it with a hammer to create more surface area, then pour it into the "tupperware" bowl. Then add water til it is at 2-3" above the level of the dry ice (once the water hits the dry ice it will immediately start to off gas, so you may want to pre measure an amount). Put the drilled lid back on the "tupperware" bowl.
Put the "tupperware" bowl into the 5 gallon bucket
Place the bucket lid on LOOSELY (do NOT make it air tight or the lid will pop off and can cause injury).
Start putting in the prey you want to euthanize. I put 2-3 medium to large rats in every 30 seconds. They will pass out in about 10 seconds and expire within 2 minutes (usually less but 2 minutes is for just in case).
This method will produce Co2 for about 7 minutes. More water can be added or the bowl shaken to produce more.
This can easily be scaled up for more at a time ... however do not use Iris tubs (these crack real easily with drastic temp changes), or glass fish tanks.
If anything needs more clarification please post back.
Bryan