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How to stun or kill mice?

I

Interested

New member
Um I will be getting my first corn on the 21st and I dont have a lot of freezer space, so frozen mice must be limited. How does one go about stunning or killing a live fuzzie/mouse? Keep in mind I am really trying to avoid violence and blood! I really dont want to like, slam its head on a table or whatever.....is that the only way?:awcrap:
 
I have found it to be the most effecctive way to kill/stun a mouse, but if you are uneasy about using the "table method," some have mentioned using a pencil instead. I have never used the method, myself, so it is possible I have this wrong. However, I believe that you hold the mouse by the tail, then pin its head down with a pencil (or other similar object) just behind the base of the skull. Then, swiftly give a small jerk on the tail, and the spinal column is dislocated from the head, killing the mouse quickly.

I have heard that it takes a bit of trial and error to perfect this method, and some have inadvertantly pulled the mouse's head off in the process. Even so, I understand it to be very effective, when done correctly.

As an aside, you might find the following information interesting concerning the humaneness of the "whacking" method I use:

"A blow to the head can be a humane method of euthanasia for . . .animals with thin craniums, . . .if a single sharp blow delivered to the central skull bones with sufficient force can produce immediate depression of the central nervous system and destruction of brain tissue."

Under the heading of "Euthanasia by a blow to the head" in the Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia, p. 681

Just a thought ...
 
I spoke to a keeper who says he puts the mouse in a paper sack and throws it against a hard wall. I've never done it myself.
 
I feed live. I figure it's good exercise for the snake and, hey, it's going on all the time in nature. May be a little upsetting to our human sensibilities but that's why they call them animals.
 
Heh, I can hear it now..Russssssss you've opened up a can of worms you oughtn't have.

:argue:
 
Feeding live

I'm really surprised no one has responded yet. Must be a record.
This topic is usually sure to get tempers going:realhot:

:eatsmiley
 
O.K. I'll do it! Feeding live is not about squeemishness, it's about safety for your snake. Live mice, can and do fight back, and you risk serious injury, or even death if you don't at least stun or kill. F/T is even better. Yes, in the wild, snakes eat live. Horses manage in the wild too, but they do better in captivity. Lifespans in the wild are nothing to crow about, and if we can do things to make it safer, and more healthy for our snakes....so much the better. O.K......off the box now.:p
 
Just in case.....anyone wants a reminder~~~~:~

I am an avid DO NOT FEED LIVE Snaker. BUT on occassion I guess I need a reminder...because STUPID me was in a hurry and threw a live in the feeding tub with Beanie. That little sh** of a mouse grab her by the side as soon as Beanie got her. I'm pounding on the head of the mouse, GOOD THING Beanie didn't response to my interference and stupipidy. She just kept on squeezing, if she had pulled back I believe the mouse would have gotten a better hold on her. As it turns out the mouse didn't break skin enough to draw blood, just got a thin layer of shed:crying: . I prayed to the goddess to forgive me. DON'T FEED if you're on the way out the door and in a hurry. (That's my advise to me.) I have a few small containers that I throw the mice in and then throw into the freezer either the day before or a few hours before feeding. Then thaw and feed as usual. Cuts down on space problems. I have often read on this site about co2 as a quick death solution. Did I get the compound right???? YES I was surprised that this didn't get more heated. I guess you can only state your opinion so many times before you start to bore even yourself. ;) Sam ~~~~~:~
 
CAV said:
Shocking! I'm stunned that anyone would try. :D
Click to expand...

You were really charged up there, weren't you CAV??? It's OK, though. I won't be giving you any static about it! Just keep me current on your future sparkings.

:D
 
Feeding AC/DC to your WC/CBs

Darin,

We should probably watch our conduct before someone threatens battery!

I do have one question: If the charge isn't ample is there a revolt?



:D
 
lol, thanks for the input. Um, how hard should I whack the sucker? Light whack?Medium whack? Hard whack?:smash: and could I take a live mouse, put it in a bag and freeze it?
 
Feed Fake live

I imagine that this has been mentioned here a hundred times before, but you can make your snake think he has a live mouse ( ie Fake Live). A snake, especially the females, get valuable exercise by constricting the food. This can help prevent egg binding. But you can do the same thing with f/t by making the snake think it is alive. All of my snakes will constrict on a dead mouse just as if it were alive if I just keep moving the mouse after they grab it. The longer you keep wiggling the mouse, the harder and longer they constrict.

They might even constrict your finger for awhile so you can get the "live mouses" perspective.

Mark;)
 
For mice, I usually find a medium whack to the head to suffice. I have my special whacking spoon for the job. If you whack too hard you have a mess to clean up. They have pretty thin skulls and it'll be over quickly. One note I should add, keep hold of the tail afterwards. Their "death kicking" will propel them clear off the work station. =P

I wouldn't recommend freezing for larger mice. They can live with it longer and it just prolongs the suffering in my opinion. I think freezing is ok for pinks up to fuzzies, but anything past that needs whacked.

As for anoles, I would say no. Some corns require anoles just to get jump started feeding on mice. There's the off chance that your snake will become addicted to anoles and that not only is expensive, but can be bad nutrtionally for the snake. Anoles don't have the same nutrition that a lab-type of mouse does and they can harbor reptile parasites that your snake can get. So all in all, its not recommended.

Depending on the size of your snake, for variety some people feed theirs rats of appropriate size or even chicks as well. But I think I speak for the majority here on not feeding anoles to your snake. I'm sure I'm not alone in my own collection where I have two snakes that require me to scent mice with anoles just to get them to eat. They'd starve if they didn't have that beautiful anole scented food.

Hope that helps. =)
 
thanks! How do you get the mice to smell like an anole? And, where do you find the cheapest frozen mice on the web?
 
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