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humaine mice culling

snakeboy24

snakeboy24

New member
i know this is not a very nice thing to talk about but i need some answers.

i have snakes and i am planning on getting more. i was thinking of setting up my own mouse colony as i do not have a reliable store that sells them in my area. before i set my mouse colony up i would like to know what is the most humaine way to cull the mice? sorry if this upsets people! :shrugs:

thanks for your help.
 
Don't feel bad, it's a part of keeping snakes. :)

Personally, I think giving a mouse a good bang on the head is the fastest and most humane method for the average Joe...ie. I am not going to build a gas chamber to kill one mouse at a time.

For pinkies, throwing them on the floor kills them instantly or giving them a good solid flick on the head. (Just make SURE you have a good hold on them when you do it! I accidentally sent one flying across the room the other day!!!) I've only done this with VERY small pinks though.

I don't think anyone enjoys doing it, we just become numb to doing it through necessity...
 
I put the adults in a pillow case and smack them on a counter top, fast and free. Pinks and fuzzies get a thump on the head and then froze. I too have sent a mouse flying across the room from a extra hard flick, I set them on a table now instead of holding them by the tail.
 
Velvet said:
Personally, I think giving a mouse a good bang on the head is the fastest and most humane method for the average Joe...ie. I am not going to build a gas chamber to kill one mouse at a time.
Click to expand...

The gas chambers are easy to build. Just a Gladware container with a small hole in it. Put a chunk of dry ice in the container, toss in the mouse, and put the lid on. Very quick for pinkies...a little longer for older mice.

The whacking method is faster...just makes me a little squeamish still.
 
-i think i will stick with c02 methos. but i will need a cylinder because it is hard to get dry ice in england ( ive never seen it anyway) thanks for your help everybody! :cheers:
 
I can't find dry ice here either...

I buy most of mine frozen anyway! So have little need for a gas chamber.
 
I use paintball CO2 tanks. a 20 oz tank lasts a LONG time and only costs about $1 to refill. Initial cost was about $25 US.

Dry Ice may seem cheap and convenient but it adds up over time. I think in the long run this is the cheapest way to do CO2, and you have more control over the volume of CO2 produced, unlike dry ice.
 
Flagg said:
I use paintball CO2 tanks. a 20 oz tank lasts a LONG time and only costs about $1 to refill. Initial cost was about $25 US.

Dry Ice may seem cheap and convenient but it adds up over time. I think in the long run this is the cheapest way to do CO2, and you have more control over the volume of CO2 produced, unlike dry ice.
Click to expand...

Very good point. Dry ice would be especially pricey for those with many snakes. I hadn't thought of the paintball cartridges. :cheers:
 
pinkies go straight in the freezer

bigger mice and for some of my snakes big rats
go in a pillow case that i smack against a wall
instantly dead
 
texastailfeathers said:
Very good point. Dry ice would be especially pricey for those with many snakes. I hadn't thought of the paintball cartridges. :cheers:
Click to expand...

Not a cartridge, but a 20 ounce refillable tank.

I assume the cartridges would work as well, but you would have the added waste and increased cost of replacing them. I refill my 2 20 oz tanks about once or twice a year for $1 each. I always have CO2 available, never have to run out to the store for dry ice =)
 
It's easy to start with the co2 method. You can make it with vinegar and baking soda. 5-6 dollars should get you aquarium tubing, a few disposable Tupperware containers, and enough baking soda and vinegar to last you a few months.

I use Cervical Dislocation now. It's quick and humane. Can't really ask for more.
 
how to u kill them with the co2?.....is it suffication or do u tip the tank over and they frezz?.....and wat do u put the mice in?
 
This site has good information regarding the construction of a DIY CO2 system as well as photos.

http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/

Basically, you put the vinegar and baking soda in a ziplock and run the airline tubing to the Tupperware. There are some things you have to get just right on your own like not mixing it so fast that vinegar bubbles up into the tubing but things like that comes with personal experiance.
 
howhigh402 said:
how to u kill them with the co2?.....is it suffication or do u tip the tank over and they frezz?.....and wat do u put the mice in?
Click to expand...

you gas them. it is a bit like suffocation (soz spelling not great) but you are meant to do it very slow. this way the mice just fall asleep. when they all appear to be "sleeping" you turn the gas cylinder up so more c02 is released. this finishes the mice off. it is the only gas you can use and it not harm your snake when fed. this is because c02 is a naturally occurring gas in the mouses body anyway.

the link previously posted is very helpful as well.

hope this helps

lee
 
missed a few points out previous post

the slower you put more c02 into the container the less painful it is for the mice. if you put it in too fast you will see the mice struggling and gasping for breath.

personally i do not use the method shown on the link as it is very hard to control the amount of c02.

i am starting up my own mouse colony in a few days. i am going to use a c02 container that is used for paintballing so is a reasonable size. this is a lot easier to control the amount of c02.

also this method does not work as well with pinkies as they are resistant to some substance (cant remember name) that makes them need a lot more c02.

again, hope this helps

lee

p.s if anybody has any questions about mice just p.m me as i have done a *lot* of research about them.
 
Yeah CO2 sounds like a humane way to kill. Done correctly, don't the mice fall asleep before they die? That's what i like about it.
 
Oops! accidentally clicked the post button. sorry. Anyways, I've been too busy with work to actually do the CO2 thing myself. I've only seen it done. i'd rather not have a CO2 machine in my house. my "snake room" is my living room, that's where my tv is, and where i entertain my guests. They will ask what that machine is, and if i tell them they might not stay, lol. I've been experimenting with different methods to find one that's as humane as possible (science geek that i am, and was since school, lol). Here are the methods i've used:

Freezing: won't do that again! it took way too long for that fuzzie to die!

Neck-snapping: instant death when done properly. But it took a lot of practice to do it properly.

Wall bashing: the fuzzie became paralyzed, did not die until i snapped it's neck.

drowning: noooo! dunno what i was thinking, it was before coffee!

:-offtopic By the way, I know it's been awhile. I just got done moving to what i hope will be a more snake-friendly neighborhood. I really had no choice, I was becoming the butt of many a joke and my neighbors were making it known i wasn't wanted. Like a party that everyone else was invited to. like parents who warn their kids to stay away from my house. This is high school all over again. I can't believe adults can be so immature. :cry:
 
awww. hope this place works out better for you and your snakes.

BTW just out of curiosity when you say you drowned the mice, did you freeze them straight away? if you did this make a mouse ice cube or did u drain water first. c02 is proven the most humane way to euthanasia small animals as it is the way vets put a small animal to sleep. i think i will stick with c02.

lee :cheers:
 
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