Oops... mice split open

[peregrinefalcon]

While I was "wacking" a mouse in a sock, I guess I hit it too hard and he split open. It wasn't just a cut some stuff popped out. Is there any way I can still feed it to my blood python? Thanks...
Adam

[Zoe]

You could try, but I would advise against it! Is it really worth one mouse to stink and dirty your cage and snake? lol. be more gentle next time ;)

GL
Zoe

[marisa]

You could try like Zoe said but I just went through this and cleaning up mouse parts and guts from the cage was not fun.

Marisa

[peregrinefalcon]

Thanks for your replies, yea I guess I will just chuck it. I'll try not hitting them so hard but I really hate seeing them suffering after not being killed the first time, so I would rather hit them too hard then not hard enough, ya know what I mean?
Adam

[Herp guy]

I dont think you should feed it to him/her. It could stink up the tank.

[Linds]

Sometimes that happens to me when I am killing rat pups. I've fed them anyways and never had any subsequent problems. They shouldn't smell since they are fresh, and it all ends up the same in the end :p

[Edwin]

Ya, I would just feed it, no sense wasting good food.

[marylyn101]

That exact thinghappened to me. the one that popped open i fed it to my kingsnake first. so it was considered a "fresh" kill. lol!

[fr0glet]

Cervical dislocation is really quite simple to learn and a much more humane way to kill rodents... and you never ever have this problem. I personally do not have it in me to be smacking any animal against a hard surface... do a google search on cervical dislocation of rats or mice and you will learn it is simple and painless for them.

[peregrinefalcon]

I've tried that and it is pretty hard to do. I do eventually get the job done but it seems pretty stressful on the mouse while I'm doing it. I think I'll just stick them in the freezer from now on.
Thanks anyway,
Adam

[marisa]

We whack all our mice here with a hard tool. After you get the hang of it, you can do it instantly and without blood. Cervical dislocation is a little to much for me. Although I am sure many people feel opposite. :)

Marisa

[Lisa]

Cervical dislocation is a little too hands on for my taste. I have a hard enough time putting the mice in a pillow case and hitting them against the corner of the freezer. I need to put together some sort of gas chamber for them.

[fr0glet]

EEEK PLEASE do NOT put your rats in the freezer. One thing that humans have that small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians don't is a wonderful endorphin rush when we start to get hypothermia. Small animals will feel both panic and pain in the freezer, it's better that you whack them on a hard surface!@!

You can make a simple gas chamber with a cheap piece of dry ice inside a small plastic container with holes in the lid, then put that and the rat in an ice chest and close the lid for 30 minutes or so. Simpler than cervical dislocation and cheaper than buying a tank of CO2...

Am I the only person who buys frozen rodents?

[peregrinefalcon]

The mice are going to feel panic and pain no matter how I kill them, especially the ones that I use to get better at cervical dislocation. I guess I will try to get better at it.
Adam

[peregrinefalcon]

BTW I did buy frozen rodents, but they are smaller then the live ones and are the same price. Plus I know what the live ones are being fed before they die. And ordering them over the internet isn't a good option cause the shipping cost to NS is way more then just buying them locally.
Adam

[fr0glet]

Originally posted by peregrinefalcon
The mice are going to feel panic and pain no matter how I kill them

Not if you make a gas chamber. It is simple with dry ice. I guess some people just have more concern for animals than others, even feeders.

I know what you mean about terrible shipping costs. I am fortunate to have an excellent breeder locally who really feeds his rodents well and cares for them, then euthanizes them humanely in a gas chamber and freezes them. He gives free delivery to our herp society meetings so I am actually saving money buying frozen from him. Thanks for reminding me of things I need to be grateful for! :)

[Burmies]

If there is any bone showing or any of the bones will touch the snake in any way, then I have to say that it is not ok. Any piece of the bones could cause damage to your snkes.

Burmies

[Lisa]

I found out the price of dry ice today, $1 a pound (canadian funds) from praxair. hope to have a gas/freezing chamber built soon (I really dislike killing things, so the more humane the better).

[SD-SNAKE]

The one gas chamber i have seen was a small devise some one made were you drop the rat in a pastic air tight container and then turn on the CO2. Just a creative idea, if that can help great. Nick

[peregrinefalcon]

Good idea froglet! I am going to ask people at the next herp meeting if any of them breed mice, then I won't even have to kill em.
Thanks,
Adam

[Nicky]

why don't u kill them another way u can like uhh but them in dry ice gas chamber it will kill it instently and its less bloody and it'll still be fresh killed so its all good

[fr0glet]

Nicky: you should read the rest of the messages in this thread :) I totally agree with you!

[royal]

Probably a little late, but what the heck.

A while back in another topic someone stated that they would "just throw the mouse in the freezer" and someone way smarter then I am said that (supposed fact) --When you put a mouse in the freezer it doesnt just go to sleep and die painlessly, it lives up to 6 hours until the blood starts to crystalize and the heart works too hard trying to pump the frozen blood. The way the mouse dies is from a massive(very painful) heartattack.--

Now my words arent exact, but the point still stays that the mouse doesnt just go to sleep and not wake up, it slowly painfully dies for up to 6 hours.

my 2 cents

[peregrinefalcon]

Would that be the same for small reptiles and amphibians too?

[BreaksBabe]

why dont you just buy pre-killed? have them kill them for you at the pet store? thats what i do

[peregrinefalcon]

BreaksBabe, I like to stuff them with good food before they go in the freezer. You never know what they feed them at the pet store!

[iguanaman001]

I am GLAD to see there are others who feed their snakes LIVE feed. And I agree the price is the same and the live feed is bigger. I did it for the first time and got a lot of negative response for what I did. So I guess it is a matter of preference.
If a snake is going to hunt naturally, he is going to feed on live bait.

[Wrath]

The one time I had the mouse bleed all over the tank and on my snake, she did not seem very impressed by it. She ate it after a while, but believe it or not, she seemed properly put off by the whole situation. I didn't see the harm in feeding it to her anyway.

[jwsporty]

Yes whacking them in a sock can be messy. I am now using a simple mouse trap screwed down to a piece of wood. I simply don't set the mouse trap with the trigger. Depending on the size of the prey the impact can be controlled by lifting the drop bar up to certain points along the arc. Fuzzies about a 1/4 lift will do. Hoppers about 1/2 way, juveniles about 3/4 of the travel. and a full size get a full impact. The resulting impact will break their necks very rapidly. No mess if done right. I am now only trying live on problematic eaters. Freezing them will kill parasites in the mouse. I now have the method down to 12 mice in under 5 minutes, including "load" time.

Good Luck

Jim