Stunning

[Auskan]

Ok. The opinion of most seems to be that freezing is inhumane and I certainly don't want to do something that is cruel in order to feed my snakes. I'm not sure about the cervical thing. What about stunning? How would I go about doing that? I heard once that you can put them in a pillow case and bang them against a wall, but I'm not sure that's the best way either? I would assume that you do it with as much force as possible to make it quick and painless for them? (I'm opposed to using CO2, as having suffered from an excess of CO2 in the home I lived in during my first pregnancy, I know how uncomfortable it is to sit there not being able to breathe deeply and get enough oxygen, so I don't think that method is any more humane than freezing and probably less so).

[snakehunter]

i take needle nose plyers and crush the spine at the base of the skull, quick and painless. BUT now i buy f/t so i dont have to use that anymore

[Dark_Angel_25]

I think that stunning is bad too. not only for the ordent but oyur snake, the rodent may come too in the middle of feeding, and well being eaten alive isn't fun I am sure. Have you tried buying frozen thawed and putting them in chicken broth? Or, opening the skull to expose the brain? these may work. If it is a case of changing form Mice to Rats, then rubbing (really rubbing) a mouse on a rat usually works for me, even cutting some mice hair and placing it on the head of the rat. Another reason, is maybe your food isn't warm enough... heat it up more, and whe nyou dangle it from tongs, well tap it near the heat pits and the tip of the nose, usually this makes the 'strike' happen, and they swallow from there... JMO

[chas*e]

If you saturate the air volume with C02 the feeder rodent goes to sleep and does not have any real pain due to acute oxygen deprivation...If I remember, the CO2 fools the brain(medulla oblongata portion) to believe that it is absorbing air but because there is no Oxygen the body shuts down and the rodent goes to sleep......lack of enough Oxygen is another thing altogether...that would not be nice...freezing the rodent afterwards, not while alive, is then the procedure

[Auskan]

I am already feeding purchased frozen. I recently bought mice to breed and feed and am trying to figure out the most humane way to do it.

My personal experience of CO2 tells me that the brain is not fooled into thinking it is getting oxygen - far from it.

[jason h]

may i ask your home had an access of Co2 , I think you may be confusing co2 (carbon dioxide) with carbon monoxide a gas which can you can by detectors for because it is often a problem in homes,co2 is used in beer,and soft drink machines and is heavier than air so when using it to kill rodents you are not actually poisoning them with gas just displacing Tthe oxygen in the container this (if done right) renders them unconcious in only a few seconds.

[suckrpnch]

Originally posted by Auskan

My personal experience of CO2 tells me that the brain is not fooled into thinking it is getting oxygen - far from it.

If you did experience oxygen deprivation from carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide it would have been slight. Though slight in these situations, especially pregnant, is still bad. The deal with the 'co2 chambers' is that it instantly and totally replaces *all* oxygen. You will pass out (or go to sleep) and feel no pain whatsoever.

The only problem I experienced with the 'put 'em in a sock and whack 'em' method was that in teaching my girlfriend; she never whacked 'em hard enough the first time making it far worse for all parties involved. when i whacked'em, I would just do it on a very hard survace (sidewalk, corner of the wall.. anything to help ya out a little) Might take a little practice, but you'll get them first try every time before too long.


later
suckr