Frozen rodent storage

[ChristinaM]

How long can frozen rodents be stored in the freezer?

I'm looking to buy a fair amount to get quantity discounts, but there's no sense in doing that if they are going to go bad before being eaten.

Thx.

[marisa]

Go get a vacum sealer thats used for foods and what not. I am getting one for myself at some point. lol. anyways, they are pretty cheap and can make the rodents last like double as long as non-sealed ones.

Marisa

[corr]

Buy a $100 one. Don't get the $30 one... they suck...

[Linds]

Vacum-sealed rodents can last well over a year (who knows... maybe even 3 or so?) in the freezer. I used to vacum seal mine, but most of the time they don't even get as far as the freezer, and if they do it's only for a short while.
Of course if they are just wrapped or bagged, they may only last a few months. It is ok to feed mildy freezer burned food, but I would stay away from anything moderately to severely burned. Pinkies and fuzzies don't last very long due mainly to the lack of fur.
Vacum sealers pay for themselves over and over ;)

[jadegrasse]

If you can, get a floor model deep freeze that does not have a 'defrost' mode. Most under/over or side by side freezers use a fan to circulate the cold air and this can cause freezer burn. Yes....sublimation and osmosis does occur through thin plastic. The trick is to reduce this with steady very cold tempratures and proper barriers. Seal the rats in plastic zip lock freezer bags or vacume seal them. Then store them in air tight tupperware containers. Turn the freezer to max cold (-48 F for mine) and avoid opening and closing the freezer. I put 4" styro on the top and sides as well. Rats last almost forever this way.

[AlexPan]

The best way i think (thats the way i do it) is to freeze them in the water, that way there is no frost bite and they do not dry out.

[gonesnakee]

If ya all had a decent supplier they would already come all vacumm packed & deli trayed. This obviously doesn't apply to those who raise their own. : ) Mark

[Ron]

Hey Mark,

Who do you get your rats from who packages them like that?

Ron

[Lisa]

All vaccume sealers are supposed to suck, if they didn't they wouldn't be vaccume sealers :D

we just ziplock them and bag ours (we grow our own)

[rwg]

Haven't done this with rodents yet...dont keep that many on hand. With dry food, put it in a ziplock baggie. Stick a straw in at one end of the zipper. Zip across tight against the straw. Suck out all the air, and while still sucking, pull out the straw and zip the gap in one quick motion. Not as good as a vacum sealer, but most air is gone.

rg

[Oliverian]

Yum, inhaling rodent-scented air! ;)

-TammyR

[One More Herper]

I freeze mice for my snake by putting them in a large ice cube tray and freeze them in the water. They've lasted for about 2 years like that and they dont seem to be affected by it.
-Ben