Re-Freezing

[Holy Mackerel]

I'm curious what peoples feelings are regarding the re-freezing of rodents to be used as feed at a later time?


Steve

[meatbeef]

I personally refreeze and offer again. I'll only do it once though, no more.

[Slannesh]

I don't do it.

Refreezing meat is bad for people, I can't imagine it's good for snakes either. I look at it this way... am I so hard up for $$ that I can't afford to throw out a $2 rat once in a while? If I have to answer yes to that then what would I do if my snake got sick? Just not worth the potential risk in my opinion.

[BWSmith]

I never refreeze. Basically for the reasons listed above. Heck, I threw out 6 mice last night because I thawed too many.

[CamHanna]

I always refreeze because I can't seem to bring myself to discard an otherwise good rodent. I don't refeed though. Eventually I will have to do something with my used feeders, but I won't worry about that until I need the freezer space.

[Holy Mackerel]

I generally don't refreeze either (simply because there is no left overs) but on occasion I have done so.

The thought of re-freezing human food and re-eating it seems unappitizing, but I'm not sure I understand what the threat is?

I have heard once something along the lines of ice crystals internally in a bad location....but there was little logic behind what was said.

[CamHanna]

Oddly enough I may thaw and refreeze my own food half a dozon times before eating it.:D

[Removed_2815]

Originally posted by Slannesh

Refreezing meat is bad for people, I can't imagine it's good for snakes either.
Is it actually bad? As in eliciting some type of negative consequence, health-wise? Aside from unpalatability, I don't think that it is necessarily bad. If everyone had a Garbage Snake, like I do, who will eat anything at any given time, then you wouldn't have to worry about throwing away uneaten feeders ;)
Personally, I wouldn't refreeze, but I don't see any reason why not to do it - if only just to save a life from being wasted. Since the overall quality of the feeder is compromised from re-freezing in a freezer (gradual freezing induces crystal formation which rips apart tissue), I wouldn't make a habit of feeding these lesser-quality items.
Ryan

[ydnic]

Heheh - refreezing food is not bad for people. Its an old wives tail so to speak. I used to think the same thing.

You would be surprised at how many times the meat sold at your grocery store is frozen, then thawed and not reported.

Also a lot of times butchers and hunters meat if frozen through -out the process.

When meat is thawed and then refrozen it looses quality mostly. A lot of mosture may be taken from it but thats about it.

Meat can also be cooked and refrozen too.

However it is best to re freeze something while it is cold from thawing. In the case of mice (especailly those who put their feeders in a bowl of warm water to thaw) it might not be the best idea to refreeze, but it certainly won`t effect the health of your snakes sevearly either.

When I feed all my snakes and one or some is too busy f`n around to eat I usually just give it to one of the others who hammered their dinner. If you only have one snake it is best to leave it with him/her for a couple hours and then chuck it.

Like Slannesh said its hardly worth it to refreeze. However in the case of a power outtage and your freezer has been with no power for a couple hours - don`t toss everything either

[chas*e]

I re-freeze sometimes ...If you don't give the rat/mouse to one snake and then another..I have never had a problem....That is not to say that the rat was left in he cage overnight and then re-froze....In the wild, reptiles eat a lot worse...If I had only a few snakes to feed I wouldn't re-freeze but I have at least 5 or 6 uneaten feeders every feeding session so Money Is Money..lol

[varanus69]

My thoughts exactly when i started reading this thread Originally posted by chas*e
....In the wild, reptiles eat a lot worse...
i also refreeze sometimes. yesterday i went down to the freezer and found it unplugged and all the rabbits were mostly thawed but still very cool. I can't afford to throw all these out as i am laid off so i threw them back in and restarted the freezer. If its left in the cage over night though the poor garbage man gets a surprise lol.

[Brad C]

I refreeze if needed but never more than once. I have been doing it for years and never had problems. When you keep refreeze is when the problems may arise.

[Slannesh]

I was pretty sure that thawing meat to room temp or higher and then freezing it again signifigantly raises the level of bacteria on the meat... Not a problem if you thoroughly cook it, but freezing won't kill a lot of bacteria, it's the cooking that does. Now I may be mistaken about this, but from what I can remember about bacterial growth from university it makes sense... In any event refrozen and thawed feeders just get stinky and nasty anyhow so I wouldn't feed them at any rate.

[rwg]

re-frozen food is not bad for people or reptiles. Food takes a certain amount of time to go bad at various temperatures. The big mistake people can make (and the reason as far as I can tell why re-freezing is discouraged) is thinking raw meat will keep another 3-5 days in the fridge if you freeze it and thaw it just before the expiry date. If you freeze it just before, you better use it right away when you thaw it.

Same with rats/mice. If I'd leave a mouse in the cage overnight (12 hours let's say), why in the world wouldn't I re-freeze one that I've had thawed out for only an hour or so?

rg

[drewlowe]

I don't refreeze any of my feeders unless i'm too lazy to walk outside and chuck it, then it will go back into the freezer until i remember it's there and i need to throw it out.

I wouldn't ever refreeze mine though. If one of my snakes doesn't eat right away they usually get left with the prey for about 4-6 hours after being thawed in hot water and sat out for that long, i personally see it as disgusting and the smell gets a little stronger.

Jamie

[SCReptiles]

Thawing and re-freezing weakens the meat, thus making it easier to digest. I have no problem re-freezing. I like to offer re-froze mice to weaker snakes who may have trouble digesting.

[Holy Mackerel]

Hey SCReptiles

Thats kinda along the lines of what Ryan said.

gradual freezing induces crystal formation which rips apart tissue

Definatly interesting about the weak eaters (maybe also snakes prone to regurgitation?)

[VI Reptiles]

Iv only done it once. I usually feed my snake at about 6 at night and if he doesnt eat it in his box (he usually eats) I throw it in with him for the night and its usually gone by the time I wake up. If It isnt I chuck it.

Thanks

[zero&stich]

I refreeze only once. But that's it after that, yep, the garbage man sees a nice fuzzy raticycle.

I have heard though from an ex-coworker. Her little 11 bro once thawed and refroze a rat 6 different times, to the point where the snake from then on refused frozen foods altogether and I last heard the ball would only accept pre-killed.

I found that interesting, but I felt horriable for the snake. Apperently she didn't know her brother was doing this behind her back without supervision. So go figure.

[Mark]

I use to refreeze on sometimes with no problem what so ever but now there is always another snake that will take a second rat.