humanely killing rats

[sapphire_moon]

Ok, a LONG time ago someone posted a website that listed the humane ways of killing rats/mice. Does anyone still have that website?

I know it was from a labrotory of some sort. I am trying to find the info for someone that says whacking is more humane than properly using a gas chamber.

[mykee]

Whacking is more humane than CO2? Good luck finding that info. Actually, the 'net is filled with people willing to spout any fallacy to be heard, won't be that hard.

[boywithscales]

It actually is more humane to kill with blunt trauma then CO2. CO2 suffocates the animal and makes them choke and anyway its pretty nasty. Theres only 2 ways that are recognized by the canadian humane society(might be another division) those ways are, 1- blunt trauma to the head, or 2- dislocating the neck from head.

[spidergecko]

It actually is more humane to kill with blunt trauma then CO2. CO2 suffocates the animal and makes them choke and anyway its pretty nasty. Theres only 2 ways that are recognized by the canadian humane society(might be another division) those ways are, 1- blunt trauma to the head, or 2- dislocating the neck from head.

I didn't really want to get into this discussion (I don't like the idea of killing any mammal) but animals don't choke on CO2. There is nothing to choke on since CO2 is non-toxic.

[sapphire_moon]

I thought Co2 suffocated, but it did something to the brain so that the body/brain didn't realize that it was suffocating, putting them to sleep from lack of oxygen, and then they would die. Or something to that effect?

[wcreptiles]

Euthanasia by carbon dioxide, CO2, is quick and painless for the animal, it is recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association panel on euthanasia, as the agent to euthanize feeder animals. Also, it doesn't leave any harmful chemicals that could harm the animal eating the prey.

You place the rat(s) in a covered container (do not over crowd) with air (no CO2 yet), slowly start the CO2, this will anesthetize the animals. The flow rate is set to replace about 20% of the volume of the container per minute. Once they are anesthetized, increase the flow slightly for several minutes (ca. 5-10) until 1 minute after death.

Do not place rats in a container containing CO2 or they will suffocate and be stressed, they must be anesthetized with a lower level of CO2 first.

You can purchase a tank and regulator for under $100, depending on how new and how fancy you want to get. Purchase some hose and a few fittings at the local hardware store and you can build a CO2 chamber.

I've got two ball pythons that will NOT eat frozen thawed and I can get them to eat fresh killed but I really don't like bopping rats on the head. I built a CO2 chamber and it's easier on all of us.

[rrrrr]

Fact is we dont really know which is more humane. I've done a bit of reading on the subject. Cervical dislocation and decapitation were both criticized as being less humane than CO2 because studies found that there was brain activity after the fact that could indicate conscious awareness (and therefor pain and stress) experienced by the animal. Subsequent studies have shown that this brain activity takes place even if the animal is anesthesized before the procedure, so it is no longer thought that the brain activity indicates consciousness. Any procedure that is quick and relatively painless is humane. The differences between cervical dislocation and CO2 gassing are likely quite small provided the procedures are done right. Whacking is likely as good as anything, but it is prone to error, and it is inarguable that a poorly performed whacking is inhumane.

Do whatever you want so long as it's quick, and you do it correctly.

[iLLwiLL]

would the CO2 chamber also take care of any mites that may be on the rat from the pet shop? i've been thinking about putting together my own chamber as i hate thawing rats and cleaning up afterwards. right now i use a thick dowel and i whack right behind the head trying to break the spine but not have it gush blood everywhere.

i'm really not a fan of doing it, but i never feed live, and atm this is my only alternitive.

~Will.

[boidboi]

It actually is more humane to kill with blunt trauma then CO2. CO2 suffocates the animal and makes them choke and anyway its pretty nasty. Theres only 2 ways that are recognized by the canadian humane society(might be another division) those ways are, 1- blunt trauma to the head, or 2- dislocating the neck from head.


not true the canadian humane society perfers Co2 rather then blunt trauma to the head

and they cant choke on Co2 because most organisims on earth expell Co2 and we dont cough when we breathe do we

it simply knocks them out and if u leave them in there long enough it kills them

[arash]

jus a wild thought i think god has figured the best way and that is how the snakes do it constrict takes a less then a minute for them to die thats what i think is the best way

[boidboi]

ya but most people probably dont want to watch a mouse being squeezed so hard its eyes pop out

[arash]

ya but i ve never had anything like that happen and ive had some aggrasive eaters a baby salmon that eats medium large rats like theres no tomorow and even my adults they still never pop out eyes and stuff lol

[boidboi]

well i've seen it done i mean its not totally nasty but it isnt some thing i would want to watch on a regular basis

[Peter Ludwig]

Try to do a search in Google " The American Veteranian Report on Euthanasia " They have a good report on the different ways to humanely put down animals.

[NocturnalBC]

Hmm, late to this topic but I'll just say I've seen co2 tanks in action and even though it may be humane I still think a quick blow to the head is quicker and less stressfull on the animal. Just my .02c

[bigdave]

I find that using long nose pliers to snap a rats neck is very quick and effiecent. Once the cerebral connection between the rats brain and it spinal column are broken the rat will give a few kicks and that's the end of that. It might not be the most humane approach but it gets the job done quickly.

P.S. If you find this appoaoch inhumane and graphic I suggest you rent a few mofia/ movies. The Godfather and Goodfellas are great examples.

Cheers D

[KarlSnake]

I didn't really want to get into this discussion (I don't like the idea of killing any mammal) but animals don't choke on CO2. There is nothing to choke on since CO2 is non-toxic.


I choke on CO2 & so does just about any other animal, mammal or otherwise. Drop a pound of dry ice into an ice chest & let it sublime into gas, then stick your head in & take a deep breath. Don't worry, you will be choking & outta there PDQ. It's mostly a matter of concentration (partial pressure, actually, but that's getting too far into the fine print), but CO2 is lethal at concentrations well below the level of being intolerably unpleasant. If you are careful enough, CO2 can be used as an anesthetic, provided you have no qualms about torturing your patient. The sadists you see on some popular television programs using CO2 as an anesthetic are in very serious need of a bit of personal experience from their victim's point of view. CO2 isn't used as an anesthetic for humans because it is acutely unpleasant & there is very little margin between temporarily unconscious & permanently dead. CO2 is cheap, though & is readily available, even to expressing carriers of The Stupid Gene.

CO2 would be wonderful as a nocithanasia agent for deserving individuals, but impractical on account of those pesky rules about cruel & unusual.

Some slaughterhouses use electrostunning, but the equipment is rather specialized, expensive, & dangerous. Others take the simple route of using a "basher" or a "knocker" - a big strong hulking brute with a deadblow (lead shot inside a tough plastic head) mallet, applied vigorously pretty much straight down on the top center of the head.

Bash the feeders' heads in & get it over with. Snapping their necks does kill 'em, but they're still looking atcha for a while before their brain runs out of O2