exploding mice

lilyskip · 10-04-03, 09:33 PM

Lately, it seems like a good deal of the f/t mice I've been feeding to my bp have somehow opened up and started leaking during the thawing process. One of them entirely exploded. I don't microwave them...I heat up some water, and then put them (in ziploc bags) into the water and let them sit for about 15-20 minutes.

What am I doing wrong, or are they just bad frozen mice? Is it just that mice are not very hardy, and so are more likely to leak? Will I still have this problem when I get him on rats?

mykee · 10-04-03, 09:49 PM

Personally, with the rodents that I've thawed, and I do it the same as you, I've NEVER had a rodent explode. I would definitely give a second look at your supplier. Doesn't sound healthy to me.

honduranfreekk · 10-04-03, 09:56 PM

Mykee I hate to say it but I would have 2 disagrea with you some what lol I also have had this problem from time 2 time with the belly leaking and I buy all my rat,s from a very reputable breeder that feed,s all his stock nothing but the best.Out of about every 100 rat,s maybe 15 have done this???

reptilesalonica · 10-04-03, 10:12 PM

i feed to my herps my own feeders that fed on the best food available. This is only happening when the feeders are overheated.
I warm them with a "hotter" heat pad. Those (very hot) from Zoo med-that eventualy, are unsuitable for herps

~Greg~

Jayson · 10-05-03, 08:36 AM

I have 16 snakes and many feedings per month, I breed my own rats and have never had this happen before.
Mayby its freezer temps. or the length of time they were in the freezer or it also could be that the rats were found dead a day or more before freezing or somthing.
Im just guessing here.

Jason

lilyskip · 10-05-03, 10:50 AM

hmmm, all of this sounds possible. The longest I've kept them in the freezer so far has been three weeks. Is it possible that i'm overheating them?

reptilesalonica · 10-05-03, 11:02 AM

As i said before, it is possible...Don't you have a spare heat pad to warm them up before feed them?
All it takes is about 15 mins for pinkies, half an hour for hoppers and adult mice and about an hour for rats. Just touch their bellys. If mtehy are warm then they are ready. Never put them with their bellys on the heat pad, always with the back or side.
...my 2cnts

~Greg~

Invictus · 10-05-03, 12:48 PM

I had that happen to me once. There was so much blood all over these mice, even our feeding machine corns wouldn't take 'em. It happens once in a while. Sometimes it's just that the mouse was whacked too hard, but didn't hemmorhage right away... but the thawing process causes it to happen.

Lisa · 10-05-03, 05:05 PM

I've had it happen, i think it's the heat you thaw at. I like to get them really warm for the pythons, better feeding responce.

BoAddict · 10-05-03, 05:15 PM

just for the record 15 outta 100 is 15 % i wouldnt call that a good rate maybe 1 - 5 % would be acceptable

mikemcguire · 10-05-03, 05:22 PM

I had the same thing happen to me thawing a rat. I do believe it is the temperature difference. I thawed mine in warm water, i didnt thaw and then heat it in warm water so i dont know if that made a difference. But the same thing did happen to me.

Linds · 10-05-03, 05:52 PM

Don't use anything hotter than hot tap water. Not only do you risk partially cooking the rat, but the higher the heat you thaw your prey in, the faster the cell walls break down. Also... do you refreeze your prey items? Refreezing causes cell structure to break down, then combined with heat you are sure to have an exploded rodent on your hands. In the zillions of rats I have thawed over the years, I have never had one explode. I have maybe 0.1% exploding rate on mice. The only thing that happens if the exterior of the tail may slip off when dangling it from tongs or the snake grabs it really hard. I would try lowering the heat you thaw at, and if you are refreezing your items, I would recommend discontinuing that practice

RepTylE · 10-06-03, 11:48 AM

I just thaw them at room temperature for an hour or two. Probably not the accepted method but it works for mice. Now that I am starting to use rats it might be a different story once I get to the larger sizes. Of course I would change the method accordingly.

daver676 · 10-06-03, 04:59 PM

Why don't you thaw them at room temp? Thats what I do. Never had a problem.

lilyskip · 10-07-03, 03:36 PM

thanks all. i think my water is probably too hot. i never refreeze, but I do microwave the water before I pour it over the food. I'm trying with a rat this week, and I think I will just use warm tap water, so we'll see what happens. ::crossing fingers::