Humane Euthanasia

[Jacktar]

Other than swinging by the tail and whacking a rat on the edge of a table, what humane methods are practiced for pre-killing rodents?

[Cmwells90]

I've heard of putting them in a tub with dry ice, the CO2 causes them to to pass out and die.

[fishingfool]

That don't sound like a humane way to prekill lol kinda violent but co2 is.good

[Jacktar]

Originally Posted by fishingfool

That don't sound like a humane way to prekill lol kinda violent but co2 is.good

I've heard something about Co2. Something like a gas chamber

[fishingfool]

Exsactly they sell pre maid ones that i think use thos paintball gun disposabil co2 cartridges

[Akuma223]

I break the necks of the mice I breed for my snakes. Really hard to do at first, but the more you do it the more used to it you get. When you break their necks they tend to twitch quite a bit be warned. I do it by taking my thumb and forefinger and squeezing between the head and shoulders until you feel the neck break and everything internally there is severed. You can feel it when the deed is done, just remember you cant back-out in the middle.

[Jacktar]

Originally Posted by Akuma223

I break the necks of the mice I breed for my snakes. Really hard to do at first, but the more you do it the more used to it you get. When you break their necks they tend to twitch quite a bit be warned. I do it by taking my thumb and forefinger and squeezing between the head and shoulders until you feel the neck break and everything internally there is severed. You can feel it when the deed is done, just remember you cant back-out in the middle.

I like the idea of taking a bunch of them, euthanizing them in a tank with Co2 and putting them in a bag in the freezer. I have no desire to breed my own rats though. I remember the days when pet shops didn't have frozen. I'd use a large heavy spoon or swing them by tail to pre-kill. I'm all about efficiency these days

[shaunyboy]

hold it firmly by it's body,then in one fast hard movement,hit where the neck joins the back of the head,at the top of the spine,on sharp edge,like the edge of a table,a wooden shelf,heavy solid plank of wood,etc


i'm not a fan of them being frozen to death,the above methods far more humane imo


cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

Originally Posted by Jacktar

Other than swinging by the tail and whacking a rat on the edge of a table, what humane methods are practiced for pre-killing rodents?

swinging by the tail is a terrible idea,ive seen people do that and they're left with a rats tail in their hand,and the rat scuttles off having just had it's tail ripped off,not a pretty sight and certainly not humane

not having a go mate,merely pointing out the downside of using the tail


cheers shaun

[Kuamata]

To be honest, I stuck 'em in a pillow case and whacked 'em really hard on the wall, back when I bred them. Effectively killed a group, but I did it -really- hard to be sure nobody lived. :/

[Jacktar]

no worries, hense buying frozen. It's been a long time since I've killed my own. It's not like doing a Roy Rogers lasso act. I do however remember the skin of a a tail coming off AFTER impact with a table which was pretty gross but the impact killed the rat. I was left with some tail skin and could see the exposed bone of the tail. Sorry for the graphic imagery. I'm glad frozen rats are readily available these days and I'm also glad a humane method for euthanization is being practiced.

[charity]

i always wondered what happened to those rats and mice that i have bought over the years that looked like they had been beaten to death...seriously disturbing.
gassing is still sad but it is more certain and quicker as long as it is done right. but a snakes gotta eat. i love my boy.
i think we should all love the small creatures more, and care more about their quality of life. They live only to be for food for our snakes.
Make it a short happy life.

[Kuamata]

Eh.. I understand the sentiment and all, but little short lived critters like mice, at least, I've lost that kind of sensitivity to. IE, I only think they're good pets for little kids, teaches the lesson of death and responsibility of owning a pet. If I had a mouse as a pet, and I cared for it and spoiled it like my others, when it's all said and done I wouldn't be heartbroken, because I knew it would only last a year. Rats, on the other hand, I do love me some rats. I usually get 3 - 5 years out of 'em, and that's a good run for a lil' creature. I've had a few rats, but only one that really stood out, and her name was Daisy. She was a great rat, very loving pet. We recently had some more, Shirley and... whatever my fiance named his, but Shirley ate the other and then Shirley later passed. They were adopted, both were patchwork mutations, so... I find that the mutations don't live as long, sadly... Real shame, I'm particularly fond of the hairless variety.

[millertime89]

CO2 is the most humane way to do it.

[Aaron_S]

This argument comes up every now and then. CO2 is suffocation in reality so it kind of sucks. A quick whack done correctly is pretty humane.

For larger amounts I think CO2 is most efficient.