'nice' way to kill a rat?

suckrpnch · 06-06-03, 06:58 AM

is there??

Kind of a picky eater... We've made it from live to fresh killed.. Wont do frozen though. Anyways, my girlfriend has to feed my snake for a couple weeks. Is there a 'nice' way to kill the rats before she feeds the snake?

thanks

Matt · 06-06-03, 09:39 AM

whenever i have to kill a rat/mouse i do it by cervical dislocation

works really well on mice, small rats, but larger rats are a little harder

you place a hemostat or any stong peice of metal right at the base of the neck and then grab the base of the tail and yank hard.

its not the funnest thing to do, but i was taught that it was a perfectly humane and quick way of doing it.

I think alot of people may suggest ways they prefer here, but as long as the method is quick and painless, its really your choice

unBOAlievable · 06-06-03, 09:58 AM

Co2 chamber.
they just go to sleep. Plus you can kill hundreds at one time.

Jayson · 06-06-03, 09:59 AM

If you wait a couple of weeks your snake might just eat a frozen thawed rat.
Personally I just wack them on somthing hard, however if not done right the rodend my not die the first time. So as with cervical dislocation it takes a little experience.
If it were me Id save everyone the trouble and wait until i got home to feed it myself.

Jason

Jayson · 06-06-03, 10:03 AM

unBOAlievable when using a co2 chamber they dont just go to sleep they actually die from lack of air (suffication) people like to think they just go to sleep to make them feel better.

Ed_r · 06-06-03, 10:29 AM

Quote:

unBOAlievable when using a co2 chamber they dont just go to sleep they actually die from lack of air (suffication) people like to think they just go to sleep to make them feel better.

While this statement is true. the brain DOES fall asleep first from lack of oxygen, since the brain actually controls breathing the rodent then stops breathing. This is the most humane way to kill a rodent. Regardless you still killing the animal.

unBOAlievable · 06-06-03, 10:55 AM

This is true, but if you monitor the air flow mix with the co2 you can first put them in a coma or sleep before delivering the full co2. Very similar to falling asleep in a running car in a garage.

suckrpnch · 06-06-03, 11:24 AM

I could definitely wait the couple weeks but I would love for her to learn to do this anyways (could come in handy at a later date) I usually just grab the rat and whack its head against the enclosure which for me works great the first time, every time. She just cant bring herself to "beat the cute little rats head against anything"

hmm... I wonder if chloroform is toxic to reptiles ( <--joke )

garterguy · 06-06-03, 09:45 PM

i dont know anything about feeding rats but would a mouse trap work because it snaps its neck very quickly without pain

CyberGhost · 06-06-03, 10:49 PM

My way may not be humane or nice but it works. I get suram wrap [cling wrap] the plastic stuff you wrapp food in. I get the mouse/rat and wrapp him up in it suffacates them quick. Plus if I need to freeze them I can just pop them in the freezer without a baggy.

jwsporty · 06-08-03, 03:12 AM

A mouse trap is not as effective on Rats because of their size. Even a Rat Pup takes much longer to croak in a mouse trap. So a larger rat is going to be a problem. A rat trap is a better choice (large and stronger). Harder to find but check your local farm supply shops. My methods vary according to size. I believe Cervical dislocation is still the fastest way though.

Lizzy001 · 06-08-03, 04:32 AM

I dont think there is a NICE way to kill ANYTHING.....the fact that your killing something isnt nice.....But it has to be done...i buy my food.

Thomas · 06-08-03, 06:22 AM

I agree with Lizzy, but if it has to die then cervical dislocation wins hands down.

SD-SNAKE · 06-09-03, 07:41 AM

i think the best way to kill the rats is by using a co2 chamber, plus its less hands on then the cervical dislocation and less of a mess if the rat bleeds from smacking it on a hard surface. I need to make one can some one post a pic of a chamber or list of things you need. thanks take care Nick

Scales Zoo · 06-09-03, 08:01 AM

When we used to raise rats, we would use the C02 or oxygen deprivation method to kill them in large quantities. Horrible as it sounds, whe we had to kill only a few, we would hold the rat and throw it to the floor with a very deliberate whack. This kills without any blood, screaming or suffering - we just picked up the lifeless body and proceeded to feed. In the odd case, one would twist during the fall and break the neck or have a skull fracture, causing some blood, but no suffering. We called this "Falling from a height at work" as there were no apparent signs of trauma, most were internal injuries. This is not acceptable for killing in large quantities for freezing, as the rats do not thaw well with the cause of death, it is preferable that they are fed right away.

Another trick to convert from p/k to frozen is to take the water away from the snake for a few days, and offer a thawed wet rat when the snake is good and thirsty. I use this on all our stubborn feeders with much success. When the snake discovers something wet in the cage, and is thirsty, it will often start to suck up the water off the prey, and get so involved that they actually open up and begin to eat. In my experience this has worked with 95% of the test animals - from hatchlings to adult rescues.

Sheila