Sorry folks..another question-killing feeders

[Dino]

awww I see. I am not sure how hard it would be find dry ice around here, but I am going to take a look.

Thanks Again Linds you are always very helpful

[tai_pan1]

Dom,

I'm relatively new to breeding and killing mice, but I have used the mouse trap method and it works very effectively. I've only used it on hoppers so far. I hold the hopper by the hind quarters with one hand and hold the metal bar of the mouse trap with the other hand. I then move the hopper near the trap and they grab onto the wood of the trap with their front legs and stretch out their necks. It just so happens that this places their neck right where the bar comes down. I release the bar and in less than a blink of the eye, the mouse is dead. No fuss, no muss, and very quick. I've only done it a dozen times, but have yet to have a mouse suffer due to not breaking their neck. Seems more humane than smacking them on against a wall.

Just my thoughts.

Mike

[unknownclown]

Phew ok so I wasnt completely wrong in thinking down those lines.
Thanks Tai pan1

See I would love a CO2 setup since one of my favorite hobbies is growing carnivorous plants but the thing is they are so darn expensive at least the setups that I have seen anyway and since Im a single broke mother I cant afford that luxury quite yet. and a 50 cent mouse trap looks much better than a $200 death chamber.

[Lisa]

Cas how much did it cost you to build that gas chamber?

[Linds]

Glad to help Good luck with your dry ice mission. Often times it can be found at grocery stores in the meat/fish department, and at meat packers....lol.....just not in teeny weeny little towns I guess

[Cas]

All told, my set-up cost me around $200 - that's not including the cost of hoses and fittings, since I had those already (would probably be around $15 or so to buy home depot type equivalents).

The tank rental AND the fill cost about $80 - I shouldn't have to get it filled again for a very long time though (20 lbs tank), so I'll just have to pay about $30 a year for rental (it's difficult to buy these kinds of tanks outright in a lot of places).

The regulator by itself also cost about $80 - and that was cheaper than I expected.

The jug was from a thrift store, and was $5.


It IS expensive, but eventually it does pay for itself... especially if your options are CO₂ or frozen from the petstore (whacking is just too hands on for me).


(btw - dairy companies may also have dry ice you can buy - they use it for transporting ice cream. Keep in mind, dry ice is much colder than most freezers (like, -78 degrees C), and will sublimate (turn to gas) in your freezer - not really fast, but you can't stock up, say, a month's worth in advance. So you have to keep in mind how convinient it is for you to get dry ice whenever you need it)

Dawn

[Dom]

Linds .. cerivcal dislocation .. I just think of superman?? I don't get the corrolation?

[Zoe]

I walk them against a desk or table. They die right away and it isn't messy :]

Zoe

[marisa]

sing CO2 cartridges for paint ball guns be a bit cheaper than a tank? I mean the tank obviously is the #1 choice but for smaller breeders who are killing maybe 10-15 mice at a time I have heard that using the paintball ones which are really cheap, work well. But the set up is slightly different.

Marisa

[Linds]

Dom,
Do you remember years back when Christopher Reeves (I think that's his name - he played Superman in the movies) snapped his neck? Sure didn't kill him, and I think that's an inherent risk with snapping rodent necks as well. I don't think you can be 100% that animal dies instantly when you snap their spinal cords - as with Superman, he just turned into a vegetable (now recovering to levels nobody anticipated).
This is why the only methods I will consider and promote as truly humane is whacking and gassing. If you smash the animals skull there is no guessing if it suffered, or if its brain is still alive and conscious - its killed instantly. Gassing as well, they are rendered unconscious before they are killed.

[vanderkm]

Dawn,
Thanks for posting your CO2 setup and instructions. I agree this is one of the best methods for killing prey and ideal if you don't want the hands on approach or are killing large numbers.

On Cervical dislocation -- while it is possible to perform cervical disloaction incorrectly and it is a method that requires some skill to perform, when it is done right the animal will never regain consciousness or live.

The bones of the spinal column high in the neck should be completely separated and the spinal cord in that area completely flattened with one swift, crushing blow. The result is virtually immediate unconsciousness from the force of the trauma (evidenced by non-responsive and dilated pupils of the eyes). If a person experienced damage this severe, they would require extensive medical support to regain consciousness and live.

IMO cervical dislocation is humane because it produces rapid unconsciousness with virtually immediate death. I don't think it takes more skill than whacking on the head and in my experience, it is more precise than the usual pillowcase method of whacking. I have thawed out rats killed in pillowcases that have broken ribs and forelimbs, but do not have any direct damage to the skull, and that leads me to believe that these animals did not die immediately. I prefer using a blunt object to strike the skull directly because it is precise, but it does require a more hand's on approach.

In any case, care and skill are required to kill prey humanely and I like knowing that the humaneness is of concern to the people on this list - even if we disagree on methods.

mary v.

[Lizzy001]

well there is one other way that no1 has said.....
and it is no hurt feelings for u..

buy the mice/rats!


Lizy xxx

[royal]

I own a paintball gun... I would think (havent actually checked it out) that you should be able to buy a 20 oz tank filled with co2 for about 35 canadian. Now for setting the tank up, I would think all you have to do is go to a good paintball store and buy a couple fittings, this should be cheaper then 200.

I will have a look at my paintball store and see if I can find out some info on fittings. As for the setup.... IMHO If you put the setup in your garage/outside/or on your deck, all you would need is 1-co2 bottle 2-regulator 3-plastic jar

Connect the reg to the bottle, then cut a small hole in the jar for the co2 discharge to fit in(probably silicon to seal), place jar and bottle on ground so bottle is laying on its side with the reg in the end of the jar, Lastly, cut a hole in the lid of the jar(1/4 inch).
Usage
Put your mouse in the jar(which isnt too much bigger then an adult mouse), screw on the lid and turn on your gas. When you feel that there is sufficient gas in the chamber plug your 1/4inch hole with tape(electrical,duct,or scotch) and turn off the gas.

**** I have not done this and do not endorse this in anyway***
P.S. Times for killing, and where you use your "chamber" should be considered carefully. Remember to let the gas out in a big area where there is lots of air.

[Dino]

I would love to hear what you find out Royal.

My only question was the whole regulator issue how and how much??? Like I said keep us posted. I would like to do something like that in the near future.

Thanks
Dino

[royal]

Well, I talked to my paintball store in edmonton(paintball action games) and they said the setup can be done.

What you need is
Co2 tank(20oz $50)
Regulator (cheapest one I seen was pure energy reg $80)
Bottle asa ( dont know why but was told I need it $15)
Vertical asa (same... $20)
Macro line kit (hoses and fittings-could find cheaper ones but $20)

So I was wrong on my thoughts, but I would suggest other people stop by a paintball shop and check it out.