First Fresh Kill experience (WARNING - graphic detail) - Page 2

Linds · 08-08-03, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by The_Omen
I still don't understand why the Pest Control Act should/would affect the availability of getting rats from pet stores.
Or just breeding your own for that matter if possible.

Because the Pest Control act is just that. Live rats are illegal to sell, keep or breed in the province of Alberta, whether for use as food or pets, unless used in laboratories and such.

Nic · 08-08-03, 12:49 PM

I was going to make a gas chamber for the rats dos eny one out their have plans for one or do i have to wing it

Siretsap · 08-08-03, 12:51 PM

Sucks to live in Alberta. They should limit the number of cats allowed in houses. Or have them nutered and fixed. I am quite sure you see more stray cats than rats.

Linds · 08-08-03, 04:49 PM

Siretsap,
Most, if not all places, have a limit of dogs and or cats allowed per residential household. Average 2-4 per household usually. Rural places don't share the same restrictions. I do believe Alberta did have a problem with rat infestations in downtown establishments, grocery stores, etc., which was the reason for the ban. Hopefully someone that knows more about that will be able to elaborate, confirm, or correct that. Rodent infestations are far different from domestic animal (cat/dog) problems.

MouseKilla · 08-19-03, 01:01 PM

I will start with the end of my story, or rather, the moral of the story. It goes like this: ... and that's why from now on I'll bonk the rats in the basement. I stopped at my prey breeder's place the other day at around 4 in the afternoon, we had to be at the father-in-law's place for dinner at 7. It usually takes me a couple of hours to get everyone fed so I thought, no prob, lots of time. I feed a combo of mice and rats. I consider mice harmless, never had any injuries to my animals from them so they go straight in. Rats on the other hand I know from experience to be mean SOBs, so they get bonked first. It only takes one crack with the piece of 1x2 holding my window open to incapacitate them enough to feed but left overs need to be totally dead before freezing. This time I had 2 left over. First one: 2 whacks, done, into the bag. Second one: first whack started convulsions, the next split it's nose but didn't stop the violent twitching. I ended up sitting on the floor of my bedroom holding what had become a blood sprinkler by the tail. It got on my clothes, my carpet, I had to turn my head to avoid splattering my face. The room looked like a crime scene. We were late for dinner. And that's why from now on I'll bonk 'em in the basement.

striko_69 · 08-19-03, 01:53 PM

the first time me and my brother did it, he tried it but it didt work, so he jumped away because he almost threw up! there was already a bit of guts (i think?!?) out, but it was alive!!! i was so scared that i hit it on the head with a hammer, which killed it instantly, which is better (even if it is disgusting). I had felt quite bad because the pet shop had always done it before then.

KingFfaj · 08-20-03, 08:37 AM

I cant wait till I get to kill my own rodents

at least I get to know how they died and also i get to break some necks

but then i am a little bit sadist, I cant wait

Delighted2b · 08-20-03, 11:14 AM

Believe it or not... I have yet to have to do this... Everything I have takes frozen... I don't know if I would be able to do the fresh kill thing....

Danielle

Pia · 08-21-03, 12:27 AM

Linds: Eewwww, what happened there?

Beejay · 08-21-03, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Invictus
Did you also feel a sense of guilt over it? Did you make the mouse go splat like I did?

awwwww

Well, the first time I killed a rodent was by accident in grade five when I crushed a baby gerbil with a piece of the cage furnishings after cleaning the tank. I felt guilty.

Anyhow, speed ahead several decades (lol) and yeah, I did the same thing with a fuzzy, the splatter thing. It was unpleasant to look at but it was a learning experience.

With several older mice and the few rats I've culled, it became easier but it was a gradual process and I'm still squeamish. I've been buying F/T for about a year now again and am starting off with the freshly killed as I'm breeding rats. If you're sensitive about it now, then I predict it won't get too much easier for you.

Maybe select a new method, that doesn't seem as violent, such as dry ice.

Just my two cents.

And good luck getting your animal to switch over.

Bj

V.hb · 08-21-03, 10:45 AM

ehhhhhh, I have to agree with a non violent way to kill the rodent....... I think its incredibly brutal to wack the hell out of a rodent... there are other alternatives to do this.. and if all else fails, it should be the LAST resort, like in Invictus's case.. But as far as fresh killing all your rodents using force IMO is wrong... invest in a more humane, less violent method...

MouseKilla · 08-21-03, 06:31 PM

I'm trying to figure out why anyone needs to pre-kill something as defenceless as a fuzzy or hopper in the first place. I mean they're snakes for God's sake, killing rodents is what they do. I bonk medium or larger rats because I don't want my animals getting injured but other than that what is the need? I feel that if you can let the snake take down it's prey it's the best thing for all concerned, you don't have to do it, the snake gets to act like a snake and, best of all, no splattering.

marisa · 08-21-03, 06:53 PM

Mousekilla actually you are somewhat correct. Most people only feed dead pinks and fuzzies so switching to dead later on when it matters is easier. Live pinks or fuzzies pose no threat to a snake. It just makes it easier if you start off with thawed/fresh killed/ etc for later on.

I do NOT believe whacking is inhumaine and I would invite ANYONE to come to my home and watch us on whacking day. My BF has become a pro at this and after a few hundred rodents you hardly ever ever get anything but *instant* kills. How something dying instantly is inhumane I have no idea. But, um, o.k.

Everyone has their own methods I guess. I'd surely prefer to hit mine over the head then feed live and watch them suffocate slowly.

Here is a bad experience we had, although not fresh killed. A thawed feeder I accidently heated up WAY too much. LOL.

<img src="http://members.rogers.com/mattl/Josegross.jpg">

And of course, since it was Jose, he had absolutly no problems ripping chunks off like a dog and eating them until I was able to get it away from him. LOL. This snake would eat pork chops if I gave them to him.

Marisa

MouseKilla · 08-21-03, 07:31 PM

"WHACKING DAY OHHH WHACKING DAY..." I love that song. Anyway I think that you need to be high think anything, including dry ice, CO2 and rocking prey animals gently to sleep in your arms is any more humane than the way God intended the predator to consume it's prey. While we're talking about being humane I find it exceedingly odd that no one seems to consider how inhumane it is to prevent a naturally predatory animal from behaving like one, if only to the limited extent possible within an enclosure. I think we owe it to our beasts to give them as close to a natural existence as possible, otherwise why not just feed them ground rat through a tube? This pre-killed = humane idea is the hypocritical spawn of a society willing to eat the meat but not kill the animal.

PS. that's a beautiful snake you have there

Linds · 08-21-03, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MouseKilla
"Anyway I think that you need to be high think anything, including dry ice, CO2 and rocking prey animals gently to sleep in your arms is any more humane than the way God intended the predator to consume it's prey.

How can you say that instant deaths, or deaths in which the animal is rendered unconscious prior to its death is not a more humane death than being suffocated for minutes????????????? You cannot compare captive practices to wild. They are not the same. Everything is altered in captivty. In captivty, these animals don't have to suffer, if you have no problems with your animals suffering unecessarily, well thats your choice, but there's no reason to say we are high for those of us that have problems with needless suffering.

Quote:

I find it exceedingly odd that no one seems to consider how inhumane it is to prevent a naturally predatory animal from behaving like one, if only to the limited extent possible within an enclosure. I think we owe it to our beasts to give them as close to a natural existence as possible,

By taking an animal in captivity the animal is no longer leading a natural existence. All the conditions, no matter how much you try to simulate them, you can't. The prey knows the predator is there and so forth, which creates an increasingly risky situation. It is impossible for a snake to lead a natural life in captivity no matter how hard you try, and by disregarding this fact you are endangering your snake.