am i doing it wrong?

[Linds]

Originally posted by C.m.pyrrhus
My first question is, why kill pinks? For arguements sake, they will not bite or injure reptiles. Then, if you cannot stomach feeding snakes (or other herps) a live pink, why get any species that does?

Why does feeding prekilled only have to be about squeamish owners? I only feed live because I have to, not because I choose to. Maybe some people find it squeamish, but I feed prekilled for the animals. I know personally speaking, I like to get snakes established on dead prey as young as possible. Nothing worse than having to feed live jumbo rats. The longer you wait, the harder it can be to switch them over, especially with some pain in the butt feeders like ball pythons. Some timid neonates may also be scared of live. My Jamaicans had to be started out on dead. Not to mention that feeding live isn't a humane way for the feeder to go, if you are at all concerned with the well-being of the feeder. Although they may not bite the animal, there are still reasons to kill them.

Originally posted by joshm
Put them in the freezer they start to go numb and can't feel it and then they fall asleep. Not cruel at all if you ask me, it is better than wasting your time with gasing them and some people just don't have the heart to whack them.

It isn't about heart if you opt to put them in the freezer over whacking, it's a matter of courage. Freezing is the longest, most painful death you can inflict on a rodent. Though pinkies may not last as long as older rodents (rats can live over 24 hours!), they still take quite a while to die. The blood crystalizing in their veins is very painful for them.

[UpscaleBoas]

i'm knew here so forgive me....
large and medium rodents...can be killed instantly though cervical seperation---quick is good
i don't see how gassing a pinky of hopper is more humman..you guys all state that its along process...a pinky or hopper in the frezzer would die in minutes...yes i live in canada (for what ever reason that matters)...because of a pinkies small size the cold would kill them much faster then the hours of pain a human could go through.
But the biggest reason for doing it fast is that during that time any gut contents in your feeder are being consumed. It is widely believed that this food in the gut is an important source of vitamins (pinkies would have mothers milk in its the stomach probelly the only calcium in it)

[CHRISANDBOIDS14]

Hey,

Well i am Canadian and yes it does get dang cold up here and it sucks being really cold, like even if ur wearing clothes and a heavy coat and gloves and all it is still cold in -30C(real cold). I have had my fingers and toes go numb before at -15C and damn it hurts. Freezing a rodent to death is real cruel in my opinion and if it hurts to get a finger numb from the cold IMMAGINE DYING MAN! If you get a bruise, a vain has poped, that hurts alot too. Immagine that when ur cold. I am not squeamish and i have already taken like 50 mice out by snaping the spinal cord with something. My father prefers to wack them. If ur using CO2, its kina slow, have you ever held your breath till you almost go out? Its almost a desperate feeling at the end when your taking a breath. Immagine dying that way. I also totally agree with the fact that freezing uses up a rodents enerygy and reduces the nutrients the animal has. Kind of like a criket, if you dont gutload it, it shits out everything good and is worthless(pardon my english). In my opinion wacking and cervical seperation are the best and most humane and quick ways. If you cant do that, as everyone says, BUY THE DAMN THINGS FROZEN, ITS CHEAPER TOO!!!(pardon me again).

Chris

[marylyn101]

i feed dead pinkies becuase they grow up in such a short time. i have four kings all vary in size so i need all different kinds of mice sizes. pinkies sqiush and it's bloody hard to defrost them because they leak. I think i'll use the srcew driver method. i am not squimish i just think you should have respect for the life your taking. i started this and thank everyone for puttin there opions in. contiue on