Thawing Techniques

Okay, we all know that there have been a whole bunch of posts on this topic, but what I want to know is three fold-

1. What method do you use to thaw your mouse/ratsicles?
2. What success have you had with feeding?
3. If you snake won't eat at first how do you raise the temp of the prey or what do you do to make the mouse more enticing?

as always you forum members are so sweet it's almost surreal.
(yeah! I'm alliterative!)

1. When I used a heat lamp, I'd throw it under there until it thawed out. Now I stick 'em in a plastic bag and thaw them in warm water.

2. Eleanor was a champion feeder until December -- hasn't eaten since :|

3. To heat up a rat more, I stick it under a hair dryer. Usually works quite well.

Best of luck! :)

I thaw one of two ways: Overnight in the fridge, and then warm up in hot water....or thaw in a bowl of hot water. Whether thawing or warming, I put the mouse in a plastic baggie before putting it in the water. You may have to change out the water if it cools off before the prey is completely thawed. Be sure to use hot TAP water...not microwaved or boiled water because you might cook the mouse.

Until my snake went on his 3-month fast, I had great success with this. Now, for some reason, he doesn't want to eat the same size he was eating before...but when I offered a frozen pink, he didn't have any problem. Still working on that one. :(

Warming a mouse under a heat-lamp will often do the trick. Some people will hold the mouse with tongs, (or similar tool) and make it do the Mousie-Cha-Cha. This only works if your snake isn't really shy to begin with.

Oddly enough, Hanover is Purty Darn Shy but does require a Mousie-Cha-Cha ( ;) ) performance before dining. I too use a plastic baggie and hot tap water, replaced once with more, to get the mousicle up to temp. However, either I buy cheap baggies or sandwich baggies are just too thin anyway, because if I use a sandwich baggie I end up with wet mouse and the snakes want a story of how I caught it for them and had to drag it through the river to bring it to them, so I skip storytime by using thicker bags like freezer bags, but I rinse and reuse them and keep them with the other husbandry supplies.

1) I soak my mice in lukewarm water until they are completly thawed.
2) I have had great sucess in feeding her this way.
3) She hasen't turned down a meal in a long time but is she did I would use a hairdryer to warm it up.

Oh, I put my mice after thawing in some paper towels and give them a good drying. After that I serve them to my "Royal Python" who prefers them dancing the "Mousie-Cha-Cha-Cha" and then feasts on her lovely dancers. (She's very cruel :))

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marla

... I end up with wet mouse and the snakes want a story of how I caught it for them and had to drag it through the river to bring it to them...

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You are SO funny! ROTFLMAO!

I'm in a mood tonight, can ya tell? ;)

LOL...yes, I did notice that! You're on quite a roll tonight!

ive used em all