My frozen thawed rats smell like sour milk

I couldn't find a thread for feeding. So I'm posting here. Please help me. Last night the freezer popped open just slightly. The rat feeders sit on the freezer door.
This afternoon around exactly 12 noon. My roommate noticed that there was water all over the freezer from it being slightly open. I felt the rats and noticed they were only slightly thawed but still firmish. About 15 rats btw. So like soft to the touch on the outer layers but not squeesy in the stomach like when you fully thaw them for feeding they were still firm. I opened a few bags to smell them to see if they had gone ripe. Hoping so hard that they didn't. But the smell was like slightly spoiled milk. Remember they weren't completely thawed. But there was definitely a slight spoiled milk smell. Some bags were were less thawed and still smelled slightly like spoiled milk. Is this ok? Can you smell your rats and see if they smell slightly like spoiled milk? I bought these from bigcheese rodent factory btw.

Are this still safe to refreeze and feed my snakes with?

Mine have never smelled like anything spoiled.

After thawing & blow drying, they often give off a pretty strong "rodent" scent... but that's it.

I think you're ok on these rats...FYI, dead wet rats DO smell a bit like "sour milk", now that you mention it. People who keep pet rats sometimes give
them baths to minimize their ratty odor, but trust me, rats raised as feeders have never had a bath. :rofl:

Spoiled rats are another thing altogether...I think you'll know. But a "sour" smell is just rat B.O.

I would toss probably them, personally. But it's tough to say from here since I can't smell them. I cook for a living, so I always say "when in doubt, throw it out".

I would not keep them in the door. Keep them in the freezer itself from and under something since people go in and out of it. A "slightly" off smell is normal especially when wet. Try to feed one...they will tell you it's a nope rat!

Before our snakes took to regular feedings, I sometimes refroze the rat/mouse they wouldn't eat based on feedback from threads here. I would only do it once and then would dispose of it if rejected a second time. They have both eaten once refrozen mice with no issues. Yes, all of the rats I have feed had an odor and it's worse when wet as others mentioned. You should be fine. I probably wouldn't go the refreeze if rejected route with these but you should be good to feed them.

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I've also noticed a very mild 'old dairy' scent on dead wet rats. Almost like a stinky cheese? I've always been told that as long as the rats were still cold, they're safe(typically in regards to shipping, though). The smell of a rotten feeder is definitely something you'll notice though, and your snakes probably will too(and refuse to eat unless they're garbage disposals like mine)!

The worst thing about feeding f/t rats is the 'aroma' that fills the bathroom when you give them that final blast from the hair dryer.

Oh I should add that their tails were thawed completely. Not their bodies though.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by alittleFREE

Mine have never smelled like anything spoiled.

After thawing & blow drying, they often give off a pretty strong "rodent" scent... but that's it.

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Yeah that's what I'm afraid of. Usually just that rodent pee smell. Very strong rodent pee


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