Thawing mess help

if you overheat it, two things happen:

the rhodents dont hold together and you get a mess when the python constricts them.

and

you lose some vitamins the BP absolutely needs. it needs to be raw, not cooked, especially the liver and other internal organs.

i would suggest using warm, not hot, water to thaw it and warm it to about the body temperature of a living rhodent, and then give it a short blast with a hair dryer.

avoid all that and just feed live. As long as you don't put a starving rat in there and forget about it, its just as safe as F/T. Just without the mess and hassle.

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

avoid all that and just feed live. As long as you don't put a starving rat in there and forget about it, its just as safe as F/T. Just without the mess and hassle.

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Some people can't feed live all the time. Some dont want to have to take care of the rat or go to the provider of the live food all the time

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Originally Posted by Jay Mechtly

avoid all that and just feed live. As long as you don't put a starving rat in there and forget about it, its just as safe as F/T. Just without the mess and hassle.

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I am sorry but this simply isn't true. Ask around or search Google and you will find plenty of tales and photos of snakes that were seriously harmed by their meals. Simple as a snake striking the rat's midsection instead of the head and the rat whipping around to bite an eye or neck. I feed live because my pied male went off f/t and pre-killed and absolutely refuses to go back and he has had a few narrow escapes. Standing by with tongs to shove in the rat's mouth the moment he constricts is not much fun.

Yeah, injury is just one of several reasons I don't feed live.

Feeding live .... I wear a kevlar glove from menards (home improvement store) and grab the rat by the back of the neck. Using a wire cutter I clip the teeth. If you don't clip too much (no bleeding) and the snake does not take it, the teeth will grow out and the rat will be fine. Before anyone goes off on how cruel this method is :O , remember the rat is a food item. I have had zero issues with rat bits since using this method.

When feeding frozen, I thaw out the rats on a plastic grid that I salvaged from a ceiling florescent light. This way there is air movement around the entire rat. Things thaw out much faster. Then heat up slightly before feeding.

I just use the microwave. Bahaha

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Originally Posted by Pythonfriend

if you overheat it, two things happen:

the rhodents dont hold together and you get a mess when the python constricts them.

and

you lose some vitamins the BP absolutely needs. it needs to be raw, not cooked, especially the liver and other internal organs.

i would suggest using warm, not hot, water to thaw it and warm it to about the body temperature of a living rhodent, and then give it a short blast with a hair dryer.

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Hot water helps to thaw them out, but I only do once cycle. They're still frozen by the time the water cools down or at least on the inside they're frozen. Then the water just helps them thaw out, especially when you're when you're thawing 10+ rats. Then being under the heat lamp raises the temperature so it holds heat longer.

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Originally Posted by Liquid311

I just use the microwave. Bahaha

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I honestly hope you're joking, but I wouldn't say that in here as somebody may try it thinking you're serious.

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Originally Posted by Neal

I honestly hope you're joking, but I wouldn't say that in here as somebody may try it thinking you're serious.

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That is sad.

That's why I just P/K. No thawing, no mess, they are still warm, and you can't mess up and make they prey septic.


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