First Cull...

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Originally Posted by JabbaTheMutts

Yes because suffocation is much more humane :rolleyes:

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Exactly, that's what the snake does and nobody complains. If anything just wacking it is much quicker

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Originally Posted by frankykeno

Is there any possibility some of you could show a little common sense and maturity and choose not to intrude into this sort of thread with the "just whack it to death" stuff. If that's how you personally choose to put a living animal down then so be it. Layna obviously felt a bit bad about her first humane euthanizing of a prey item so let's just all be big boys and girls and respect this member's feelings okay.

Layna, it's not easy dear to be the agent of this sort of thing. Just as it's not always easy feeding live for me. The only comfort or advice I can share with you is that you did it right and you did it humanely. You obviously have a level of respect for the prey item (sadly not shared by some) and in that you show your respect and care for the snake that will live off that mouse.

When I first bred my rats and saw their young born it was very hard for me to feed those cute fuzzy baby rats to our snakes. I remember though that nature in her wisdom created them to be what they are....predator and prey. I'm just a very small cog in that big unending wheel. So for me Layna, I just offer respect to both, am glad for what the rodent does for my snakes and remind myself every week that what I feel is a natural human emotion. The snake and the rat don't require my feelings so I respect my place in their dynamic as much as I can.

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Some days I wake up and hope that the idiots have scampered off and found a new hobby. Unfortunately it just isn't in the cards. Great post as always Jo!

Thank you Joanna. You are absolutely right.

And no, they do not suffocate when they are constricted. The blood actually ceases to flow to the brain, therefore cutting off oxygen. So the mouse, in essence, faints. CO2 chambers do about the same thing. Replacing oxygen with carbon dioxide slowly, and fainting occur, which is then followed by death since the brain isn't receiving any oxygen.

So how would you like to die? Fainting or a car crash where you may or may not die?

Seems to be one of my "less than patient" days Jamie LOL. You're very welcome Layna and I admire you in being honest with your discomfort, and in taking the good advice given in this thread about tweaking your procedures to make them efficient and even more humane. I didn't want you to feel you were the only person here who has ever felt uncomfortable about these aspects of snake keeping.

Thanks Becky for once again explaining that rodents do not suffocate during constriction. That old myth is just so very ingrained it seems no matter how many times we show scientific evidence and post links to help educate, some just won't bother to listen.

I just feed my rats to my snake alive and let him do all the work! Jump down my throat all you want but this method seems to work very nicely and I am always there in case something bad happens. I found that a waterbottle comes in handy if the rat starts to make me nervous around the snake....

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Originally Posted by Wolfsnaps

I just feed my rats to my snake alive and let him do all the work! Jump down my throat all you want but this method seems to work very nicely and I am always there in case something bad happens. I found that a waterbottle comes in handy if the rat starts to make me nervous around the snake....

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Why do you think someone here would jump down your throat for feeding live? :confused:

The 2 Methods listed to humanely dispatch prey are but not limited to
Cervical dislocation(snapping the neck)
CO2 death
but a combination of 2 or more methods is recomended to ensure death.
According to the AVA(I think thats the name), even the use of dry ice is in humane since there is no way to accurately control the amount of carbon dioxide in the chamber.
This is for those who wish to get all specific about what is humane and what isn't. I will continue to do cervical dislocation and CO2 since there are the 2 methods I am good at and feel better about.
Many may disagree but there is more than 1 way to do it. The purpose of humanely killing prey is to take it down fast and as painlessly as possible.

Heres a good link to some of the above info. Most came from readings and reports I did last year.
http://www.research.cornell.edu/care...Ps/CARE301.pdf

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Originally Posted by JabbaTheMutts

next time put it in a brown lunch bag and give it a good wack on the wall. It's faster for you and the mouse.

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have you ever had a decent post? I'm sorry but you don't contribute anything positive ever. Have a little decency man! (if this is considered a personal attack and against T.O.S. i'm sorry)

since I'm almost done fuming about this...
About whacking them please don't it is inhumane, and anyway CO2 chambers are not literally suffocation. When you have too much co2 in your blood you will hyperventilate (i.e. running or any excercise) there are sensors in your brain for co2 and they will try to compensate for the excesses as well as try to reduce the ph in your blood (dissolved co2=carbonic acid) the brain will try to even things out, but if it can't you'll just get drowsy and pass in your sleep (if co2 is introduced more gradually you won't notice a thing you'll just get real tired), it is in no way like drowning which is a horrible terrible death and what I would consider closer to suffocation. Co2 is more humane as there is no panic involved and in the end is quiet. kind of a slip shod explanation but hopefully you get the idea that co2 is quiet and peaceful not at all similar to death by suffocation.

compare it to a yourself... whould you rather have blunt force trauma to the head or die quietly in your sleep?

Heres another great source although a bit old, not much has changed on their practices.
http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_we...euthanasia.pdf
Look about 1/3 down at Carbon dioxide
Look about 1/2 down for Physical methods.