How do you guys thaw your feed?

Freezer directly into styrofoam cooler filled with hot water (no baggies) and then to the snakes. It only takes about 20 minutes for them to be completely thawed and warm but not hot and my snakes don't seem to care if they're wet or dry and they tend to go for them better when I don't try to blow dry them.

I do it the REALLY slow way compared to you guys. I typically feed at night (after 7pm anyway), so I pull the frozen rats out of the freezer before I go to work in the morning and let them thaw at room temp on top of my T8s until I get home. Before feeding, I hit them with a hair dryer for 2-3 minutes, focusing on heating their heads the most. It works for me and I think it's quicker than waiting for rats to thaw in a bucket of water (since most of the work has been done while I'm not even home).

Probably the worst way to thaw frozen meat, of any kind, is in hot water(well, other then in a microwave). Putting something so cold into water that hot will effectively cook it. My sister is a chef and she rants all the time about how bad thawing meat in hot water is; ask any trained chef and they'll let you know. If you don't believe me(which is fine, I tried this myself just because I like first hand experience) take a frozen chicken breast and thaw it the same way you thaw your rats/mice. The chicken breast isn't an exact replica of a rat/mouse, but because cutting up a rat/mouse carcass is pretty messy and a bit gross, it will at least give you some idea if your water is cooking the meat or not. If you're determined to thaw in water, start with cold water first; it may be cold but it's still warmer then the frozen rat/mouse. As the rat/mouse starts to thaw you can change the water out for cool, and so on until it's completely soft and defrosted. Only then should you use warm water to warm it. Yes this way does take a little longer but it's better then cooking their food, yes?

I personally don't thaw in water(for myself or my snakes, unless I absolutely have to). I feed at night usually between 7-8. I'll get their food out of the freezer around 4-5(or whenever I get home) and let it sit out on top of their rack to thaw, which takes about 2 hours for a small rat. Once it's completely defrosted and about room temp I warm it with a hair dryer until the body is above 100 and the head is about 10 degrees hotter then the body; this takes less then a minute per small rat. Then I grab the tail with tongs, carefully open their tubs, and try to get their food in before they leap out at me:D Most of the time they hit it so hard the tail comes off, but the tail off is no big deal and doesn't bother them. Mine aren't shy about striking and coiling, but are about eating so I leave them alone to finish their meal and have not had one refuse yet. This way is super simple and super fast, and I know I'll never change. If you're unsure about how you want to thaw your f/t yet, give this way a try and see how you and you're snakes do with it:gj:

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Originally Posted by RoyalRose

Probably the worst way to thaw frozen meat, of any kind, is in hot water(well, other then in a microwave). Putting something so cold into water that hot will effectively cook it. My sister is a chef and she rants all the time about how bad thawing meat in hot water is; ask any trained chef and they'll let you know. If you don't believe me(which is fine, I tried this myself just because I like first hand experience) take a frozen chicken breast and thaw it the same way you thaw your rats/mice. The chicken breast isn't an exact replica of a rat/mouse, but because cutting up a rat/mouse carcass is pretty messy and a bit gross, it will at least give you some idea if your water is cooking the meat or not. If you're determined to thaw in water, start with cold water first; it may be cold but it's still warmer then the frozen rat/mouse. As the rat/mouse starts to thaw you can change the water out for cool, and so on until it's completely soft and defrosted. Only then should you use warm water to warm it. Yes this way does take a little longer but it's better then cooking their food, yes?

I personally don't thaw in water(for myself or my snakes, unless I absolutely have to). I feed at night usually between 7-8. I'll get their food out of the freezer around 4-5(or whenever I get home) and let it sit out on top of their rack to thaw, which takes about 2 hours for a small rat. Once it's completely defrosted and about room temp I warm it with a hair dryer until the body is above 100 and the head is about 10 degrees hotter then the body; this takes less then a minute per small rat. Then I grab the tail with tongs, carefully open their tubs, and try to get their food in before they leap out at me:D Most of the time they hit it so hard the tail comes off, but the tail off is no big deal and doesn't bother them. Mine aren't shy about striking and coiling, but are about eating so I leave them alone to finish their meal and have not had one refuse yet. This way is super simple and super fast, and I know I'll never change. If you're unsure about how you want to thaw your f/t yet, give this way a try and see how you and you're snakes do with it:gj:

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I've been defrosting my 8 month olds rats in hot water for 4 months and never had a problem. I actually got that advice from this forum.


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I thaw in a a zip lock bag in my fridge over night, then I plop the bag in warm water for 5 minutes, then hot water for 5-8 minutes, and check the temp with a heat gun then feed!

This way I avoid the guts popping, learnt the hard way from fridge>hot water = popping guts warm water first!

I actually lay all mine out over night in a sink and have a few balls that eat F/t doing it this way but if done in water I can't ever get them to. Only if bagged. But at room temp I have had good luck for a handful.