humane way to prekill rats?

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Originally Posted by jglass38

You haven't offended me, however your example doesn't belong in a thread about HUMANE ways to prekill rats. The only two acceptable methods for HUMANE killing are CO2 and cervical dislocation. Thumping, strangling with pliers and anything else that people have thought of doesn't qualify and shouldn't be put out there as an example of HUMANE prekilling

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Sorry,is their a way someone can delete my comments?

I want to apoligize if my example of how i kill my rats has offended anyone.I never think about the rats trauma since they are a food item for reptiles.I meant for my example to be a way that your snake does not get injured while attempting to eat its meal.Thank you

There are laws some places that would consider doing the pliar thing cruel to animals therefore you can get fined. I like the CO2 way the most. I've used it 2 times and usually the rat is knocked out before it hits the bottom of the tub. Painless, quicks, and they can be fed off right after that. The other way I do is hold the rat by his tail or put it in a pillow case. Slam it 2 or 3 good times on the floor and you have a dead or stunned rat. Takes only a second or 2 to get it done. The other way I have heard of is holding the rat/mouse with a pen or pencil at the neck and pull the tail. Dislocates the neck making for a great twitch dance and an immediate death. Practice it on dead mice and rats to get the pull part right

When we knock out large numbers of rats, to be frozen...



We use C02. We use a pick-up truck tool box like thing... Around 6' x 2'.

We made a sytem where you connect a paint ball gun C02 tank to a hose, and the hose goes into the box. After we unload around 40 onces of C02, we are ready to put the rats, mice in.

Disconect the hose, wait about 8 minutes, open the lid to the box and its done.

That usualy lets us put down 200-300 rats/mice depending on sizes.

IMO, the best humane way to kill the feeders.

Here is a step by step to make your own. Contrary to the earlier post that states it should be airtight while using dry ice, The only time you should be using an airtight container is when you are using Co2 from a canister. Dry ice is constantly sublimating (turning from solid to gas) If you put that in an iartight container it can explode.

Dry ice here is $0.62 per lb. For 1-5 prey items I use about 1/4 of a pound.

Link to the post http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...814#post333814

Bryan

Great link there!! You can get dry ice for free from some grocery stores when you buy frozen stuff. Tell them you have a long trip back to your house or the A/C in the car is broken and you don't want the food to thaw. They usually have some laying around. I did this 1 time.

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Originally Posted by jglass38

The only two acceptable methods for HUMANE killing are CO2 and cervical dislocation.

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You just made me remember to type something Jamie....Thanks.

I would just like to share my opinion on cervical dislocation based on my experience with euthanizing rodents. I think of cervical dislocation as humane for mice, but not rats. Because the method involves the 'tail pull', this can end in a messy and horrible situation if used for rats. Since rats have such thin skin on their tails, it is very easy to 'scalp' a rats tail when doing a cervical dislocation. That is a cruel thing to do to any animal, so if I ever recommend that way of euthanizing rodents, I always like to point that out.

i know exactly what Daniel is talking about. one time i accidently 'skinned' a little bit of the rats tail. i just let my snakes do the killing now. if i were to prekill again i would use co2.

LMAO about skinning the tail. I did have that happen with a f/t rat too!! lol It was gross and really unexpeted. I forgot about that until now, Thanks for reminding me

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Originally Posted by daniel1983

You just made me remember to type something Jamie....Thanks.

I would just like to share my opinion on cervical dislocation based on my experience with euthanizing rodents. I think of cervical dislocation as humane for mice, but not rats. Because the method involves the 'tail pull', this can end in a messy and horrible situation if used for rats. Since rats have such thin skin on their tails, it is very easy to 'scalp' a rats tail when doing a cervical dislocation. That is a cruel thing to do to any animal, so if I ever recommend that way of euthanizing rodents, I always like to point that out.

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Thanks for posting that Daniel. A humane method of euthanization is only as good as the practitioner. Just as the tail scalp can happen, with CO2 if you allow too much too soon, it can be a very painful death for the rodent.

The only reason I got into this discussion is my feelings about humanity towards animals. I don't like to see any animal suffer, even if it is "just a rodent" that is being fed to my snakes.