Morals and ethics of snake as feeders (what do you do with your normal spin-off)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Wholesale...... Some went to petstores and some went as feeders.

---

What do you feed them to? You feed them live or euthanize them first?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

King cobras gotta eat, right?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BPGator

What do you feed them to? You feed them live or euthanize them first?

---

Kingsnake breeders. Dont know what they do.
I had a couple hatchlings that were kinked bad, my Mexican Blacks made quick work in them. Its hard for me to watch but I have seen people just throw their normal in the freezer then trash them. I cant see wasting a life......

Actually it's not humane to freeze any animal to death, if an animal rights group catches you they can confiscate all your animals, I've seen articles about it. If you want to euthanize a snake it's best to use CO2 until you knock them out, then decapitate them (CO2 won't kill them, just put them to sleep).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cchardwick

Actually it's not humane to freeze any animal to death, if an animal rights group catches you they can confiscate all your animals, I've seen articles about it. If you want to euthanize a snake it's best to use CO2 until you knock them out, then decapitate them (CO2 won't kill them, just put them to sleep).

I've seen pet stores sell a Normal for as much as $100 (actually $110 with tax). Here in Colorado at the shows they usually group them by sex and put them in multiples in show cases and sell them for $20 or $25, even more in other states. Wholesalers will give you $15 each and pay for the shipping but you have to have at least 10 of them. Using adult size normal females is a great way to expand your breeding operation at a low cost, they are cheap and if you spend more money on a good male they can be very productive. I actually have three Normal females and two normal het Caramel Albino breeders.

If you use a 'dull looking' five or six gene male you'll get a rainbow of different combos from those Normals. In fact I know that most big breeders tend to hang on to their Normal females, not only can you get some neat snakes from them you can also prove out unknown males. Even a large Normal male can sell for up to $100 and would make a fantastic pet. I have one Normal female that I think may be a brand new morph and I'm hoping to prove her out. If you have a keen eye you can pick up something brand new for next to nothing.

---

Wha?? CO2 sure will kill them if you leave them in there long enough just like any other animal that breathes air. How do you think CO2 chambers are made for rats. You use a paintball gun cartridge in a tub with a screw type valve. And i dont know if i agree that even gas chambers are that humane either. I mean they darn well know they cant breath and i would imagine they are stressing. It's like if you were put in a CO2 chamber lol. I mean rats arent humans but anything will know if it is losing the ability to breath.

Oh or some make a MacGuyver chamber with dry ice in a small container with holes inside a larger tub with the rats in it.

Sell them as food? Wtf! That is just not right! That makes me so angry on so many levels. We breed snakes because we love them and to sell them off so king cobras can eat them? I can't...I just cant! I am appalled!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

Sell them as food? Wtf! That is just not right! That makes me so angry on so many levels. We breed snakes because we love them and to sell them off so king cobras can eat them? I can't...I just cant! I am appalled!

---

It's the circle of life. Thats the same as someone who loves rats getting mad that us snake keepers feed them to snakes. Or little baby chickens. It's all the cycle of life. As long as its not going to waste and is used for food.

Not quite sure how you can be angered by that yet ok to feed your BP mice or rats......or feeding retics rabbits and guinea pigs.....

And i personally dont do it. Was more just a statement as i dont breed snakes but i do know people who do sell off normals as food for other animals.

That's why I feed frozen thawed. If they are alive I can't do it. I cry like a baby. I dont know how you cAn see those cute little snoots pop out of the egg, alive, and then send them to their death. I just can't. With booples rats I never see them alive. I had rats as pets in high school. But these are not those rats and they are already gone and frozen when o get them. There is no attachment. There is a difference.

I've gassed snakes before, you can keep them in CO2 for a really long time and after you take them out they can revive themselves , it's amazing. CO2 isn't perfect but if you read state laws about euthanization its the most legal and accepted method for all animals. I used to breed canaries and when I started I froze all my deformed chicks, apparently that's not legal and supposedly a very painful way to go. Another approved method is an explosive device like a gun or bomb LOL. That's probably the quickest and most humane but may be the most dangerous for the user, I wouldn't recommend it!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

That's why I feed frozen thawed. If they are alive I can't do it. I cry like a baby. I dont know how you cAn see those cute little snoots pop out of the egg, alive, and then send them to their death. I just can't. With booples rats I never see them alive. I had rats as pets in high school. But these are not those rats and they are already gone and frozen when o get them. There is no attachment. There is a difference.

---

But at some point they are indeed alive.... and at some point someone has to kill them... so all in all a life is a life... is it right to judge wether the life of a snake is worth more than the life of a rat? Not everyone has such attachment, and in fact if they did it would probably be pretty hard to breed reptiles... or any animal for that matter. Life is only fair in the fact that is unfair to everything equally.