any tips of warming up larger rats faster

I know that patience is key when dealing with BPs but I don't seem to have it when warming up rats. I'm using medium rats and they seem to take so long to warm up with a blow dryer.

Do you guys have any tips/suggestions on making the process faster?

Take them out of your freezer the day before freezing and place them in your refridgerator overnight. . . Longer process initially, but when you go to use them that afternoon you will find they are quickly warmed up. . .

When I thaw out Large to Jumbo Rats, I usually just thaw them out in a bucket of warm water. Change the water every 30 minutes, and it should be thawed within an hour or so. It takes "longer" but its more hands off which makes it go faster for you since you can multitask while you take care of other stuff. Some people have issues using wet rats, but my snakes love em.

I already take them out of the freezer the night before, let it thaw in the fridge and then leave it out for an hour so it reaches room temp.

I'm thinking of soaking it in hot water before blow drying it

That works as well. . . I just find the hotwater to be more convinient! Set it and forget it :-)

I let them reach room temperature (about 80deg in my snake room), and then just hit the head with a hairdryer for ~30 seconds. I see no reason to heat the entire rat, since I am offering it headfirst.

Put in a plastic zipper bag so the rat won't be wet when you soak it in the warm water.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I let them reach room temperature (about 80deg in my snake room), and then just hit the head with a hairdryer for ~30 seconds. I see no reason to heat the entire rat, since I am offering it headfirst.

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Does this work consistently? I find that if I don't have the body heated she will stare at it but won't take it. It could be the head isn't warm enough though...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I let them reach room temperature (about 80deg in my snake room), and then just hit the head with a hairdryer for ~30 seconds. I see no reason to heat the entire rat, since I am offering it headfirst.

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^This^

I warm up jumbo rats (retired breeder) like this, all it's needed is heat where it matters. :gj:

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Originally Posted by Rusky

Does this work consistently? I find that if I don't have the body heated she will stare at it but won't take it. It could be the head isn't warm enough though...

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This is how I feed ~30 BPs, so yes, very consistent. :) I offer the rat by holding it by the scruff (behind the shoulders) with tongs, which directs it headfirst toward the snake. It could be that you aren't heating the head enough, or that the body isn't truly room temp yet, so the head is cooling faster when you remove the heat.

Add: The best part is, now my BPs are "trained" to the hairdryer. If they aren't front and center, halfway out of their hides, within a minute or two of turning it on, they aren't hungry and I don't waste my time even offering to that snake.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

Add: The best part is, now my BPs are "trained" to the hairdryer. If they aren't front and center, halfway out of their hides, within a minute or two of turning it on, they aren't hungry and I don't waste my time even offering to that snake.

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Yes! This is exactly what mine does too. She know loud blowing = food.

Awesome, I'll try that next time I feed her. Thanks for the tips everyone.

I offer mine with a hemostat holding the tail. Most of the time recently the head is about all that makes it into the tub before it's ripped away from me.


Plastic baggie full of rats -> bucket of the hottest water my sink produces

I change the water 2 times and the third time I just hold the head under water in the corner of the baggie to heat it up. I'd use a hair dryer if I had one but this is working fine for now.

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Originally Posted by MrLang

I offer mine with a hemostat holding the tail. Most of the time recently the head is about all that makes it into the tub before it's ripped away from me.


Plastic baggie full of rats -> bucket of the hottest water my sink produces

I change the water 2 times and the third time I just hold the head under water in the corner of the baggie to heat it up. I'd use a hair dryer if I had one but this is working fine for now.

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pretty much sums up my method. ill leave a bag of frozen rats out over night if im trying to plan ahead but if im in a hurry just plastic bags and hot water. soon as i come in with the bags they are waiting to shoot out of their tubs haha.

I let mine soak in hot water while I am finishing up other cleaning / feeding chores. Never enough time or free hands to get it all done.

I soak the rat in a plastic bag in hot water from the tap in a large plastic bowl and change the water every 5 minutes till I think they are warm enough.

i have a 5 gallon bucket that i put the rats in with warm water. i change the water once or twice then set it im my snake room untill they finish heating up to pre scent. then i grab one out with my tongs and dry it of real quick with a towl and im good to go. it works for me

I tossed mine in the fridge to thaw over night and then I dipped it in hot water for about 10-15 seconds, then I put him in front of my little guy, and after a little coercion he went for the bite and the deed was done.

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Originally Posted by MrLang

Plastic baggie full of rats -> bucket of the hottest water my sink produces

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This is what I used to do, and it worked fine. Now, before I leave for work, I'll put the rodents I need in bags, then let them thaw while I'm at work. When I get home, normally they're still cold. I dump 'em in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, and the snakes eat 'em :gj:.

Before work, I throw all of the rats/mice in an empty tub in my rack so they are thawed/warmed by the heat tape. Normally, the smell of them thawing for 8+ hours will have the snakes just waiting for me to open the their tubs. I also use the hairdryer on the head to. Most of my breeders would probably take the rat frozen if I gave it to em, but thats not happening.