My frozen thawed rats smell like sour milk

I couldn't find a thread for feeding. So I'm posting here. Please help me. Last night the freezer popped open just slightly. The rat feeders sit on the freezer door.
This afternoon around exactly 12 noon. My roommate noticed that there was water all over the freezer from it being slightly open. I felt the rats and noticed they were only slightly thawed but still firmish. About 15 rats btw. So like soft to the touch on the outer layers but not squeesy in the stomach like when you fully thaw them for feeding they were still firm. I opened a few bags to smell them to see if they had gone ripe. Hoping so hard that they didn't. But the smell was like slightly spoiled milk. Remember they weren't completely thawed. But there was definitely a slight spoiled milk smell. Some bags were were less thawed and still smelled slightly like spoiled milk. Is this ok? Can you smell your rats and see if they smell slightly like spoiled milk? I bought these from bigcheese rodent factory btw.

Are this still safe to refreeze and feed my snakes with?

Mine have never smelled like anything spoiled.

After thawing & blow drying, they often give off a pretty strong "rodent" scent... but that's it.

I think you're ok on these rats...FYI, dead wet rats DO smell a bit like "sour milk", now that you mention it. People who keep pet rats sometimes give
them baths to minimize their ratty odor, but trust me, rats raised as feeders have never had a bath. :rofl:

Spoiled rats are another thing altogether...I think you'll know. But a "sour" smell is just rat B.O.

I would toss probably them, personally. But it's tough to say from here since I can't smell them. I cook for a living, so I always say "when in doubt, throw it out".

I would not keep them in the door. Keep them in the freezer itself from and under something since people go in and out of it. A "slightly" off smell is normal especially when wet. Try to feed one...they will tell you it's a nope rat!

Before our snakes took to regular feedings, I sometimes refroze the rat/mouse they wouldn't eat based on feedback from threads here. I would only do it once and then would dispose of it if rejected a second time. They have both eaten once refrozen mice with no issues. Yes, all of the rats I have feed had an odor and it's worse when wet as others mentioned. You should be fine. I probably wouldn't go the refreeze if rejected route with these but you should be good to feed them.

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I've also noticed a very mild 'old dairy' scent on dead wet rats. Almost like a stinky cheese? I've always been told that as long as the rats were still cold, they're safe(typically in regards to shipping, though). The smell of a rotten feeder is definitely something you'll notice though, and your snakes probably will too(and refuse to eat unless they're garbage disposals like mine)!

The worst thing about feeding f/t rats is the 'aroma' that fills the bathroom when you give them that final blast from the hair dryer.

Oh I should add that their tails were thawed completely. Not their bodies though.


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Originally Posted by alittleFREE

Mine have never smelled like anything spoiled.

After thawing & blow drying, they often give off a pretty strong "rodent" scent... but that's it.

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Yeah that's what I'm afraid of. Usually just that rodent pee smell. Very strong rodent pee


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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

I think you're ok on these rats...FYI, dead wet rats DO smell a bit like "sour milk", now that you mention it. People who keep pet rats sometimes give
them baths to minimize their ratty odor, but trust me, rats raised as feeders have never had a bath. :rofl:

Spoiled rats are another thing altogether...I think you'll know. But a "sour" smell is just rat B.O.

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So you're saying that the slight dairy smell is just how rats usually smell before they are thawed out?


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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

I would not keep them in the door. Keep them in the freezer itself from and under something since people go in and out of it. A "slightly" off smell is normal especially when wet. Try to feed one...they will tell you it's a nope rat!

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I usually do. In fact I have done in the freezer main part too. But I had some more shipped and no room in the main part of the freezer so therefore I used the door. I did what I had to do. Was better that then no freezer at all.
And I don't have the space in my tiny campus apartment for a mini deep freezer. Also yeah.... Duh lol I most def learn from my mistakes. As soon as it happened I thought no more rats in the door ever again. Good point though. [emoji1474]


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Originally Posted by slseals1969

Before our snakes took to regular feedings, I sometimes refroze the rat/mouse they wouldn't eat based on feedback from threads here. I would only do it once and then would dispose of it if rejected a second time. They have both eaten once refrozen mice with no issues. Yes, all of the rats I have feed had an odor and it's worse when wet as others mentioned. You should be fine. I probably wouldn't go the refreeze if rejected route with these but you should be good to feed them.

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But was the odor like spoiled milk or rat pee?


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Originally Posted by sufficio

I've also noticed a very mild 'old dairy' scent on dead wet rats. Almost like a stinky cheese? I've always been told that as long as the rats were still cold, they're safe(typically in regards to shipping, though). The smell of a rotten feeder is definitely something you'll notice though, and your snakes probably will too(and refuse to eat unless they're garbage disposals like mine)!

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Yes a stinky cheese smell! Or slightly small spoiled milk smell. Like right as the milk is just about to go bad type smell. The rats were def still cold just slightly thawed. And unfortunately/fortunately my snake is a garbage disposal too. So does anyone know if he does eat one of he'll get sick. Bc he will eat anything. He's a powerhouse.

Also thank you so much everyone for replying. I've been so worried. I'm still confused but this has been so helpful.

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Originally Posted by Zuri Indigo

So you're saying that the slight dairy smell is just how rats usually smell before they are thawed out?


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It's harder to smell it when they're frozen, but as they thaw (& you mentioned the tails were thawed, which makes sense, ya?) you'll notice the smell more, and if
like others mentioned, you "blow-dry them before feeding" you'll get the very "best" aroma, lol. It's normal rat B.O. & stronger from male rats than females but in
a bag of feeders it's just gonna be there. As I said before, ppl with PET rats sometimes BATHE them for this very reason! -they do tend to smell like RATS. :rolleyes:
And the bigger (older) the rats were in life, the more body odor they produce...it's perfume to other ratties, you know. Not so much to us, though...

You never want your feeders to thaw, but since these were minimally thawed & still cold, as I said before, I think you're fine to re-freeze & feed them. If your snakes
say otherwise, then maybe your nose has missed something that theirs got. Obviously, this isn't a "scratch & sniff" forum, lol. You should already have been familiar
with their normal aroma from prior feeds? (and if you're worried that the tails thawed & could have spoiled, you could remove & toss them...your snake won't care.)

P.S. I still don't recommend re-freezing any that are TOTALLY thawed (as in "re-offering" prey that was warmed & then refused...that's asking for trouble)
But from what you described, I believe these are SAFE to feed. OK?

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

As I said before, ppl with PET rats sometimes BATHE them for this very reason! -they do tend to smell like RATS. [emoji57]

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Obviously, this isn't a "scratch & sniff" forum, lol. You should already have been familiar
with their normal aroma from prior feeds?

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This was the first time I've smelt directly in the bag before thawing overnight and heating up. This smell was different to me that's the only reason I asked. And it was a new batch of feeders. I haven't fed any of these from this batch to Jim yet. And it's the first size up from rat pups to smalls so I wasn't sure if it were normal or not. I wasn't trying to be a bother at all man. It was just a simple question. Thanks for your help I've always appreciated any advice. Meh [emoji17]









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