How do YOU thaw your rodents?

I was just curious how does everyone thaw their rodents? And how long it takes before they are 'ready'?

I have a 2x2x2 wood cage with wire racks. There is an incandescent lamp that warms the cage. It's my rodent oven. :D Kind of freakish if you think about it. :shh:

run them under cold water till soft all the way through. then hit em with warm water till thier bodies are nice and warm. oh all in a ziploc!

Ziploc and hot tap water changed periodically. Sometimes it takes a few hours if I have a lot to thaw out.

I tried leaving them in the snake room till they thawed and warmed them up but ended up throwing away 3 rats bc they didnt want them... since then I just stick to hot water and a baggie... bout 5-7mins per small rat... cant be too hot though or else you get the exploding rat!

I place them in a ziplock bag and submerge them in hot water. I usually wait 15 minutes and then replace the water with more hot water; 5-10 minutes later and I'm good to go. At the same time I have my live mice prescenting the room (I have one live feeder) and then when I offer f/t everyone is usually ready to go. If for some reason I get a snake that seems interested but doesn't strike then I give the mouse a little blast with the hair dryer and that usually does the trick as well.

Simple, I grab my wizard hat and Easy Bake Oven....

no connie uses ancient native american black magic to thaw frozen things in an instant.

I place 4 rats in a ziplock bag and place the bag in a small cooler full of hot tap water. I place a stone ashtray on top of the bag to keep the rats on the bottom of the cooler for one hour.

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Originally Posted by DSGB

no connie uses ancient native american black magic to thaw frozen things in an instant.

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:O SHHH!!! :whisper: Do you want everyone to know my ways?! *I put on my robe and wizard hat...*

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Ziploc and hot tap water changed periodically. Sometimes it takes a few hours if I have a lot to thaw out.

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Ditto!

I used to use Connie's technique but I've gotten lazier in my advanced age and now just leave them in the snake room to thaw all day... pre-scent and thaw in one easy step!!!

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Originally Posted by starmom

I used to use Connie's technique but I've gotten lazier in my advanced age and now just leave them in the snake room to thaw all day... pre-scent and thaw in one easy step!!!

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Giving up when your powers are in their prime?! :O

I take them out of the freezer before I go to work and put them in the snake room. They're usually ready by the time I get off of work. Depending on the size of the bag of rodents, sometimes I have to set them in warm water for a while. This is only for the colubrids, carpets and burms. The Balls all eat live.

Oven Rack


375 for 25 mins.....hahaha just messin


ziplock - hot water

Mine (when I get frozen) come in little individual bags. I fill up a bowl with hot water from the sink and let them thaw in that, still inside the bags. Sometimes I have to dump the water and put fresh hot water in until they are completely thawed. Then I set it on the screen top of my BPs tank and once he's ready to eat I heat it up with the hair dryer for a few minutes (making sure the head is nice and toasty :rolleyes:) then BAM! No more mouse :)

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Giving up when your powers are in their prime?! :O

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Oh Connie- you know what your parents taught you about the elders... we need to use those powers for much bigger events than thawing out our rat brothers and sisters ;)

I only have to thaw rabbits these days, but when I need one, I take it out of the freezer, and stick it in the fridge. It stays in the fridge inside a ziplock for 2 days or so depending on how big it is. I then wash the sink or bathtub, whichever I've decided to use at that point in time, and fill it up with hot tap water. By 2 days, the rabbit(2-2.5lbs) is thawed but still cold inside. I take it out of the ziplock and leave it in the water for an hour and then do a water change with more hot tap water.

I'm weird, and I move all of the rabbit's joints so it's as pliable for the snake as possible.

I then drain the water and run hot water on only the rabbit's head, so my boa will get the heat signature easily. After it's thawed and hot, I squeeze as much water out of the fur as I can and offer it to the snake. Sonja.. She'd eat a piece of wood with fur on it if I gave it to her ;)

I thaw rodents the same way, but not as long in the fridge and not as hot of water.

i leave mine in the fridge in the morning then blast it with the blow dryer for about 20 seconds before I feed.

I pull mine out when I leave for work in the AM. Move them to the top of the rack when I get home (around 6-7pm) and at around 9PM hit with a blow dryer and then serve.

Bruce

I thaw mine out in hot water in ziplock bags. This takes up to 4 hours for the last really big rat to thaw and warm up (for my adult black blood). I start thawing out all the rodents at the same time in a double sink. As each rat is thawed, I start feeding. Last week I had so much scent going I had one of my balls in shed feed. I had originally offered to my female pastel before I realized she was in shed at the beginning of the process and she refused...by the time I was done feeding everybody she had taken 2 small rats.

I put mine in an open tupperware container and put really hot water in. Takes Approx 5 mins.

i put a pan on the stove, then add some cold water, turn the burner on, and put it on medium, so it heats the water and keeps it warm but it doesnt boil it. then i submerge said pinkie rat into the water (making sure the baggie doesnt touch the edge of the pan) and swish it around a little. it takes about five to seven minutes, then i take them upstairs, and turn the blowdryer on high hot, point the air towards the snakes, and hit the pinks with the hot air. it seems like it blows the scents towards the bps and my kingsnake, and they all perk right up. :snake:

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Originally Posted by starmom

I used to use Connie's technique but I've gotten lazier in my advanced age and now just leave them in the snake room to thaw all day... pre-scent and thaw in one easy step!!!

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i pull a starmom and kill two birds with one stone by pre-scenting and thawing the rats in the snake room for a couple hours. i then put the thawed rats in ziplock bags and warm them up in hot water. best method for me yet.

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Originally Posted by m0esgirl

i put a pan on the stove, then add some cold water, turn the burner on, and put it on medium, so it heats the water and keeps it warm but it doesnt boil it. then i submerge said pinkie rat into the water (making sure the baggie doesnt touch the edge of the pan) and swish it around a little. it takes about five to seven minutes, then i take them upstairs, and turn the blowdryer on high hot, point the air towards the snakes, and hit the pinks with the hot air. it seems like it blows the scents towards the bps and my kingsnake, and they all perk right up. :snake:

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that is serious...:weirdface there isnt an easier way...?

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Originally Posted by Schlyne

I thaw mine out in hot water in ziplock bags. This takes up to 4 hours for the last really big rat to thaw and warm up (for my adult black blood). I start thawing out all the rodents at the same time in a double sink. As each rat is thawed, I start feeding. Last week I had so much scent going I had one of my balls in shed feed. I had originally offered to my female pastel before I realized she was in shed at the beginning of the process and she refused...by the time I was done feeding everybody she had taken 2 small rats.

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I do check the water and swap it out for hot water when it cools off.

that is serious...:weirdface there isnt an easier way...?[/QUOTE]



lol it sounds like alot to do, but it really is pretty easy, i have the blowdryer in the snake's room ( i use it more for them than i do for my hair!) and my method seems to work pretty well for me.

One of my snakes eats live, the other eats frozen. So the last few times I have gone to the store to pick up the live, I also bought a frozen one. Driving time inside a hot car in Florida usually thaws it out pretty well. By the time I get home and get ready to feed, the mouse is warm, and the ziplock they gave it to me in smells of mouse. I just put the mouse on top of the ziplock, inside the tub. It keeps the snake from grabbing bedding with the prey, and works to pre-scent the tub.


I used to put the baggy in water, but lately this has been working out really well.

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Originally Posted by bigballs

i pull a starmom and kill two birds with one stone...

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:bow::rofl: