General Questions about F/T

I've had it up to here with buying live feeders from my local reptile shop. He had me psyched on him for awhile because of the deals he gives me, but the honeymoon phase is over as I notice more and more of his practices being ones I wouldn't dare do myself. So now it's time to start saving some money, stop risking my snakes health and move on over to F/T! I know this has been covered a million times a million different ways but it's Friday night, I've had a long week and I really can't see myself sifting through ten or fifteen threads to find what I'm after. Help a brother out!

Obstacles: I live in a house with five room mates. They're pretty chill guys, but when asked if they'd be cool with me thawing rats on the kitchen counter or even in the bathroom once a week, they were less than excited about the idea. I can't blame them, really. They also were not that excited about me keeping frozen rats in the freezer. That's okay, I can get a mini-fridge.

Questions:
1) How bad is this going to smell? I've read the healthier the specimen the less stench created. If I buy top quality rodents, will I be able to thaw them in my room all day then bring my girlfriend over without her being able to tell, or is it going to smell like a corpse?

2) If it will smell terrible, are there any inexpensive ways around this? Thawing in a Zip-Loc bag, etc.

3) Where do you get your F/T?

4) How is this usually shipped? I'm generally not home during the day. If they're just dropped off are they all going to thaw out on my porch or do I have to be home to sign for them, how's this usually work?

It's funny that the majority of my F/T concerns revolve around me being worried about just getting them and thawing them more so than I am about her taking them. I already know that's going to be a whole other battle once this half is over.

my answers and this doesnt mean that they are 100% correct its just how i do things. Im guessing you have a small collection.
question 1

I have never noticed any smell from my rats. I defrost them in warm water in a bag in an old pot. This can take some time depending on water temp and size of pray. Don't make the water to hot you don't wanna start cooking them. When their defrosted I use a hair dryer to heat them up, paying most of the attention to the head ( thats where there gonna strike).
Defrosting them in you room is a good idea. It sents the room and can make them more likly to eat.

question 2

Again never had a smell. always defrost in a bag. 9 outa 10 times the snake isn't gona eat a wet rat.

question 3

most pet shops should have them. If your looking to buy in bulk online try Rodent Pro.com

question 4

I have never order rats online because I have a reptile store 5 min from my house. From what I have read on feeder sites they are shiped over nite (expensive) with ice packs/dry ice.

Before you go and put in an order some where get some frozen and see if your snake(s) will eat them. Getting them to switch can be very hard. I got 2 that just wont touch f/t or p/k but will hammer live. some switch with no poblem so if they don't take one right away keep trying.

I hope I helped you out a little

The rats I get don't smell too strong. They definitely smell like rats though!! I thaw them out on a heat pad in front of the rack which still takes several hours. I never noticed a rat smell in the room, but the snakes sure do...

It won't smell like a rotten animal. If it does, then chunk the rat and find a new supplier!

I wouldn't suggest leaving them out all day. I usually leave mine in the fridge all day while I'm at work and then blast em with the blow dryer before feeding. I've never smelled anything...

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Originally Posted by Mr. Constrictor

I have never order rats online because I have a reptile store 5 min from my house.

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I can get frozen at Petco down the road, but ordered from rodent pro cause it's much cheaper and actually a better product. If you make the order big enough to fill up the box they use, you're shipping per rat goes down and you save money.

You can even buy a cheap, small chest freezer and still end up paying less in the end. Retail is terrible!

I agree, there should be no or very little smell with FT. I thaw mine next to my snake tank- a plastic dish (I usually use a margarine container or sour cream container) some warm water (not hot because you don't want to cook the FT) and I stick a heavy spoon over the frozen prey (which are DRY inside a zip-lock bag) and leave it in there for about an hour. Then I stick it under the lamp for a few minutes and dinners ready:)

I just ordered my first f/t

1. They don't smell that bad at all
2. I put them in individual ziplocks. This helps with smell, and keeps the rat dry. While in the ziplock I put them in a cup of hot water from the sink for 10mins. I pour that water out and add new hot water in again and let it sit for 5 mins. By that time the rat is thawed. I take the ziplock out and it's ready to eat.
3. I got mine from bigcheeserodents and they were great. No urine or death smell. Great looking rats too!
4. They ship with insulation type padding and dry ice. Mine sat on the door step all day in Texas heat (upper 90s) and they were still frozen to the bone!!

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Originally Posted by kid_mustango02

I can get frozen at Petco down the road, but ordered from rodent pro cause it's much cheaper and actually a better product. If you make the order big enough to fill up the box they use, you're shipping per rat goes down and you save money.

You can even buy a cheap, small chest freezer and still end up paying less in the end. Retail is terrible!

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I was Trying NOT to mention PetCo, PetSmart, Petland. They have NO business selling anything for reptiles. It gives the impression that they know what they are doing when it comes to reptiles.

If there is EVER a smell, other than a certain 'ratiness', with FT you should chuck it and get new. When frozen they should smell cold and when thawed they should smell like a clean rat.

As for thawing, I do mine in a tupperware container in hot water shortly before feeding...usually while pre-scenting those who don't take FT. :) For mice and rat pups it takes about 5-10 minutes, and for medium adult rats it takes about 30 minutes for a good complete thaw. RIGHT before offering I blast em with the hair dryer so they're good and warm.

Right now I get my FT from Colorado Rocky Mountain Rodents. They're nearby, the owner is a sweet woman, the prices are the most reasonable I saw (and I go nutes comparison shopping), and the packaging is great. :)

Most frozen rodent orders are shipped priority or even overnight in an insulated box with dry ice. I have an arrangement with my supplier and the ladies in the apartment office that the UPS man should leave the box at the office. They keep it in a cool room until I get home.

Thanks, sounds like that part will be much easier than I thought.

Yep. The hard part is getting the snakes to switch from live to FT. :D

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Originally Posted by Mr. Constrictor

I was Trying NOT to mention PetCo, PetSmart, Petland. They have NO business selling anything for reptiles. It gives the impression that they know what they are doing when it comes to reptiles.

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Sorry Mr. Constrictor. I wasn't trying to attack you in anyway. You didn't mention who you bought from. I was just giving the OP a little info by comparing local retail to bulk online ordering.

The area I'm in, I have no choice but petco. I still use them to buy live (even though I hate doing it) for the smaller snakes. I would be breeding my own if I didn't live in an apartment....but yea, I feel the same as you do about those stores.

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Originally Posted by abhorrent

Questions:
1) How bad is this going to smell? I've read the healthier the specimen the less stench created. If I buy top quality rodents, will I be able to thaw them in my room all day then bring my girlfriend over without her being able to tell, or is it going to smell like a corpse?

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A thawing rodent shouldn't stink. While you might smell a slight rodent smell if it stinks as soon as it's thawed, it was already decomposing at some point and you should toss it out. Good f/t suppliers do not send damaged, partially rotten, underweight/improperly sized or poorly packaged prey items.

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2) If it will smell terrible, are there any inexpensive ways around this? Thawing in a Zip-Loc bag, etc.

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If you are concerned about either a bit of smell (there should not be much) or hygenic concerns with thawing rodents laying around, the by all means thaw them individually in small zip lock baggies

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3) Where do you get your F/T?

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I don't currently feed any f/t I didn't personally send to the freezer from our own breeding stock but when I did buy f/t I only used www.themousefactory.com They are not the cheapest out there but I felt that they produced the best quality and packaged/shipped in a way I am willing to pay for. I found them very helpful when I'd phoned in helping me purchase the best deal for my dollar.

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4) How is this usually shipped? I'm generally not home during the day. If they're just dropped off are they all going to thaw out on my porch or do I have to be home to sign for them, how's this usually work?

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The Mouse Factory shipped to me overnight, very well packaged in dry ice. The rodents were in well marked freezer packages, packed in such a way that I could easily remove only the rodents I needed without thawing the entire package of that size.

You do need to be home to receive the package so you can both get those rodents into a freezer as soon as possible and safely deal with the dry ice.

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Originally Posted by kid_mustango02

Sorry Mr. Constrictor. I wasn't trying to attack you in anyway. You didn't mention who you bought from. I was just giving the OP a little info by comparing local retail to bulk online ordering.

The area I'm in, I have no choice but petco. I still use them to buy live (even though I hate doing it) for the smaller snakes. I would be breeding my own if I didn't live in an apartment....but yea, I feel the same as you do about those stores.

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I didn't realize you attacked me. LOL. I just try not to mention the big retail stores. They just all suck. I wish more people knew that and they would stop selling reptiles. But your right they should have frozen feeders.

I too have used themousefactory.com with great results.

I too buy the occasional frozen feeder from a chain store in a pinch. As far as mentioning them....LOL.....well sometimes feeding your snake takes the front chair to them not having a clue what they are doing.

I thaw in hot tap water, and also rinse them off in the water.

Switching isnt too bad if you are willing to tease a bit and make it look "live" to the snake, most will take them at some point.

Everyone pretty much covered it all, good post.

Thanks guys. Looks like this Friday I will make a run to PetCo. (I know, I know, sorry but it must be done) to look at them, decide what size I need and start trying to wean her over. If she takes two in a row I'll be making an order from themousefactory.

Thanks again guys, really helpful responses and disproved some of the misconceptions I had about f/t. :)

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Originally Posted by abhorrent

Thanks guys. Looks like this Friday I will make a run to PetCo. (I know, I know, sorry but it must be done) to look at them, decide what size I need and start trying to wean her over. If she takes two in a row I'll be making an order from themousefactory.

Thanks again guys, really helpful responses and disproved some of the misconceptions I had about f/t. :)

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you REALLY should find a different supplier other than pet/co/smart. They only have 1 size of f/t rats and they are incredibly over priced (7.00 EACH). and the come in a container of two and look scrawny. This is the experience i have had with the chain pet stores near me. I'm lucky enough to have 2 reptile breeders and suppliers within 30 minutes driving distance. Look into them. You wil always get a better quality item at a better price, often they have bulk discounts. (my 10 small rats cost me 33.00 with tax or so, at pet dumb that would be closer to 70.00 for lesser quality rats that are the wrong size).

And as far as the water thing goes, maybe my girl is different but she will absolutely not eat a rat if it is dry, she likes them wet.

With the smell issue; a bad rat smells bad, a good rat smells kind of earthy and rodent-like, its a mild non offensive smell that you have to be right on top of them to smell. Sometimes, you'll get the occasional rodent that partly thawed (maybe it was near the door in the freezer, etc). the bellies on them will be soft and very red, I don't feed these, I just toss them.

good luck with the switch!

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Originally Posted by clockwork

you REALLY should find a different supplier other than pet/co/smart. They only have 1 size of f/t rats and they are incredibly over priced (7.00 EACH). and the come in a container of two and look scrawny. This is the experience i have had with the chain pet stores near me. I'm lucky enough to have 2 reptile breeders and suppliers within 30 minutes driving distance. Look into them. You wil always get a better quality item at a better price, often they have bulk discounts. (my 10 small rats cost me 33.00 with tax or so, at pet dumb that would be closer to 70.00 for lesser quality rats that are the wrong size).

And as far as the water thing goes, maybe my girl is different but she will absolutely not eat a rat if it is dry, she likes them wet.

With the smell issue; a bad rat smells bad, a good rat smells kind of earthy and rodent-like, its a mild non offensive smell that you have to be right on top of them to smell. Sometimes, you'll get the occasional rodent that partly thawed (maybe it was near the door in the freezer, etc). the bellies on them will be soft and very red, I don't feed these, I just toss them.

good luck with the switch!

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Thanks. I guess I make one more trip to the local reptile guy then, despite really not wanting to.