prekilling your snake's prey by yourself?

i can tell you now that my wife is totally against me storing a bag of frozen rats in our freezer. i'm not going to even bring the subject up.

i've thought about another way to feed her a dead rat. could i just buy a rat and suffocate it in a jar? she was in a feeding frenzy when i fed her last w/o me even having to try so i think she'll eat prekilled prey.

has anybody else done this?

The humane and only propper way to do it is CO2. Check out the feeder section. You can make a CO2 euthenizer to use long term for pretty cheap. If you don't have the cash, you can just use a cheap tuperware container and canned air for now.

Many people knock out or break the back of rodents using various methods. This is NOT an acceptable (or legal in most places) way of doing things. It is cruel, inefective, and messy.

If you can't do the CO2 right now for whatever reason, just feed live. In my opinon there are only two acceptable ways to kill a rodent feeder:

1.) Co2 eutheniztion
2.) Snake constriction

You could just let your snake suffocate it for you. I could be wrong but I would think trying to suffocate it in a jar would take awhile.

There is a better way to do this. Go on youtube and look it up. It requires a set of hemostats. Pretty easy to find.

or just let your snake do what nature intended and give it to him live. Ive done if for over a year and never had a problem rats and mice, multiple feeds and single items.

thump it (cheapest) - (stick it in a bag and crack it on the cement) not exactly humane but how humane is throwing it in a cage with a giant monster that will break every bone in its body and squeeze the breath out of it....

dry ice (every time cost) - stick it in a sealed container with it

taser (one time cost) - one good shock from a cattle prod does it for me

Quote:

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Originally Posted by andwhy6

thump it (cheapest) - (stick it in a bag and crack it on the cement) not exactly humane but how humane is throwing it in a cage with a giant monster that will break every bone in its body and squeeze the breath out of it....

dry ice (every time cost) - stick it in a sealed container with it

taser (one time cost) - one good shock from a cattle prod does it for me

---

A lot more humane than being smashed against cement...

An appropriately sized live prey item will expire via constriction without much suffering within seconds. That is what these snakes were designed to do.

Please do not thump your animals, it is cruel and not a guarantee to kill 100% of the time. You can very easily just break the poor thing and it still be alive. That is not at all humane.

Giving it to your snake to take care of is a million times better than whacking, the amount of force is so strong that it can stop the heart from beating.

Gassing is the only recognized private way of putting any feeders down besides the procedures a vet does.

We put down rats every week via CO2 chamber. It is easy and no rat has to get hurt, they fall asleep with a slow trickle of gas, then when they are asleep turn it all the way up to dispatch of them quickly.

You can make CO2 using vinegar and baking soda as well, dry ice can be purchased from Walmart too.

Yeah I've tried thumping before and it didn't kill the mouse in the first whack so I felt pretty bad....I suggest just feeding live. :snake:

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

A lot more humane than being smashed against cement...

An appropriately sized live prey item will expire via constriction without much suffering within seconds. That is what these snakes were designed to do.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Please do not thump your animals, it is cruel and not a guarantee to kill 100% of the time. You can very easily just break the poor thing and it still be alive. That is not at all humane.

Giving it to your snake to take care of is a million times better than whacking, the amount of force is so strong that it can stop the heart from beating.

Gassing is the only recognized private way of putting any feeders down besides the procedures a vet does.

We put down rats every week via CO2 chamber. It is easy and no rat has to get hurt, they fall asleep with a slow trickle of gas, then when they are asleep turn it all the way up to dispatch of them quickly.

You can make CO2 using vinegar and baking soda as well, dry ice can be purchased from Walmart too.

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Originally Posted by rmune0750

Yeah I've tried thumping before and it didn't kill the mouse in the first whack so I felt pretty bad....I suggest just feeding live. :snake:

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not to be inhumane but.... trust me if you hit it hard enough it only takes once... use a fred meyer bag... and it does not take seconds for an animal to die when being constricted. were talkin 20 seconds and usually the animal is still moving if not still screaming. not to mention the prey gets bit in the face to start out. so im gonna say one quick knock to the head beats gettin bit in the face and squeezed to death any day.

I just thump them on the floor. The thing is you cant hold back and be tentative, that is when you just break its leg or something. I think its a humane way to kill them, they hit the floor and are out cold. I would much rather be knocked out than killed by a constrictor.

CO2 Method:

Materials:
-Co2 tank (around 18dollars at paintball shop, depending on size, I use 16oz, about $3 to fill, you don't need to fill it often)
-Air tight container, sized to fit feeder(s)
-surgical tubing
-glass of water
-bedding/papertowels

Setup/How this works:
Run tubing from the tank to a hole near the bottom of your container, make sure it's a good seal. Run another tube from a hole in the top container out into the glass of water. Since Co2 is heavier than air it fills up from the bottom pushing air out the top tube, the glass of water make sure air can get out but not back in.

Place your feeder(s) in the container and seal it shut. Turn the gas on low, it acts as a sleeping gass so they fall asleep, when they've stoped moving turn up the gas to remove the rest of the air from the container.

Turn off the gas (or leave on low if your not sure how much you needed) and wait (I usually go 5mins to be safe). Make sure the gas is off, and try not to breath in the Co2. You can now remove your freshly killed rodents. No stress, no trama, just sleep then nothing.

The bedding/paper towels we're for the bottom of the container. Sometimes rodents defecate when they die so you'll want to put something in there to catch any possible mess.

Other Co2 methods:
The sublimation of dry ice creates Co2. Place ice in small tupperware with 'air' holes. Place tupperware in container with rodents, seal, and wait. Do NOT put dry ice in loose with rodents, it 'burns' them on contact.

Combining vinegar and baking soda also creates Co2, I've never used this method cause it's smelly. :P

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Originally Posted by andwhy6

not to be inhumane but.... trust me if you hit it hard enough it only takes once... use a fred meyer bag... and it does not take seconds for an animal to die when being constricted. were talkin 20 seconds and usually the animal is still moving if not still screaming. not to mention the prey gets bit in the face to start out. so im gonna say one quick knock to the head beats gettin bit in the face and squeezed to death any day.

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Yes, and if you don't hit hard enough? That is where the not being 100% comes in. Plus, bigger rats take more force.

Sorry, but it just is NOT humane, no matter how you wanna put a spin on it, it isn't.

Neither is stunning for that matter. The next best thing is cervical dislocation, which takes a practiced hand as well.

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Originally Posted by djansen

I just thump them on the floor. The thing is you cant hold back and be tentative, that is when you just break its leg or something. I think its a humane way to kill them, they hit the floor and are out cold. I would much rather be knocked out than killed by a constrictor.

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And what if they are just knocked out? Then they come to, are in extreme amounts of pain... again, NOT humane.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by andwhy6

not to be inhumane but.... trust me if you hit it hard enough it only takes once... use a fred meyer bag... and it does not take seconds for an animal to die when being constricted. were talkin 20 seconds and usually the animal is still moving if not still screaming. not to mention the prey gets bit in the face to start out. so im gonna say one quick knock to the head beats gettin bit in the face and squeezed to death any day.

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I actually did this for a while and yeah it works. but it's really messy. I'd rather spend a little money.

I don't miss blood and being creeped out. Cause it's just creepy when they're missing part of their head but still twitching. Not to mention I had a bag break once, major mess. yuck!!

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

And what if they are just knocked out? Then they come to, are in extreme amounts of pain... again, NOT humane.

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I see your point but I have never had them come too. If you do it right a sign is a little blood of the ear. I have had my snake not kill the prey and eat it while its still alive though.

Here is the PDF on the AVMA's accepted methods of humane euthanasia. CO2 clearly being the prime choice for painless death, and it really does not cost a lot to buy a pound of dry ice (about a buck), but can potentially save a lot pain and suffering when other methods are performed improperly.

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_we...euthanasia.pdf

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Originally Posted by truthsdeceit

Cause it's just creepy when they're missing part of their head but still twitching

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:confused: WTF are you doing? I have never had them loose part of their head from thumping on the ground.

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Originally Posted by giaach

or just let your snake do what nature intended and give it to him live. Ive done if for over a year and never had a problem rats and mice, multiple feeds and single items.

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not sure about you but my snakes are either for sale or show pieces for my business i for one dont want the chance for my snake to get bit and leave an ugly scar i mean ive seen some rats jump so quickly that my snakes only get the tail or rear leg and the i have a bite mark that may never go away so your responce about "what nature intended" is debunked because once we brought these animals into our lives they were not "wild" animals anymoe meaning we have to protect them from anything

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Originally Posted by royal morphz

not sure about you but my snakes are either for sale or show pieces for my business i for one dont want the chance for my snake to get bit and leave an ugly scar i mean ive seen some rats jump so quickly that my snakes only get the tail or rear leg and the i have a bite mark that may never go away so your responce about "what nature intended" is debunked because once we brought these animals into our lives they were not "wild" animals anymoe meaning we have to protect them from anything

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Seconded

Quote:

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Originally Posted by royal morphz

not sure about you but my snakes are either for sale or show pieces for my business i for one dont want the chance for my snake to get bit and leave an ugly scar i mean ive seen some rats jump so quickly that my snakes only get the tail or rear leg and the i have a bite mark that may never go away so your responce about "what nature intended" is debunked because once we brought these animals into our lives they were not "wild" animals anymoe meaning we have to protect them from anything

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I've feed over 4000 live prey items since I've kept ball pythons. Not one of my animals has been injured or scarred as a result of feeding live. If I'd had even one injury - that would be .0004% of a chance of injury - extremely low risk.

If fed properly, live feeding is very low risk to your snakes. That being said, feed what works best for you. Buy f/t or use a CO2 chamber if you prefer not to feed live.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

I've feed over 4000 live prey items since I've kept ball pythons. Not one of my animals has been injured or scarred as a result of feeding live. If I'd had even one injury - that would be .0004% of a chance of injury - extremely low risk.

If fed properly, live feeding is very low risk to your snakes. That being said, feed what works best for you. Buy f/t or use a CO2 chamber if you prefer not to feed live.

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yes my statement was just in the attitude of how he worded his responce im in the same feeling as you feed how ever you want they are after all your animals but yes Robin you are correct i mean after all you have to get the babies going lol and it isnt gonna be on a lifeless prey item lol

My mom refuses to have frozen rats in her fridge too. Just do what I do, spend the same amount of money per feeding live, but buy one frozen rat at a time and defrost it as necessary.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by djansen

:confused: WTF are you doing? I have never had them loose part of their head from thumping on the ground.

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Okay, part of there head caved in... whatever it's still creepy. It happened a couple of times before I got a Co2 setup, i had a hard time gauging how hard to hit, I figured harder was better than not hard enough.

Most of the time it's just blood coming out of the nose and ears, still ick.

What about just getting a mini freezer just for rats?

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Originally Posted by stormwulf133

What about just getting a mini freezer just for rats?

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I second you!!!

google cervical dislocation. very quick and painless.

if you make sure to hit their head only on the edge of a table or chair, its almost instant, way quicker than co2 and no mess like thumping them on the floor

:soapbx:

Oh good gods, people- what is your issue????

Thumping a rat to pre-kill??? Seriously barbaric and potentially insanely inhumane.

Why on earth do something like that when you can just give the live rodent to your snake and allow the normal process to commence???

Some people think that since we have taken the snakes out of the wild then their feeding instincts have changed? Or we try to change their feeding instincts? Oh please. And protect them from everything?? I can't even protect my own kids from everything!! No one has that amount of control; only the illusion of it.

If you fear that a larger rodent would harm the snake, feed multiples of mice. No big deal and not rocket science to figure out.

So, is it fine to thump a snake? No. Use a more compassionate method.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by royal morphz

not sure about you but my snakes are either for sale or show pieces for my business i for one dont want the chance for my snake to get bit and leave an ugly scar i mean ive seen some rats jump so quickly that my snakes only get the tail or rear leg and the i have a bite mark that may never go away so your responce about "what nature intended" is debunked because once we brought these animals into our lives they were not "wild" animals anymoe meaning we have to protect them from anything

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Pretty sure they are still "wild". It's not like a domesticated dog or cat ha. But I do understand the whole bite/scar thing. I just know many ppl that feed live and havnt had a problem, me being one of them.

I think that your best bet is to buy a small (perhaps used) freezer for exclusive use as suggested by a couple of others. I personally hide my rats on the bottom of the freezer, confident that my wife won't dig that far. ;)

I have to pre-kill, two of my snakes will not take live. They had bad feeding experiences with previous owners and are deathly afraid of live mice.

It's sounds stupid but it's true.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by starmom

:soapbx:

Oh good gods, people- what is your issue????

Thumping a rat to pre-kill??? Seriously barbaric and potentially insanely inhumane.

Why on earth do something like that when you can just give the live rodent to your snake and allow the normal process to commence???

Some people think that since we have taken the snakes out of the wild then their feeding instincts have changed? Or we try to change their feeding instincts? Oh please. And protect them from everything?? I can't even protect my own kids from everything!! No one has that amount of control; only the illusion of it.

If you fear that a larger rodent would harm the snake, feed multiples of mice. No big deal and not rocket science to figure out.

So, is it fine to thump a snake? No. Use a more compassionate method.

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damn straight.

Since this has turned into a live / ft or pk thread, I vote live for ball pythons.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by truthsdeceit

I have to pre-kill, two of my snakes will not take live. They had bad feeding experiences with previous owners and are deathly afraid of live mice.

It's sounds stupid but it's true.

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Then pre-kill humanely or purchase frozen thawed.

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Originally Posted by Wh00h0069

Since this has turned into a live / ft or pk thread, I vote live for ball pythons.

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No it hasn't. We're talking about methodologies.

Who decided that causing asphyxiation with CO2 is the most humane? For all we know it could be more painful and terrible for the mice than a quick thump on the head. How do we know they just "slowly fall asleep" from breathing CO2? I can't imagine suffocating would be any more pleasant than getting knocked instantly unconscious.

If someone wants to prekill by thumping the rodent then it's their choice. There are many animal rights activists who would say everyone on this forum treats animals inhumanely by keeping them in captivity in tiny enclosures. No matter how humane you think you are there will always be other people who think you're doing things wrong.

CO2 poisoining is exactly like falling asleep. Which is why you need an alarm in your home to detect it. It has no smell and brings about drowzyness and ultimately the eternal sleep.

It has been decided that is humane because its effects are proven in animals as well as humans. Anyone that wants to whack a rodent against a hard surface can by all means make that choice, but the fact that people don't see an issue with it is baffling.

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

CO2 poisoining is exactly like falling asleep. Which is why you need an alarm in your home to detect it. It has no smell and brings about drowzyness and ultimately the eternal sleep.

It has been decided that is humane because its effects are proven in animals as well as humans. Anyone that wants to whack a rodent against a hard surface can by all means make that choice, but the fact that people don't see an issue with it is baffling.

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Not to be a D or anything but I think what your referring to is carbon monoxide poisoning. Both CO2 and CO are colorless, tasteless, and odorless but CO (carbon monoxide) is a lot more toxic and therefore highly deadly. The chances of dying from CO2 in your home is highly unlikely because it would take a lot to deprive your brain of oxygen, and concentrations of that amount would only exist if you had say... a 30lb block of dry ice in your bedroom.

anywhere that has basements should have CO2 detectors, people do get killed by it. Furnaces are the usual cause for the creation of CO2.

On the issue of killing rodents humanely:

There are a number of methods used to kill rodents in animal experiments/testing. Despite the stigma that accompanies animal testing and experiments, these are highly controlled and regulated, and follow strict codes of ethics.

American society sees any kind of death by physical trauma as inhumane and most deaths by chemicals/gasses as more humane. This is a pretty poor way to determine the "best" way to prekill rodents for snake feeding.

Severing the spinal cord is pretty much the most popular way for killing rodents used in experiments. I've heard it rumored that the spin-and-smack is also an approved method. It may not be as pretty as CO2, but the fact of the matter is that a "pretty" death of the rodent ONLY benefits whoever has to perform the kill.

CO2 is nice because it doesn't take any skill. The physical trauma methods do. On that reason alone I vote CO2 for pre-killing feeder mice/rats.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Yes, and if you don't hit hard enough? That is where the not being 100% comes in. Plus, bigger rats take more force.

Sorry, but it just is NOT humane, no matter how you wanna put a spin on it, it isn't.

Neither is stunning for that matter. The next best thing is cervical dislocation, which takes a practiced hand as well.

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My question is this... we can go on and on debating what is the right or wrong way or which method works best but the point is to use such words as inhumane to do it in certian ways doesnt cut it. first off it is considered inhumane to kill the rat/mouse in any method used. you're killing a living breathing creature. 2nd you're killing it or feeding it alive to another animal. in the wild it is considered mother nature at its best and or the life cycle of the creatures lower and higher up the food chain. but for a human to kill an animal to feed to another animal so they can have the pleasure of having such reptile in captivity is inhumane in itself. any way you look at it technically it is inhumane to kill or feed a live animal to another animal for your pleasures of having one in captivity. either way you look at it, it is inhumane. there is no humane way of killing an animal for your enjoyment of another. this is only my opinion and i know some may feel differently but that is how i see it.

xanaxez I see where you are coming from, but the term "humane" is a tricky one. In american society, that word comes in to play most often with treatment of livestock and pets. There are certain standards that have both legal and moral implications attributed to the word "humane".

These standards dictate socially and morally acceptable methods for killing livestock, putting down pets, and in the case of our hobby killing feeder mice(could be considered livestock I guess).

I'm not an expert on the subject by any means, but there are a few things you have to consider for any suggested method for "humanely" killing animals of any sort(this list is probably not comprehensive, and covers everything from ethics to practicality):

1) duration of the process. Quick is better than slow and drawn out.

2) amount of pain during the process. None or negligible is generally the acceptable amount. Generally, instant death is considered no or negligible pain experienced(it takes something like .75 seconds to register a traumatic painful occurance in the human body.. I forget the exact number)

3) ease of performing the process. If it's tricky, it is easy to screw up, and screwing it up usually results in what would be considered "inhumane" treatment by any prescribed standards.

4) cost of performing the process. This needs to be considered since we are all millionaires. It would be nice to say that cost isn't an issue, but it always is.

5) safety of performing the process. If you're risking your own safety with dangerous chemicals/equipment around, it's a bad method. If for some reason potentially dangerous items are necessary, then an extremely careful safety protocol should be followed.

6) scale of the procedure. Large scale operations obviously will function different than small scale operations. What is practical for 100+ cows a day is probably very impractical for a few litters of mice every few weeks.

7) mental anguish on the performer. Let's assume that bashing a mouse's skull in is an instantaneous and humane way to pre-kill(I'm not saying it is or it isn't, but let's assume that it is generally accepted as such). If you're going in to tears every time you do it so you can feed your snake, then this method is NOT one you should perform. Some will say that you should rethink owning a snake as well. This is something that should be considered when judging how humane a method of killing an animal is. I just imagine all the vets that put down terminally sick pets, they certainly have depressing jobs as it is and I'm glad they have better ways that smacking someone's pet dog with a heavy blunt object.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by starmom

:soapbx:

Oh good gods, people- what is your issue????

Thumping a rat to pre-kill??? Seriously barbaric and potentially insanely inhumane.

Why on earth do something like that when you can just give the live rodent to your snake and allow the normal process to commence???

Some people think that since we have taken the snakes out of the wild then their feeding instincts have changed? Or we try to change their feeding instincts? Oh please. And protect them from everything?? I can't even protect my own kids from everything!! No one has that amount of control; only the illusion of it.

If you fear that a larger rodent would harm the snake, feed multiples of mice. No big deal and not rocket science to figure out.

So, is it fine to thump a snake? No. Use a more compassionate method.

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i'm just worried that she'd get bit again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xanaxez

My question is this... we can go on and on debating what is the right or wrong way or which method works best but the point is to use such words as inhumane to do it in certian ways doesnt cut it. first off it is considered inhumane to kill the rat/mouse in any method used. you're killing a living breathing creature. 2nd you're killing it or feeding it alive to another animal. in the wild it is considered mother nature at its best and or the life cycle of the creatures lower and higher up the food chain. but for a human to kill an animal to feed to another animal so they can have the pleasure of having such reptile in captivity is inhumane in itself. any way you look at it technically it is inhumane to kill or feed a live animal to another animal for your pleasures of having one in captivity. either way you look at it, it is inhumane. there is no humane way of killing an animal for your enjoyment of another. this is only my opinion and i know some may feel differently but that is how i see it.

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Your right, that is only your opinion, since humane euthanasia has been clearly outlined by the AVMA, and also clearly outlines which ones can be very inhumane when done incorrectly.

http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_we...euthanasia.pdf

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Originally Posted by python baller

i'm just worried that she'd get bit again.

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Feed f/t or CO2 pre-kill, or feed multiples of mice and that will do wonders with deleting that fear.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by starmom

No it hasn't. We're talking about methodologies.

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Alright then, well I use CO2.

I do not have the time or resourses to make a CO2 chamber. It doesn't matter which way your looking at it its still a living thing and you are going to kill it. How is dispatching your prey items any different then setting a trap for a wild mouse? Is that wild mouse's life any less important than a prey item? I treat all prey with utmost respect until Calypso dispatches them or I dispatch them for Kyros. I take the best care of my prey that I possibly can to make sure that they are healthy and happy. I will make a CO2 chamber when I know that everything else I need is taken care of. I however do NOT approve of thumping. I dispatch my prey by severing the spinal column. Its fast and as I see it the best way besides CO2. If you want to talk inhumane My old school used to tie a string around prey's neck suffacating it.. THAT is inhumane in my opinnion and so is thumping.

So today was feeding day and I tried cervical dislocation and damn near pulled the tail right off! Sure it was probably my fault becuase it was my first time, but I had no remorse or anything, I knew the mouse was gonna die any way, I just helped in the process. It is my belief that these snakes are bred in captivity for a reason, our enjoyment, so it is our responsibility to feed the pet any way we feel necessary. It's the circle of life people, each pet owner is an individual with different views on responsible pet ownership/husbandry. I usually thump my mice in an old pillow case and then feed it to my snake. Today I tried one live feeding and one cervical dislocation, and guess what, the snake ate it regardless. Just my two cents

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Basketball303

So today was feeding day and I tried cervical dislocation and damn near pulled the tail right off! Sure it was probably my fault

Oh, ya think?

becuase it was my first time, but I had no remorse or anything,

I'm sorry you had no remorse for the unnecessary pain you caused

I knew the mouse was gonna die any way, I just helped in the process.

...poorly

It is my belief that these snakes are bred in captivity for a reason, our enjoyment, so it is our responsibility to feed the pet any way we feel necessary.

Arrogant point of view


It's the circle of life people, each pet owner is an individual with different views on responsible pet ownership/husbandry. I usually thump my mice in an old pillow case and then feed it to my snake. Today I tried one live feeding and one cervical dislocation, and guess what, the snake ate it regardless. Just my two cents

Two cents aint worth what it use to be....

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by simplechamp

Who decided that causing asphyxiation with CO2 is the most humane? For all we know it could be more painful and terrible for the mice than a quick thump on the head. How do we know they just "slowly fall asleep" from breathing CO2? I can't imagine suffocating would be any more pleasant than getting knocked instantly unconscious.

If someone wants to prekill by thumping the rodent then it's their choice. There are many animal rights activists who would say everyone on this forum treats animals inhumanely by keeping them in captivity in tiny enclosures. No matter how humane you think you are there will always be other people who think you're doing things wrong.

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First of all, you have a snake. And like most people on here, you don't know how the snake REALLY kills it's prey do you?
You think the snake suffocates it's prey? Here is what I was told by my veterinarian, as well as a couple of books I have read. Snakes do not constrict and suffocate. They constrict the circulatory system, not the respiratory. Suffocation takes 5-6 minutes. When however, they constrict, they feel for the heart and literally try to stop the heartbeat. Stopping the circulation of blood flow is much faster and much more painless.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xanaxez

My question is this... we can go on and on debating what is the right or wrong way or which method works best but the point is to use such words as inhumane to do it in certian ways doesnt cut it. first off it is considered inhumane to kill the rat/mouse in any method used. you're killing a living breathing creature. 2nd you're killing it or feeding it alive to another animal. in the wild it is considered mother nature at its best and or the life cycle of the creatures lower and higher up the food chain. but for a human to kill an animal to feed to another animal so they can have the pleasure of having such reptile in captivity is inhumane in itself. any way you look at it technically it is inhumane to kill or feed a live animal to another animal for your pleasures of having one in captivity. either way you look at it, it is inhumane. there is no humane way of killing an animal for your enjoyment of another. this is only my opinion and i know some may feel differently but that is how i see it.

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Do you have a dog or a cat?
How would you feel, if your vet said your cat or dog was ill and needed to be put down. Instead of humanely euthanizing it, they would hit it on the head with a hammer and hope it dies. This is a living, breathing animal. If you have pets, such as snakes, you need to treat it's prey with the same respect as the animals you consider your companions.
Humane refers to as painless as possible. CO2 is the best bet for that. Whacking the animal often times just stuns it, and does not kill it. The blood flow is still going to the brain, and it is still feeling PAIN.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by starmom

Originally Posted by Basketball303 View Post
So today was feeding day and I tried cervical dislocation and damn near pulled the tail right off! Sure it was probably my fault

Oh, ya think?

becuase it was my first time, but I had no remorse or anything,

I'm sorry you had no remorse for the unnecessary pain you caused

I knew the mouse was gonna die any way, I just helped in the process.

...poorly

It is my belief that these snakes are bred in captivity for a reason, our enjoyment, so it is our responsibility to feed the pet any way we feel necessary.

Arrogant point of view


It's the circle of life people, each pet owner is an individual with different views on responsible pet ownership/husbandry. I usually thump my mice in an old pillow case and then feed it to my snake. Today I tried one live feeding and one cervical dislocation, and guess what, the snake ate it regardless. Just my two cents

Two cents aint worth what it use to be....

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:gj: