How long are they okay to freeze

[Ashleigh91]

How long are feeders okay in the freezer before they go bad or get freezer burnt?

I'm looking at ordering for my corn and ball online because prices and availability here are awful. I'm just not sure how many I should order and how long they're okay in the freezer.

Thanks!

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[SDA]

4 or so months for anything without fur. They say furred rodents can last up to a year but I would venture that realistically, more like around 8 months before some damage may happen. If you keep them in the vacuum packed container they came in then a year is not unrealistic.

It all depends on how well they are packaged to begin with and how well you store them without getting ice crystals forming too much. I guess it also depends on the quality of your freezer.

This is a quote on the FAQ page of Rodent Pro

Q: How long will the frozen feeder animals last in the freezer?
A: Depending on how they are stored, most frozen feeder animals can last up to a year. It is a good idea to minimize any exposure to air by ensuring they are in air tight freezer bags. While we recommend not storing feeder animals without fur for more than 4 or 6 months and feeder animals with fur for 9 to 12 months, if properly sealed containers are used and air exposure is kept to a minimum, they can be kept for much longer.

[tttaylorrr]

JSYK: freezer burn is just a spot of severe dehydration on the meat due to contact with air. prey items with freezer burn are 100% safe to feed *and the spots themselves will disappear after thawing.

i keep mine around 9-12 months, but some i vacuum seal with one of those food sealer-guys and they are stored for much longer. i keep f/t feeders as long as i would keep any other meats i have in the other freezer.


EDIT: *more info

[EL-Ziggy]

I agree that frozen feeders can last up to 12 months if stored properly. I usually order about 6 months worth of feeders at a time. I don't know how old or large your snakes are but for my younger snakes that are still growing quickly I typically order one package of the current sized feeders the snake is eating and one pack of the next largest prey size. Most of my snakes are adults now so I can order the same sizes consistently. I use Perfect Prey as my supplier.

http://www.perfectprey.com/

[Ashleigh91]

Thanks guys. I'm ordering in Canada, so not as much selection.

I'm only ordering for two snakes though, one adult corn and a young bp. So I mean, 24 adult mice are going to feed the corn for a year, realistically. And I'd probably want about 20 rats, between pups and weanlings.

I know those are small amounts, but it's about 17 dollars for 4 rat pups here locally so....

Trying to find something more feasable.

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[artgecko]

I use perfect prey and big cheese... Both have good packaging. I order 6 months worth at a time, keeping any that I don't need in their air-tight packaging. Once I open a package, I put the rodents in a freezer ziploc bag.

[SDA]

Shame none of the sites like perfect prey and big cheese ship to Canada. There are some rodent suppliers in Canada and a few minute on google should pull them up.

[Ashleigh91]

I was going to order from Canadian Mouseman, but just found out that one of my classmates works at a sanctuary that feeds mice and rats to birds of prey, and she can get bulk feeders from her boss at a really low price - plus no shipping

So I'll likely go that route and just buy some decent freezer bags. I'd still like to get a years worth for Howl, and probably do a couple months of rat pups, then some weanlings for Talion (the ball python).

Thanks for the advice guys

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[Ba11er]

When I was looking into freezers for my rodents I was concerned with how long I could safely store them before they went bad as well. Most people told me a year and I would say that was what I was hoping for. But since I bought a big freezer that I couldn't possibly fill with just snake food I looked into things that I could store for myself as well.

During this research I found that bacterial growth is what spoils food making it inedible, once in a freezer, food can basically last forever. This isn't saying the food will taste good or remotely the same as it would if used within a reasonable time frame but it won't be dangerous to eat. So if your worried about the food being safe don't, as long as it's been frozen in the freezer it will be safe; However the snakes might not take it if it's been awhile.

Hope this helps, here's a link about freezing foods if that's your thing.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/lifehac...1702775710/amp

[BR8080]

I literally just ordered from reptilinks.com on the suggestion of a trusted breeder (Ike from Ike's Exotics and Aquatics). I was going to go with RodentPro because I knew no better but a friend and Ike suggested staying away from them.

I contacted reptilinks and they responded quickly; vacuum sealed freezer bags - I'll have to see if they are link the food saver type. Hoping to be able to store for at least 6-8 months.

Also just purchased a chest freezer at Home Depot ( https://www.homedepot.com/p/Magic-Ch...F5W2/206174597) because my girlfriend can't stand the feeders in the freezer with our food, although she likes the snakes and I won't argue with her about it - got to pick your battles if you know what I'm saying.

When I hunted a lot, I used the food saver and honestly eat food I sealed and froze 8 years ago without any issues. When I find a great deal on meat I'll seal it and freeze it as well.