Do you keep frozen feeders in the same freezer as your frozen foods?

[BPZ]

I always wondered that, just because I've heard people do that but like my dad
doesn't approve of that just because the idea of having rats in the freezer
doesn't sound too healthy and it can cause diseases. I've thought about it
since they are laboratory rats, there shouldn't be a problem right? Chickens and
other meats exist in our freezer and can pose the same risk? Correct?

I just don't want to buy a damn freezer just to hold 50 rats for the year, a
little waste of money buying the freezer and the costs of leaving it on to
support 1 rat by the end of the year. Local pet stores sells a medium for $5.29
in Canada which is killer! I rather buy from expos and feeding frozen is safer for my snakes anyways!

Tell me what you guys think of having rats in the same freezer as your frozen foods!

[JLC]

My frozen feeders are in the same freezer as the rest of our food. I don't see anything different from a frozen rat as I do a frozen fish or slab of meat. There's no disease I know of that can jump from one frozen hunk of meat to another frozen hunk of something else inside a freezer.

However, that said...I try not to make it obvious that there are dead rodents in the freezer. They stay securely sealed and wrapped up discreetly and tucked into the back where an unsuspecting (and likely weak-stomached) guest is unlikely to encounter them.

[disabled.101]

I have my mice in the same freezer as my foods. They are in a separate shelf and in Ziploc bags. I don't understand the basis of the spread of disease argument. Its below freezing point and therefore any parasites would die. Also if properly sealed in the Ziploc bag they won't get out. The main argument against having them in the same freezer is that in the end it is a dead rodent which is a yuck factor for most.

[llovelace]

Same freezer bottom shelf with my venison,duck & wild hog

[Neal]

Well, once frozen, any diseases or parasites they may have die. I think it has to be frozen for 30 days if i'm not mistaken. Somebody correct me if i'm wrong.

[Buttons]

I live with 2 roomates and we have a huge freezer in our basement that's divided between us. I keep my rats/mice in there BUT they're in 2 separate shopping bags inside of an old microwave pizza box. If they knew they were in there they'd be pissed. I hope one of them doesn't try to eat my "pizzas"

[mooingtricycle]

YEP!!! Frozen mice and Frozen beef are happily in the same freezer when i have em

[truthsdeceit]

Same freezer, I've got them in a box clearly labeled "MICE" so my boyfriend doesn't get a surprise... not that he ever cooks for himself.

As far as diseases go, Rats and Mice bred for feeders should be healthy stock, they won't carry anything that could hurt you and definitely aren't gonna be 'running' around your freezer 'infecting' your foods. Your gonna feed them to your pet for heavens sake, it's just meat.

Also, I breed my own feeders, handle and love them when they're alive, why would the frozen ones be bad for me if the live ones are not?

[Jombolo]

Just don't microwave them...boy... is that a clean-up and a half.

[Neal]

actually even healthy feeder mice and rats can contain stuff, its not common, but its possible.