CO2 Chamber

[BPMIKE]

My son and I found a lady that gives us a really good deal on rodents.My wife hates rodents so breeding them is out of the question.I hate the feeding process altogether and I hate it more when the rodents are alive. So because our snakes eat rodents that is what we feed them. So we bought 30 mice from this lady and built a very simple and effective CO2 chamber.It consist of Baking soda and white vinegar.It works very fast and seems painless for the rodents. I am still upset by this but I don't think we can train our BPs to eat crickets and fruit. So we do what we have to do
Mike.

[Oroborous]

White vinigar and baking soda? How does that work to kill rodents?

[BPMIKE]

White vinigar and baking soda? How does that work to kill rodents?

http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/

[mainbutter]

I personally prefer spinal dislocation for pre-killing rodents. Gassing seems nicer, because we've been taught all our lives to abhor physical trauma, but really killing is killing, and quicker/more painless the better. Nothing is faster, easier, or more kind to the feeder than spinal dislocation.

Yes baking soda+white vinegar will work to produce CO2 and let you suffocate your rodents.. but it's not the method I would use.

[Creeptastic]

I couldnt do either lol! I have to do pre killed F/T. If I attempted to do live, i would end up with a colony of mice in tanks =0

[BPMIKE]

I personally prefer spinal dislocation for pre-killing rodents. Gassing seems nicer, because we've been taught all our lives to abhor physical trauma, but really killing is killing, and quicker/more painless the better. Nothing is faster, easier, or more kind to the feeder than spinal dislocation.

Yes baking soda+white vinegar will work to produce CO2 and let you suffocate your rodents.. but it's not the method I would use.

The way I understand it is they go to sleep b4 they die.I know there is no struggling or panic from the mice as the gas goes into the chamber.If I had to choose to go to sleep or have my neck broke I would choose to sleep.I am not saying my way is the right way because I have never been gassed or had my neck broke.Thank God!
Mike.

[BPMIKE]

I couldnt do either lol! I have to do pre killed F/T. If I attempted to do live, i would end up with a colony of mice in tanks =0

That is funny!You wouldn't believe how many mice and a rat i turned loose outside in my yard because I couldn't kill them.
Mike

[mainbutter]

suffocation in all species of mammal by CO2 poisoning probably feels the same as it does in humans.

Yes, when humans suffocate and die by CO2 poisoning, we fall asleep before we are technically dead.. however, that 30 seconds or longer isn't exactly pleasant. Plenty of people who gas rodents see signs of distress during the process. There may be a method of CO2 delivery that knocks them out before they feel negative effects of suffocating(slowly increasing % of CO2 they breathe I believe is a common technique), but vinegar+baking soda does not provide the kind of precise delivery of specific amounts of CO2 to achieve that.

I am not saying that CO2 is inhumane or wrong, and I have no problems with anyone using it. I just wanted to explain why I believe spinal dislocation is better for the mice. IMO the reason CO2 is popular is just because it makes the person who has to dispatch the feeders feel better about it somehow.

If you use CO2, watch for signs of distress. If there aren't any, then whatever method of CO2 delivery you use is probably just fine. If you see feeders gasping for air and such, you may want to consider a different method of delivery or using spinal dislocation.

If you have issues with rodents dying to feed your pets(or issues with YOU killing the rodents that end up being feeders), maybe you should rethink caring for snakes.

[dracovolans]

That is funny!You wouldn't believe how many mice and a rat i turned loose outside in my yard because I couldn't kill them.
Mike

This is not funny and create a problem of pests around your house and neighbors and in the end IMHO hurts this hobby.

suffocation in all species of mammal by CO2 poisoning probably feels the same as it does in humans.

Yes, when humans suffocate and die by CO2 poisoning, we fall asleep before we are technically dead.. however, that 30 seconds or longer isn't exactly pleasant. Plenty of people who gas rodents see signs of distress during the process. There may be a method of CO2 delivery that knocks them out before they feel negative effects of suffocating(slowly increasing % of CO2 they breathe I believe is a common technique), but vinegar+baking soda does not provide the kind of precise delivery of specific amounts of CO2 to achieve that.

I am not saying that CO2 is inhumane or wrong, and I have no problems with anyone using it. I just wanted to explain why I believe spinal dislocation is better for the mice. IMO the reason CO2 is popular is just because it makes the person who has to dispatch the feeders feel better about it somehow.

If you use CO2, watch for signs of distress. If there aren't any, then whatever method of CO2 delivery you use is probably just fine. If you see feeders gasping for air and such, you may want to consider a different method of delivery or using spinal dislocation.

If you have issues with rodents dying to feed your pets(or issues with YOU killing the rodents that end up being feeders), maybe you should rethink caring for snakes.

LOL!! I don't think this info helps to releif his guilty feeling.


The best way for you to go is buying frozen from a rodent supplier and forget about the killing proces. Also it will be more cheaper than what you are doing right now.

[frankykeno]

That is funny!You wouldn't believe how many mice and a rat i turned loose outside in my yard because I couldn't kill them.
Mike

I agree, Draco. It's irresponsible to turn captive rodents loose like that.