Frozen Rodents

[Crazy4Herps]

How are they killed? I buy "Gourmet Rodent" brand. If I leave the rodents in a snake cage overnight, I notice a little pool of blood around it in the morning. Just a few minutes ago I was wiggling around a rat and a flap of skin came off. Smelled something awful.

[knott00]

If it smells bad and is losing skin like that, I wouldn't feed it to my snake. Something may have been wrong with that food. All of my mice are frozen/thawed and I have never had a bad odor to them.

[dr del]

Hi,

It sounds like your feeders may have either been defrosted at some stage before you got them or you are leaving them too long after defrosting or cooking them during the defrosting.

This might also explain why you mention in another thread your female is defense striking them but not eating them. If they are rotting or cooked to the point of bits falling off I can't say I blame her.

Can you run through the process of preparing them for her?

When I defrost mine I can tell it's a rat but it really doesn't smell bad - and it certainly doesn't have bits fall off.


dr del

[knott00]

His thawing process is listed in another thread.

If i were you I'd try skipping the heating pad step. When I thaw my food, only use warm water and a ziplock bag. I just warm the mouse until it is a little warm to the touch and make sure it is comepletely thawed by pressing on the belly of the mouse. It should be soft.

After that I just dangle the mouse in there and she goes to town! I've never had a bite and release on her prey unless she is releasing it to get it into a different position to swallow it. But anyway, you really don't need the food to be that warm, I'm sure she should eat it if its just a little warmer than the air around it.

[dr del]

Hi,

If you mean this thread it doesn't contain any timings or the temp of the water though.

I defrost using a heat pad and then blast the head with a hairdrier just before offering.


dr del

[Crazy4Herps]

Thanks for the input!

I have a small bowl of water I microwave for a minute (or less, I check on it every 30 seconds), then add the rodents. I leave them in the water for an hour or so until they are completely defrosted. Then I put them on a heat pad and check them every few minutes. It usually takes three hours or so for them to warm up, but I do check them regularly, so they're not cooked or overheated.

I think I'll call the Gourmet Rodent and ask for replacements. I may have been given old products.

[dr del]

Hi,

What size rats are these?

Because if you leave them in the water till they are defrosted completely then at that point i'd get the hairdrier going and feed them to the snake.

I can defrost a jumbo adult mouse using a heatmat from hard frozen to ready to air blast in three hours - a small rat takes maybe 4 or 5 tops.

But I would let your nose be your guide - if it really stinks I'd wave it at the vendor asking if he would eat that in an outraged tone.


dr del

[jglass38]

I used to defrost in water. It was a big mess. Since I started defrosting in my snake room (which is 84-86) for a few hours and then hitting them with a hair drier it is a much less messy process and I find that I have less refusals.

[jblaze]

But I would let your nose be your guide - if it really stinks I'd wave it at the vendor asking if he would eat that in an outraged tone.


dr del

I advise you to not raise your voice to anyone you plan on conducting business with. Why would they want to help you if you are treating them like garbage, if you were my clientèle I would walk away from you, "figure it out yourself, mister"

[dr del]

Hi,

I worked in customer service based industries for years I am well aware of how to communicate appropriately with people working in the same jobs I did.

I certainly did not state I would be treating them like garbage nor did I even imply I would be using inappropriate language or behaviour in the encounter.

However there is also a certain level of service expected from you towards the customer - and if I was being polite and had a legitimate complaint and you walked away using foul language I would definately be communicating my displeasure with your superiors.

I started as sales assistant and barman and worked my way up to manager in several shops and bars and while your post might seem fine to you I would have raked you over the coals for doing as described to a customer in either sector.

And if you had sold a rodent that had been defrosted several times and was actually decomposing to the level of parts falling off (which was the other possibility in this thread ) then any complaints about it would be justified.


dr del