thawing

[bcr229]

I use what I call my "rat crock pot". Two-piece styro cooler, fill it up to within two inches of the top with warm water. Float bag of frozen rodents and place lid on cooler. About two hours later, feeders are thawed and perfectly warm for feeding.

Hmmmmmmmm, I have some of the big styro coolers that the f/t rats got shipped in. I'll have to give this a try. Normally I just thaw the rats in a large bowl of warm water in the kitchen sink - but that means I'm not using my sink for a while.

[Eric Alan]

Mine thaw on top of my T8s at room temperature either overnight (if I plan to feed in the morning) or during the day while I'm at work (if I plan to feed at night). There are zero smell issues that I've noticed. By the time I'm ready to feed, the girls are in full feeding mode having smelled the thawing rats for a few hours. Just before feeding, I hit the rats with a hair dryer for 30-60 seconds - mostly near their heads, but I do warm their bodies a bit too. This method works very well for me and my small collection.

[Shadera]

Hmmmmmmmm, I have some of the big styro coolers that the f/t rats got shipped in. I'll have to give this a try. Normally I just thaw the rats in a large bowl of warm water in the kitchen sink - but that means I'm not using my sink for a while.

I put the cooler in the tub. Sink is free to pile dirty water bowls and hides in.

[nobigdeal508]

What i did with the feeders i used yesterday was wrapped it in a couple paper towels to thaw, and then hit it with a hair dryer for a bit... kept them nice and dry for the bp i feed on eco earth substrate and my hoggys aspen

[greenacid]

i put mine in a bag (usually the bag I get them in), I leave out in room temp for 2 hours, and then I have a Gladware thing that I use SPECIFICALLY for this, and hold them in the bag with a bottle or something on top for 3 minutes..and then I blow dry for 30 seconds while it's still in the bag...my boy hasn't refused a meal yet.

[Badgemash]

For those of you who thaw directly in contact with water, do you feel like it tends to cause um... degloving?

I only feed f/t when all the BPs manage to eat and there are no leftovers for the red tail. Last week some water leaked into the bag (I normally thaw with the rat in ziplock in warm water) and when I offered the rat, she took it, but I was left holding an empty tail skin sock. Is that the water or am I just grossly unlucky?

[greenacid]

I Spoke too soon. he refused his meal today

[Carl]

For me I just leave them in their baggie and then I let the bag sit in warm water for awhile until the rodent is thawed. If the rodent get's wet I just dry it with a towel.

[KMG]

I have been left holding tail skin and pieces of tail but it doesn't happen often. I don't feel its because of water but have never given it much thought. It doesn't bother me.

[Badgemash]

I have been left holding tail skin and pieces of tail but it doesn't happen often. I don't feel its because of water but have never given it much thought. It doesn't bother me.

It normally wouldn't bug me too much, but it was kind of gross since it was the entire tail. Although this was 10 minutes after my big girl hit her fresh killed rat (I have to hold hers by the tail and make them do a special dance) hard enough to spray rat blood across my chest and neck, so I think I may have just been having a bad feeding day.