method of killing

[RmKlotz4]

ive been feeding my BP Flexx live since i got him (hes ate about 6 times now) and i think its time to switch him over to pre killed before its too late. What is the best way to kill a mouse? I live in a dorm so i dont have a freezer to keep frozen ones in. I dont exactly like the idea of killing a mouse with my bare hands lol

[Brandon.O]

Just put it in a bag and whack it hard against the table (or any other hard surface)

The mouse should die instantly.

If you dont feel comfotable with that you can build a gas chamber.Check out the DIY section. (Do It Yourself section)

[Cody]

When I had to kill a few to freeze for Pelota, all I did was toss them in a sandwich bag or ziplock bag(which is what I was going to freeze them in), then toss that bag into a grocery bag I had laying around. Then I stood in front of a hard solid wall, and gave them a few good whacks to the wall. I then checked to see if they were dead, then I tossed them in the freezer. Of course you won't need the freezer step, so just toss in a bag, whack, and feed.
If you don't offer it right away and the prey item cools down a bit before serving, then I suggest putting the rodent under a heat lamp or something like that to heat the mouse up. That way the snake will pick it up with its heat pits much better.
Also you'll most likely have to do the wiggle with some tongs to make the snake think the mouse is alive and stuff.

Good luck, and glad you decided to try and switch now while he's still young and not so set in his ways.

[SatanicIntention]

Speaking of killing things... How owuld I go about killing 2 1.5-2lb rats? I was going to put them in a pillowcase and whack them, or do the co2 thing, but really can't spare the cash to go get some dry ice. Should I just whack them or should I use something against their necks(hammer handle) to separate the neck from spinal cord?? Just let me know, I'm not squeamish, I just want them to die instantly...

[Adam_Wysocki]

Dry ice or CO2 is really the best way with rats that large. They can be very fast and very wiggly and that makes it very easy to make a mistake. You could end up injuring them on the first attempt which really sucks for them. It's always difficult to balance financial expense vs. the well being of animals. Be careful and good luck!

-adam

[SatanicIntention]

I will try to make a trip to Baskin and Robbins tonight or tomorrow. My mom is a nurse, so maybe they have some I can use. Thanks a bunch for your help. I really didn't want them to suffer any. It's hard for me to do these guys, since I have 5 pet rats, but my snake has to eat...

[Ginevive]

It's true; whacking larger rats is often not successful. They are much harder to kill via this method than, say, weanling rats. Not to mention, it's very messy with larger rats; I did this once and will not do it again. When my boa reaches the size to need lerge rats, I will definately buy frozen from a rat breeder; now, for Goblin, I buy individual frozen jumbo rats. I could never deal with whacking adult rats! But it's easy for smaller ones.