What is the best way...

[aibhaeog]

This may sound like a silly question to some, but what is the best way to f/k a mouse?
The wife isn't too pleased with the idea of keeping frozen mice in HER freezer.

[Shelby]

You mean fresh kill? You can either do the 'whack' method, or construct a Co2 chamber. That's what I use. It's handy because I can kill many mice/rats at once, so for a person with one snake, it isn't quite so practical.

[Adam_Wysocki]

For what it's worth ...

The American Veterinary Medical Association approves of CO2 (or similar anesthesia) for euthanizing rodents.

"Wacking" is not approved and generally believe to be cruel/inhumane. If CO2 or anesthetics are not available, cervical dislocation by someone trained in the practice is considered acceptable.

A couple of helpful links ...

2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Euthanasia - http://www.researchtraining.org/refe...0%20Report.pdf

GUIDELINES FOR USE OF CERVICAL DISLOCATION FOR RODENT EUTHANASIA - http://labanimals.stanford.edu/Guidelines/Cerv_Dis.html

-adam

[daniel1983]

Good links Adam...

I use cervical dislocation and it works just fine. I would suggest seeing someone do it first if you can, but it is not that complicated. If you dont like the hands-on approach of killing an animal or you cant stomach feeling an animals neck break, I would suggest getting a CO2 chamber It will be better for both you and the mice....IMO...hesitation or being worried is not good when using the cervical dislocation method and can lead to a suffering animal....be confident in the method that you use.....having a half dead or injured rodent in the cage with a snake is painful for the rodent and dangerous for the snake.

[frankykeno]

Mike and I have been looking at CO2 chamber ideas. Does anyone have either a link to a reasonably easy/safe way to make one (remember no one in our house is a rocket engineer LOL) or somewhere one can purchase one ready made/ready to assemble.

Thanks

~~Jo~~

[daniel1983]

I know there used to be an article on here in the DIY section but it dissappeared since the site changed over. Maybe someone knows where it is???? All you need is a paintball gun setup hooked up to a plastic container....or you can use dry ice.

[Shelby]

They are easy to make. What you need is a Co2 bottle which you can buy at most sporting goods/paintball supply shops.. a remote, which is a cord that runs from the bottle to the paintball gun. Get one with a regulator on it (a little knob that controls the gas flow that's on the end of the remote that attaches to the bottle).

Get a big container with a lid (I use a plastic jar that had pretzels in it). Drill a hole in the lid and run an aquarium airline through it. Hot glue it in the lid so there isn't any gap around it. Run the other end of the airline in a container filled with water. This is your exhaust, the water makes sure no air gets back in the container and revives the rodents!

Drill another hole in the side of the container, near the bottom and hot glue the remote end in there. That's where you pump the Co2 in. Attach the bottle to the other end of the remote, and you're set!

If that makes no sense, I don't blame you.

[frankykeno]

Actually that was a pretty darn good explanation LOL (got any drawings?) Now we would only be gassing a small amount of mice per week (4 right now), so about how long do you gas them to be humane about it? Can you feed them to the snakes right away or must you "air them out" (okay stop laffing folks I really am curious about all this)? Do you do this indoors or is there any risks involved with escaping gases when you open the bucket to remove the gassed rodents?

Thanks for all the info.

~~Jo~~

[Shelby]

5-8 minutes is usually adaquate for rats. Similar for mice. It's pretty obvious when they're dead. No need to 'air' them out. Co2 is what all mammals naturally exhale. I do it indoors.. again it's not dangerous to us. I wouldn't recommend sticking your face in the container, however.

[aibhaeog]

Thanks all.
That helps a lot.

It just so happens that I am an avid ( ok, make that psychotic ) paintball player!

Accuracy by volume is my motto.