Frozen Mice/Rats Question

[phrack3r]

how long can you usually keep frozen mice and rats frozen until they go bad? and any tips for keeping them fresh longer. also my girlfriend has been having problems when thawing her fuzzies for her bp and has been getting ones coming out black after thawing them out i said its possibly using to warm of water when thawing them, any other ideas what it could be? thanks alot all.

[SecurityStacey]

I'm not really an expert but I believe if you keep them pretty airtight they should be able to last up to 6 months. A good (and cheap way) to keep them is to get one of those reynolds food vac things (they are like 10 bucks for the initial package and the bags are cheap after that). It doesn't work as good as the big food savers but its relatively cheap and easy to use.

I don't know much about the fuzzies - but that doesn't sound good. When I thaw out my frozen feeders I put them in a bowl of hot (not boiling) water until when I feel up under their ribs it is warm and I'm sure they are fully thawed. Then I wrap them in a paper towel to dry them off - my guy always goes for them but some people also use a hairdryer on them for a few minutes to make sure they are extra warm.

[phrack3r]

yea i know she isnt boiling them cause thats the first thing i told her is a no no when feeding f/t to her new snake.

[Debbienflorida]

I let them thaw a couple hours at room temp in the baggie then warm them up a couple minutes under a light. When they feel warm to the touch I feed them off. I have been doing this for almost a year and never any problems. I warm them on top of the BP's cage to pre scent but the boas don't need pre scent at all. I barely get the rodent dangled and they strike. Now the BPs like a little dance before dinner!

[TigerLilly02]

I have used f/t for years but due to the size of my collection of reptiles, I never had them in the freezer for very long.
As far as the fuzzies go, I found out early on that anything younger than hoppers pretty much turn to mush when thawed. Possibly because the bones arent totally formed/hardened yet? Not sure why, but that's my experience.

[Somed00d]

for the fuzzies thaw them in cool water or even in the fridge then give them a shot of hot water under the tap for a few seconds and then feed.. if you thaw them in warm water they go mushy.. I haven't seen one go black personally but its probably from the hot water.

Rats can keep up to a year if they are stored properly, the best way is a vacuum sealer but any airtight container will be ok for 6 months.