Frozen Rats

[CaneCorso]

So, I have been feeding my snakes live mice since I have had them. I bought my normal over the summer, my spider and albino I picked up in October. All three were hatchling when I bought them. Recently my snakes have been getting bit and my albino got scratched up by the back feet of a mouse while the snake had a death grip on its head. None of the bites have been serious enough to warrant a trip to the vet and the scratches on the albino were only surface wounds and it looks like the mark will be gone for the most part after this next shed.

They are getting to the size where I believe they are ready for small rats, only problem is the local pet store has huge rats and small mice forcing me to buy six mice at a time for feeding three snakes. It costs me a little over 10 bucks a week for mice. Also I was afraid the rats would surely do more damage to the snake than mice would. A couple stores around here have frozen feeders but they are all small mice.

Anyway, I tried frozen once when I only had my normal and he wasn't interested so I just threw it out and kept giving live. I went ahead and bought 40 something frozen rats from Rodent Pro hoping (really hoping) they would eat them because I really have no idea what the hell I would do with a load of rats that they won't eat.

I consider my snakes to be very aggressive feeders. The mice are only in the tub maybe a minute or two sometimes less before they are snatched up. So last night was feeding night and I decide to give the rats a whirl.

First, I will give my impressions on Rodent Pro: The rats could not have been packed better, arrived on time and were still frozen solid. The rats were as advertised on the site, I bought small rats and weanlings. They looked very nice, are not stuck together, and no freezer burn or anything like that.

On feeding day I take out the cold side hides and place paper towels over the aspen and once the snake grabs the mouse I place him on the paper towels so they don't eat any aspen along with the mouse. I swear my normal knows what's about to happen b/c every feeding day I do this he just sits on the paper towel and waits. I don't even have to prescent with him.

I took three out and placed them in a ziplock and then put them in a bowl of hot tap water to thaw. I left them in the water for about 20-30 minutes until they were mushy and warm. By the way, I never smelled a frozen rat before but these things sure smell kinda ripe compaired to live mice especially once they were thawed.

The rats are ready but since I am a procrastinator I never bought any feeding tongs. Oh well, too late. I go upstairs to the snake room and as always my normal is ready waiting on his paper towel for dinner. I grab a rat by his tail and dangle him about an inch or two from the snakes face. It didn't take long and the snake snatched the rat in an instant. The snake struck and coiled so fast it scared me especially since I wasn't expecting a response like that with a f/t rat. One down two to go.

I was ready for the spider and I dangled the rat in front of his face and he didn't strike and coil nearly as fast as the normal but he took it nonetheless. Almost done.

My albino is just as aggressive if not more than my normal on feeding day. She hasn't caught on to the whole paper towel thing yet though. Anyway, I am dangling the rat in front of her and she seems to be more interested in my hand than the rat. She kept raising off her belling inching up towards my hand. I had to keep raising the rat up trying to avoid having a snake wrapped around my wrist. She finally took it but she took it the way a scared dog takes food, real slow and seemed cautious. She hardly wrapped it up. I left her alone for 15 minutes and the rat was just lying on the paper towel and she wasn't too far away coiled up and looked ready to strike. So I took a pair of pliers and removed the rat and reheated it in some water and she took it no problem. I guess after feeding the first two the rat got a little too cold and that's why she was getting closer to my hand.


Well, thanks for letting me share. I am just pretty happy that my snakes took frozen the first time I offered (2nd time for my normal). and to share my experience with Rodent Pro. I will surely be buying from them from now on.

[Jsh]

Well I'm glad you were able to take the plunge on frozen. It seems your snakes had no problem switching and its far safer IMO. As far as Rodent Pro goes they are top notch. I live in Evansville and pick up my mice from them locally. I've met Kevin and Kelli a few times and they are great. Thanks for sharing.

[SecurityStacey]

My guy takes frozen pretty aggressively too - it's great that all your take it no problem. I'd rather feed frozen over live any day - as long as Stan keeps on taking them.

Brave man giving them without tongs!

[Jyson]

Good to here they had no problems switchin.

Mine don't even look at the thawed rat anymore, they are now more curious about the hand that hold the tongs.

[bxsrt8mag]

thats good to hear because im getting more balls myself and im moving in 3 month and were i will live there seems to be no pet store that cares small rats so i was thinking about f/t. how do u thaw them out and u said the smell is it that bad

[CaneCorso]

thats good to hear because im getting more balls myself and im moving in 3 month and were i will live there seems to be no pet store that cares small rats so i was thinking about f/t. how do u thaw them out and u said the smell is it that bad

I put them in a small ziplock right out of the freezer, fill a bowl with some hot tap water and leave them in the water for 20-30 or until they are warm and soft. As far as smelling bad, you can't smell them across the room or anything but they do have a ripeness to them. I guess that's what rats smell like.