how do you guys thaw your frozen mice etc?

[Clownfishie]

I've heard of a couple of different methods -- some sounded better than others. Just wondering what ways you guys prefer...

I'll be trying Xander on his first meal in the next few days -- I'm sure it's going to be a much bigger ordeal for me than for him -- LOL :)

Thanks for any help you can give :)
Jen

[rattekonigin]

I thaw mine in hot water (not boiling, though)

[Clownfishie]

How long does it usually take to thaw completely?

Right now I've got rat fuzzies... although obviously I'll be feeding bigger animals as time goes on (and Xander grows ... ;))

[Ryan and Katie]

It's hard to say exactly how long it takes to thaw, it depends on how warm the water is, etc. But it really doesn't take that long and you will know they are thawed. We dry ours off very thoroughly after with paper towel.

[Pixie]

I thaw out my mice in warm/hot tap water. Bigger food items take 2 soakings for me of 10 min. each, then I dab them on paper towels to remove excess water and presto, snake food :)

[Clownfishie]

Thanks guys :)

Thank you Pixie, that gives me a time frame... so for the fuzzies, 10 minutes should definitely be enough....

[silke]

I only need to feed pinkies and have been thawing at room temp but i have heard that bacteria breed FAST and the quicker you get the mouse thawed and into the snake the better.
From now on I will use warm water

[Linds]

I use hot tap water. I wring them out, and for larger items I rub em down with papertowel as well. If I want to get a little extra water to the animal I leave it soaking wet though.

[tai_pan1]

I always leave mine wet. I tried drying them off once, and it seemed like it took my snakes forever to take them. Zach (my most aggressive feeding corn) even took awhile to get interested. When I leave them wet, they are gone in the blink of an eye. JMO.

[nuno]

will the snake still eat the rat while it's soaked Linds?

[Syst3m]

Some people Thaw them over night and such,
I prefer to thaw mine in a sandwich bag in hot tap water. decent sized rats take 2 thawings at about 10/15 minute a peice, fuzzy rats take less then 10 minutes. Just feel the rat. You will know when its done. It will move freely without solid parts in it. I like to thaw mine until I know they are done then I soak them in fresh hot tap water for 3/5 minutes. So the snake thinks they are fresh. Some people call it super heating.

[nuno]

I'm going to have to try this method! Also is it safe to re-freeze an already tawed rat/mouse?

[Linds]

nuno,
Yes, my animals don't mind soggy rodents. Its not a good idea IMO to refreeze prey items. Would you refreeze a turkey that you had thawed out but ended up not eating? Bacteria builds up very quickly and for the most part freezing doesn't kill it. Also the cell walls break down when you freeze and thaw the item. Have you ever heard about a snake contricting its prey and the prey item exploded into a smelly mess? Best to discard uneaten prey items.

[beyowulf]

I can always tell when my mice are done because they're mushy and when you hold them between your fingerd for 20 seconds or so, it doesn't cool down really fast (as though there were still forzen parts inside)

[nuno]

I think I'll go back to freshly killed food, I just hated going to the pet store every week. My baby Boas will get the best and only the best things in life that I can offer and all thanks to everyone on this site!!!!

Thanks

[Lisa]

refreezing food is BAD

i've seen it suggested that putting the rats/mice directly in the water isn't the best idea but i haven't had problems with it.

DO NOT use the microwave. you can cook/get hot spots in the rodent. cooked meat isn't as nutrisious and hotspots can burn the snake


here's some info on feeding F/T

http://www.proexotics.com/FAQ_answers_Why_do_you_suggest_feeding_thawed.html

[Clownfishie]

Thanks for the link Lisa :) Good site... Don't worry, I had no thoughts of doing it in the microwave -- I'd already read how bad that was...

And while I don't plan on actually touching these things with my fingers (I suppose I might get "unsquemish" enough eventually, but definitely not yet ;)), I did poke it with the tongs, and it was squishy everywhere... So I guess doing it in the water must have worked just fine :) I didn't end up drying it off, I just gave it to him wet -- he didn't seem to have a problem with that at all :)

[Cas]

Whatever you do, don't use water that's too hot! I used water as hot as I could get from the tap the other day (which I usually do, but I usually thaw inside a plastic bag as well) and just put the mice directly in the water. Several mice ended up popping when my snakes constricted them :p (and my black pine's mouse got aspen stuck on it... retreiving it from her, now <i>that</i> was an experience!)

Dawn

[JamesBryan]

I always used the hot water thing. Recently we purchased a very small microwave from WalMart for around 50 bucks. It has a variable power knob (like a rheostat) that goes down to 7 watts.

It takes longer to do it at 7 watts than in hot water, but you don't have to keep adding hot water and the mice are dry and there is no mess in the sink.

I have done up to adult rats using the defrost (next highest setting) for about 5 minutes and then 5 - 10 minutes on the lowest setting. That lowest setting doesn't explode the small mice.

After using it for about 2 months, I prefer it hands down. No mess. Almost a "set it and forget it" thing. Having dry rodents is a must since I use Aspen now.

James and Vickie Bryan

[Linds]

Microwaves have been proven to zap most of the nutritional value right out of the food, and since it cooks from the inside out you can never really tell if the inside is partially cooked or not, and is also alot warmer than the outside.

[derek]

i have always just put all the prey items i am going to use in a container with hot tap water and let it defrost for about 10 min. then i use a hair dryer to heat the item somemore (as by ten min. the water is just warm). and the are usually gone in the blink of an eye ;)

[PoiSoNouS]

I put the rats in hottest tap water I can get... I change the water 2 or 3 times to keep it hot..

[Them and Us]

i boil water, let it sit for like 5-10 minutes , place the mice in the sink and then pour the hot water over them, dab em dry and then feed.

[KaHane]

We have our frozen rodents in vacummed packed bags and put the bags in HOT water and then wait til it thaws. It would also work if you put the frozen rodent in a ziplock bag then in HOT water.

[mykee]

Up until a while ago, i used to leave them out overnight, but the germ thing popped up, so now I put them in a ziploc bag and run them under hot water for about 15 minutes or so.

[ross2k]

a lot of the people that posted say they put their rodents directly into the hot/warm water. and then a lot of people agree with what is said from proexotics. but proexotics says NOT to let the rodents get wet. well which is it?

i've been thawing under a lamp which is basically just a degree or two more than my room so it takes forever. the "medium" rats i feed my bps take over 3 hours to thaw. i think im going to try the ziploc in a sink of warm water technique.

[AaliahReed]

We thaw ours out in hot water, seems everyone else doe's too,
hehehe, and the really difficult feeders just pounce on wet ones,
one of our young'uns, had refused to eat for 10 weeks, the moment we put a wet rat pup in his cage it was gone,

[Them and Us]

i also did it the same way kahane did it for a while but i went thrugh pladtic bags liek crazy so i just do it the other way now. both are effective. my new way is damper but i pat them dry and serve it up on a piece of cardboard.

[V.hb]

Nuno: i hope that you realize by going back to pre-killed items at your pet store you'll be subjecting your mouse/rat to a complete moron snapping its neck (usually with a roll of tape, dont ask how its done you can figure it out) so stick to frozen. people also bash the rodent against the ground or hard object repeatedly untill it's dead.

[tex_01]

i keep mine in a bad and put it in hot water for 30 min and it is unthawed

[JamesBryan]

I would be interested in reading the studies indicating microwaves destroy the nutrients in food. Could you post a link please. We have been using it for three months now and it is the easiest, cleanest way yet. Hot spots? Remember, we are talking 7watts here, not 1000w or 1500w as in a full size microwave. It takes longer than hot water, but is very consistant. Microwaves energize the water molecules in the prey item. The areas containing the most moisture heat faster, but unless you are running it on a higher setting for longer times it does NOT get hot spots. Heat from any source would degrade some vitamins. What difference does the heat source make? Please state the references.

James

[reverendsterlin]

hot water is a slow method but I think it's the best, a microwave will excite all molecules at once including vitamin molecules, it's like a direct heat source at each point instead of convection slowly from outside in.

[sSNAKESs.com]

I put mine in my mouth where it sits at around 90 degrees... once the mouse is thawed, about 20 miuntes later it is set to a perfect 90 degrees. When using bigger prey, i simply do 1 end at a time.. and then stuff the entire prey item into my mouth for about 2 minutes once both ends are warm.. This would work well if you are extremely gullible or really neive.. LMAO!! ok ok im just joking :P i use the bag in hot water methods! LOLOL!!

[BILLP]

This is more of a question then a response. I have a spare fridge so i put my rats in it for a day to let them thaw and then the day that I feed I put them under a 150 watts heat light to warm them up. Is this ok or should I heat them in hot water like very one else seems to do.