Question/survey about feeding pre-killed - Page 2

candyraver69 · 10-23-10, 07:40 AM

LOL! Biting the head off is a way I've never heard of to pre-kill snake food. I gotta say tasting rat brains doesn't sound fun to me personally but hey!

I agree with you about the constriction to a point, it might not be fun for the rodent but it's nature! The part that makes it un-natural to me is the tossing it into a container with a snake ready to eat it, no where to run and hide. In nature the poor little ******* would at least have the option to TRY and dodge under a rock or run off.

I choose pre-killing for the snakes sake mostly too though. Can't say I didn't feed live ever in my life or that I wouldn't if I was trying to get a snake eating that was being difficult. The bites and scratches are just nice to avoid if at all possible... not to mention it's more covenant and cheaper to buy frozen than live.

I've never had a problem killing my own rats, even though they are wonderful loving creatures, I just don't find it any different than killing a salmon or a cow for my own food in my own personal set of morals. I can certainly respect people that can't handle it though or feel differently. Even though I tease my hubby who couldn't do it, I find his morals admirable.

Maybe it stems from having been around farm animals as a young child, learning to accept the death of another creature that was cute and cuddley because that was what put food on the table. I do have a very big respect for death though and you won't ever catch me killing something purely for fun (like some hunters and fishermen) or even harming plants for fun. My son thinks I'm a lunatic because I get so upset when he sits in the yard and starts pulling up chunks of grass out of boredom or kicks a tree or flower over while on a nature hike.

infernalis · 10-23-10, 07:46 AM

Respect for life.. A++ kudos.

I feel the same. If it's going to get eaten, then it's part of natures design, if it's just for "fun" well that's not.

I grew up with cows, pigs and chickens in the barn, so I had to learn at a very early age to provide the best care for our animals and to accept the fact that when they reach adulthood it was time to fill the freezer.

percey39 · 10-23-10, 05:41 PM

I beed my own rats at the moment. I still buy my pinkies though as i cant breed enough to keep me going on my young snakes. I have 3 males and 8 females in the rats and if you own rats thats enough to be a hobby in its own..
I feed F/T, but i break the rats neck before putting them in the freezer. I like to freeze them to get rid of any possible internal parasites.

Reptile_Reptile · 10-23-10, 08:37 PM

how do you break the neck... im sorry but im asking for specifics so i can do it not just ways.

D&J-burgos · 10-23-10, 10:59 PM

I have a ball python about 9 months now? ive done as ive been told to do usually the first, a nice whack to stun(sometimes kills) the mouse/rat and i have never had a problem thus far with him grabbing it before the mouse/rat comes to or kill and freeze...i get them from a pet store a town over, about a 20 min drive or so..sometimes ill grab a few extra and fallow the second method.(fed live today) i feed 2~3 monthly i would absolutely buy the mice from a friend any thing to help the little guy.

D&J-burgos · 10-23-10, 11:02 PM

what i do when i kill and freeze....quick hard thump between the head and shoulders with the back of a french knife, you could use about any thing just so long as you be sure to hit to kill and not have the animal suffer...im sure there are more or better ways but it works for me

percey39 · 10-24-10, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reptile_Reptile

how do you break the neck... im sorry but im asking for specifics so i can do it not just ways.

As im mainly breed my rats to weaners and fuzzies, sometimes to adulthood for my larger pythons. I just squeeze just above their shoulders and quickly twist the head 200-260 degrees. This kills them instantly and i always double check before they are put in the freezer. It was different to say the least when i first done it, but i would rather do this than subject them to freezing and Co2.

Reptile_Reptile · 10-24-10, 05:17 PM

idk i would rather kill myself and freeze but im just unsure i can get it right and not f up the poor rodent

DeesBalls · 10-24-10, 06:23 PM

Lets see....

3 snakes eat frozen thawed, 1 eats live (BP)
get everything from a pet supplies plus store i like...

in a month about...12 fuzzies, 4 mice and 2-4 small rats...

hope i didnt miss anything

presspirate · 10-24-10, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reptile_Reptile

idk i would rather kill myself and freeze but im just unsure i can get it right and not f up the poor rodent

I'm quoting Infernalis here from another thread. "Put it in a pillow case, twirl that sucker like you hate it then smack it on the counter." I think that about covers it.

Reptile_Reptile · 10-24-10, 11:42 PM

... i remember seeing that thread. that was hardcore sh*t.

sorry for attempting a curse

infernalis · 10-25-10, 08:13 AM

Thankfully I have not had to kill my own rats or mice in a long while...

dragunov.762 · 10-27-10, 11:06 AM

i have only killed a live rat or mouse once long ago before i knew what i was doing and i used a mouse trap to break its neck. that was only because it back was broken and it was suffering. but from what i have read you can wring their necks (i would assume that is the easiest way) or you can hold their neck down on a table or counter top with a screw driver or the like and pull their body away from their head. i have heard that bashing them on a counter is not a good way to do it especially if you have never done it before because most people will stop mid swing and only injure the rat instead of killing it. one way i have also heard to feed live it to swing the rat around and make it dizzy and then put it in with the snake. the snake should grab it while it is disoriented and kill it before the rat can harm your snake. i have no clue if it works or not but it is an interesting theory.

presspirate · 10-27-10, 04:33 PM

I'm actually glad to see that nobody has said they enjoy killing rats. Our humanity is intact.

D&J-burgos · 10-27-10, 09:06 PM

lol, i agree with you Pirate