# Gassing etc....



## 17624 (May 1, 2008)

How do people "prepare" there mice, multis etc for the freezer/feeding?

Jpster


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## eridu (Jul 3, 2010)

*Nooooo Gasing*

Hi
errrrrrrrrm I was always told that if you take the baby mice/rats or frogs and put them in a bag in the freezer, they go to sleep...bigger mice/rats etc I have nooooo idea (I guess people clobber them?).

Does it help?


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## TaniaBaker (Nov 14, 2009)

Bigger mice/rats I use the "big swing" against a door frame... much quicker and less painful for the animal .... I have read that freezing an animal live is very painful for them due to the ice crystals that form in the eyes and bloodstream etc, so freezing live is not just a question of "peacefully going to sleep" as that isnt what happens.


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## Twiglet (May 6, 2009)

eridu said:


> Hi
> errrrrrrrrm I was always told that if you take the baby mice/rats or frogs and put them in a bag in the freezer, they go to sleep...bigger mice/rats etc I have nooooo idea (I guess people clobber them?).
> 
> Does it help?


The below is a better method. Freezing is hugely inhumane.



TaniaBaker said:


> Bigger mice/rats I use the "big swing" against a door frame... much quicker and less painful for the animal .... I have read that freezing an animal live is very painful for them due to the ice crystals that form in the eyes and bloodstream etc, so freezing live is not just a question of "peacefully going to sleep" as that isnt what happens.



Always the big swing for me too. I am very disturbed to say that nothing else I've tried kills a mouse quicker that I do. Gassing is efficient and humane IF done properly. Try a quick forum search on CO2 chambers and culling and you'll get an idea of correct methods. Mouse in box + cranked up CO2 level = not humane. There's a knack.


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## kitschyduck (May 30, 2010)

Now I feel conflicted. I've always kept rarer African land snails as pets, but now I'm getting pink tongue skinks, I need to breed snails for food for them.

My plan was to put the snails in the freezer to cull them and get rid of any parasites from any wild caught ones.

Is there a better way to do it for snails?


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## eridu (Jul 3, 2010)

*Snails*

LOL Beer!!!!


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## kitschyduck (May 30, 2010)

It would certainly work, but not sure about indirectly feeding my reptiles alcohol lol!


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## TaniaBaker (Nov 14, 2009)

kitschyduck said:


> Now I feel conflicted. I've always kept rarer African land snails as pets, but now I'm getting pink tongue skinks, I need to breed snails for food for them.
> 
> My plan was to put the snails in the freezer to cull them and get rid of any parasites from any wild caught ones.
> 
> Is there a better way to do it for snails?


How To Kill Snails and Slugs

Look at number 9 on the link I gave you ... but you would have to research on any effects of the contents on reptiles but it does appear to be a safe way ... or use the drowning option?


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## eightball (Jan 1, 2011)

freezing them when there alive is totally inhumane, personally i think holding there head and putting it in a mouse trap to break their neck is the best way or if you can get the materials you could always make a co2 chamber :no1:


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## mrfang (Apr 10, 2009)

best and cheapest way to make a chamber is use a 9l rub,drill a entry hole for your co2 supply and a smaller hole for air to escape,if you dont drill a escape hole the chamber fills with gas and blows the lid off!!
you could use either a small welders co2 bottle with a regulator,or if your doing them at a large amount use a co2 pub bottle and reg.
attatch the tube to the reg,place your mouse in the rub,attatch lid,place the co2 hose into large hole and gently turn the reg on once the bottle is on.
you dont want to blast it out the rub,you need a slow amount of gas just to make the mouse sleepy,once they are asleep leave the gas running for a further 30 seconds to ensure rodent is culled...
i breed and cull all my own food for my reptiles and think this is the most cleanest way of doing it...
good luck..


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## eightball (Jan 1, 2011)

theres plenty of tutorials on making a co2 chamber with pics and it only costs around £30-40, i guess its only a good idea if your breeding quite a lot


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## rosanna123 (Sep 1, 2010)

kitschyduck said:


> Now I feel conflicted. I've always kept rarer African land snails as pets, but now I'm getting pink tongue skinks, I need to breed snails for food for them.
> 
> My plan was to put the snails in the freezer to cull them and get rid of any parasites from any wild caught ones.
> 
> Is there a better way to do it for snails?


 
put them in the fridge for 24 hours before freezing them. this will make them go to sleep before killing them. it is what i had to do with all my sick snails


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## Disgruntled (Dec 5, 2010)

I used to breed my own mice when I had four snakes, I tried swinging them by the tail and bashing their heads on the work bench but it was not nice and often bloody. I did it like this:

Take your mouse out of the cage by the base of the tail, place it on a hard surface like a desk,
Keep hold of the tail and place the metal part of a small screwdriver behind their heads.
Press gently but firmly with the screwdriver and at the same time give a sharp tug on the tail. This will instantly break the neck of the mouse, no blood or mess and no bashing!
I used this method tons of times and it is very quick.


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