# Help killing mice/rats



## liam peel (Sep 26, 2011)

Right i have stared my own breeding project with both mice and rats.
I will be using these for snake food, my only problem is i have mice and rats as pets to and i will find it hard killing them.
I will kill them as i know i have to but just wondering what your opinions are on the quickest least painfull and most humane way to kill them baring in mind my feelings for these animals.


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## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

Hammer to the head, done hard enough, insta-kill.


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

liam peel said:


> Right i have stared my own breeding project with both mice and rats.
> I will be using these for snake food, my only problem is i have mice and rats as pets to and i will find it hard killing them.
> I will kill them as i know i have to but just wondering what your opinions are on the quickest least painfull and most humane way to kill them baring in mind my feelings for these animals.


for the adults use a Co2 chamber and can make 1 of these yourself this explains how to do it

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/295798-making-co2-chamber.html

or 

http://www.reptile-community.com/smf/index.php?topic=8630.0

also if they babys just hit there head on the side or the floor fast and wont feel nothing


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## motorhead (Dec 5, 2010)

Stevan said:


> Hammer to the head, done hard enough, insta-kill.


a tad over the top!!


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## liam peel (Sep 26, 2011)

Stevan said:


> Hammer to the head, done hard enough, insta-kill.


I think that is a bit harsh, I dont realy want to smash their head in, i can understand it kills them instanly but i don't feel like that is realy humane, i know i wouldn't like to be hit with a hammer.


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## eightball (Jan 1, 2011)

liam peel said:


> I think that is a bit harsh, I dont realy want to smash their head in, i can understand it kills them instanly but i don't feel like that is realy humane, i know i wouldn't like to be hit with a hammer.


yeah, try avoid the hammer

after trying all sorts of methods i found that using something to place at the back of the neck and pulling their tail to sever the spine is very quick and humane, i used to hit their heads (against something) and they died very quick but i found that sometimes the odd 1 out of 100 would take a while to die so i started using the spine severing method :2thumb:

obvious its not as easy for some people to do those methods and a co2 chamber could well be a better option


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## Junior13reptilez (Oct 17, 2010)

liam peel said:


> I think that is a bit harsh, I dont realy want to smash their head in, i can understand it kills them instanly but i don't feel like that is realy humane, i know i wouldn't like to be hit with a hammer.


 How is hitting them with a hammer in-humane? It kills them straight away, no pain, no suffering although it is a bit OTT, but I think s/he may be joking although unsure:Na_Na_Na_Na:. Type your question into the search bar as there are big threads on it etc.


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## fuzzielady (May 19, 2008)

A co2 box would probably be your best option. I couldn't do the hands on methods. For me there is too much of a margin for error. With the gas box you put them in, turn gas on low, wait until they are asleep then turn it up. Simples :2thumb:


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## VespulaVulgaris (Nov 4, 2011)

I honestly don't know how you can kill them yourself. It takes a sick individual to hammer an animals head in! If you gas the adults (Not babies obviously) Then fine. But smashing their head in? That's just sick.


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## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

VespulaVulgaris said:


> I honestly don't know how you can kill them yourself. It takes a sick individual to hammer an animals head in! If you gas the adults (Not babies obviously) Then fine. But smashing their head in? That's just sick.


Well I was joking, I wasn't actually expecting them to go and batter the rat's head in with a hammer, but as there's a whole discussion opened up about it... 

It is a bit OTT as some people have said, and I can only imagine the mess, but I'm pretty sure a rat would die a HELL of a lot quicker being bashed in the head than with a chamber, it would literally die instantly. I honestly would not take any pleasure in killing anything in any way, and don't think I would actually do it myself, but I can't see how it's not a viable option. I can see fuzzielady's point about the error, but with a big enough hammer and a hard enough whack... 

But please don't anyone take this as me bashing anyone else's methods. What people choose to do is entirely their businesses, as log as the pray dies as quickly and as painlessly as possible. If anything I'm playing devil's advocate as much as anything else.

With regards to not gassing baby rats, how would you kill them?


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

As already stated. Blunt trauuma for pinkies (a quick flick across the back of the head will normally do it) anything with fur gets the "pencil" treatment, both methods = instant lights out. I had a bad experiance with the gas chamber method so don't tend to recommend it.


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## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

I think I can guess, but what's "the pencil treatment"?

When you use a chamber, do they basically suffocate?


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

i was thinking the same thing what is pencil treatment? lol


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

Well you draw a tash and beard on the rat and it dies of embarrassment.......

On a more serious note pencil (or any small rod like object really) across the back on the neck, push down and fowards slightly and breaks the neck, same kinda method and the tail yanking one described earlier but no danger of degloving the tail if it goes wrong.


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## popitgoes (Oct 24, 2010)

Issa said:


> Well you draw a tash and beard on the rat and it dies of embarrassment.......
> 
> On a more serious note pencil (or any small rod like object really) across the back on the neck, push down and fowards slightly and breaks the neck, same kinda method and the tail yanking one described earlier but no danger of degloving the tail if it goes wrong.



ahhh now i get what you mean lol


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## Stevan (Nov 1, 2006)

Issa said:


> Well you draw a tash and beard on the rat and it dies of embarrassment.......


:lol2: I actually "lold" there.


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## gecko geek (Aug 2, 2009)

for mice i used to just lift them by the tail and give them a hard filk on the back of the head if done hard you will hear a simple crack but for rats the only way i would say is the co2 chamber sa there a lot larger and is more humaine for them


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## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

Hi guys, I could do with some help and support with this. 

I only have one snake that gets anything other than frozen/thawed rodents, so I only have to kill one mouse at a time. 

I was thinking of the pencil behind the head tactic, but really worried that I wont do it right and will just hurt the mouse. I'm not being a big girl about it, but don't want to get it wrong. 

The 'pencil method' was my favoured tactic. Degloving the tail and it not killing the mouse was my first worry, but if it can be done by just pushing down and slightly forwards on the neck, I will try that. 

*takes deep breath* wish me luck!

The things we do for our snakes...


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## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

Ok, that wasn't nice.  I used the screwdriver behind the neck method. I thought I might break a pencil. 

Aren't mice vicious little sods?! :shock: They sure don't go down without a fight. 

I might consider building a small C02 chamber for the next one.


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## Spuddy (Aug 24, 2009)

Carlie said:


> Aren't mice vicious little sods?! :shock: They sure don't go down without a fight.



Dont suppose Id be all cute and cuddly if you tried snapping my neck with a screwdriver either :Na_Na_Na_Na:


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## cueball (Dec 22, 2010)

If your just going to dispatch the odd mouse consider using a mouse trap, hold the arm back with you thumb and release when mouse is in position.


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## Wolflore (Mar 3, 2010)

What's wrong with a hammer/cosh/priest to the back of the head? Severs the spine nice and quick. Bashing their heads in is not the idea. It's much the same as the 'pencil' method. I've used a hammer to sever the spine on anything from mice through rats to squirrels. I use a slightly different method with rabbits just using the hands, same with birds. 


Anthony


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