# can you feed gerbils to snakes?



## white (May 16, 2009)

i breed gerbils but i'm having trouble selling the off spring so wondering if my snakes can eat them?.the will of course be killed humanly before hand.


----------



## pigglywiggly (Jul 19, 2008)

yes, some shops stock them in the freezers for snakies


----------



## cacoonkitty (Aug 10, 2008)

if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave the humane killing to the people who know how and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


----------



## white (May 16, 2009)

cacoonkitty said:


> if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave the humane killing to the people who know how and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


i have stopped breeding them,and i have a co2 chamber which is the most humane way to kill them


----------



## alan1 (Nov 11, 2008)

of course you can...
dont expect them to switch back to rats anytime soon tho


----------



## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

cacoonkitty said:


> if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave *the humane killing to the people who know how* and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


And exactly how do you think those people found out how to kill humanly in the first place?
Every one has to start some where.

Natrix


----------



## white (May 16, 2009)

Natrix said:


> And exactly how do you think those people found out how to kill humanly in the first place?
> Every one has to start some where.
> 
> Natrix


agreed!


----------



## pirez (May 3, 2009)

Natrix said:


> And exactly how do you think those people found out how to kill humanly in the first place?
> Every one has to start some where.
> 
> Natrix


 Those people found out through trial and error, you should leave it to those who know how to.
What do you mean by 'every one has to start some where'? 
Are you suggesting he practice first, possibly getting it wrong and causing the animals undue suffering?


----------



## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

pire said:


> Those people found out through trial and error, you should leave it to those who know how to.
> What do you mean by 'every one has to start some where'?
> Are you suggesting he practice first, possibly getting it wrong and causing the animals undue suffering?


I'm suggesting that like all those other people, he reads up on the subject and talks to those that know how and then gets on with it. I think there is more than enough information on how to kill mice in the feeder section on this forum for the OP to find out how to kill his gerbils.

A blow to the head, a broken neck or a quick trip to the gas box are all much quicker and cleaner ways to die than squashed in the many thousands of break back traps set around the country by house holders every day and how many millions of mice and rats die in agony from poisoning everyday. 

Natrix


----------



## IndigoFire (Apr 11, 2009)

cacoonkitty said:


> if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave the humane killing to the people who know how and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


 
Im sorry, im not one to jump onto people, but what?

I think its rather a good idea white culls his excess young to feed to his snakes, atleast he's not sticking them in the bin or something.

And I'm not being funny bash but what do you know of white? He might be gassing him in the oven, or he might cull them in the same way "those who know what their doing" do it? Also if people thought like you, "those who know what their doing" would not know what they do.

Im sorry, but your post is completely aggressive when it didnt need to be.


----------



## white (May 16, 2009)

IndigoFire said:


> Im sorry, im not one to jump onto people, but what?
> 
> I think its rather a good idea white culls his excess young to feed to his snakes, atleast he's not sticking them in the bin or something.
> 
> ...


thanks for your support:2thumb:


----------



## IndigoFire (Apr 11, 2009)

white said:


> thanks for your support:2thumb:


I am in no way defending your or supporting you, as I said before the other poster knows nothing of you and nor do I. I only said it was a good idea to cull your excess stock, but, you need to studying hard on safley, humanely and quickly culling mamals and purchase the correct equipment.
I think it is better to breed and cull your own feeder rodents, rather than relying on 'those who know what their doing' to provide us with frozen rodents. Atleast with your own you know whats gone into them.


----------



## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

IndigoFire said:


> Im sorry, im not one to jump onto people, but what?
> 
> I think its rather a good idea white culls his excess young to feed to his snakes, atleast he's not sticking them in the bin or something.
> 
> ...


true to that, i personally think rearing and dispatching your own is, if done humanely, is loads better then commercially farmed feeders. commercially they're set on achieving the right selling weight/size to maximise profit as quickly as possible. at least at home you care for them properly before you dispatch them....


----------



## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

I see the fluffy brigade have started trolling the feeder section again! :whistling2:

Yes btw you can cull your own, quite a few people to as generally the quality of feeder goes up hugely when you breed your own. Only downside as mentioned is that depending on what your feeding the snake may prey imprint on the gerbil and refuse anything else. But then again given the fact that you breed your own that may not be a problem for you.


----------



## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

Ignoring all the should you shouldnt you debate I will offer more practical advice.

With adult gerbils I do recommend CO2 method due to the tail drop /tail skin habit they have, as with the swing method unless you have hold of them right at the base the tail will de-skin and if you have hold it the right place you will get scratched in the process, the fact for such little things they are pretty strong which makes them near on impossible to pin for cervial dislocation.

Some snakes do get a taste for them so if you are prepared to have a supply on hand for a snake that will only eat them then thats fine. Otherwise I would say cull them, freeze them and offer them up for sale for someone else who has a fussy snake.


----------



## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

When I feed my geckos the crickets arnt humanly killed... Is this wrong?:whistling2:


----------



## southpython (Feb 18, 2010)

yep, kill em and feed em.

What ever method of killing them is nothing to do with the rest of us.

THey will get a taste for them though :no1:


----------



## white (May 16, 2009)

southpython said:


> yep, kill em and feed em.
> 
> What ever method of killing them is nothing to do with the rest of us.
> 
> THey will get a taste for them though :no1:


that's ok i have an endless supply.will they eat them though as up until now they have only eaten mice


----------



## southpython (Feb 18, 2010)

cacoonkitty said:


> if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave the humane killing to the people who know how and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


Why should he stop breeding them ? If he wants to feed the ones he cant sell to his snakes then he can.

Its not hard to kill a rodent you know ? Everyone has to learn from somewhere. 

All those methods are what you have just came up with yourself and not what the op has said.

Bloody fluffy lovers in the feeder section!, if you dont like it then dont post.


----------



## southpython (Feb 18, 2010)

white said:


> that's ok i have an endless supply.will they eat them though as up until now they have only eaten mice


offer them if you want and if they eat it then its all good. 

Make sure you have a constant supply as they may get stuck on them.

If your only killing a small amount at a time then its not worth a CO2. Its a waste for one or 2.


----------



## cacoonkitty (Aug 10, 2008)

"QUOTE" i breed gerbils but i'm having trouble selling the off spring so wondering if my snakes can eat them ?.they will of course be killed humanly before hand.

.....Look, i really cant be botherd to get into an deep debated argument on here i come on RFUK to read about whats going on with peoples reps /snakes etc, and im sorry if my previous post was blown out of proportion and sounded agressive ..perhaps i had a bad day or something..i cant remember to be honest, the post above by White origionaly put up said that he bred gerbils but cant get rid of the off spring ..not i breed gerbils for feeders and am going to kill them and feed to my snake...
if he wants to breed and feed to his snake then fine im sure the snake will be happy about getting a diffrent feeder, i actualy feed mice myself to all my big monitors and know they are killed but all i was saying is if you cant get rid of bred babies then dont breed them any more to prevent this problem occuring. if he wants to breed them himself for feeders then great this is diffrent and will be a hell of alot cheaper in the long run, but as long as he does it humanly and as quick as poss to prevent un due suffering....im not a "fluffy lover" as you say im an animal, reptile and snake lover and have kept loads of diffrent and rare species or gecko,rep and some snakes too...but for god sake can we leave it now......WHITE if you kill your baby gerbils before feeding and do it humanely and are totaly positve it will kill quickly then go ahead fine..job done....ok so please can we leave it at that guys...thankyou.:2thumb:


----------



## white (May 16, 2009)

i don't need you approval thanks!


----------



## bobby (Sep 26, 2006)

cacoonkitty said:


> if your having trouble selling the babies.....there is one simple answer that springs to my mind........dont breed them then!!!!...leave the humane killing to the people who know how and not to be funny but how did you intend to kill them... ..humanly by the way....gas them in the oven...freeze them to death in the freezer or just feed them alive to your snake....oh dear.:censor:


Do you think the mice we buy in petshops have been killed humanely?

You poor naive little thing.....*pats head*



Not nice when people are patronising eh?

BTW live feeding is humane for the prey.....


----------



## Simone1989 (Jan 14, 2009)

Hahaha it's happened to someones thread again! He asked if his snakes could eat gerbils...yes or no end of...he said they wouldn't be alive and at the end of the day thats not what he was asking....and if people stopped the bit ching and read what he said he said he had a co2 chamber ba dom boom chu! Debating is so boring unless its over something that was the original topic of the thread!!!!!


----------



## cacoonkitty (Aug 10, 2008)

oh..dear...im so sorry bobby.....im soooo patronized ....what eva .........
"pats head".............................child. end .


----------



## Natrix (Dec 9, 2006)

cacoonkitty said:


> "QUOTE" i breed gerbils but i'm having trouble selling the off spring so wondering if my snakes can eat them ?.they will of course be killed humanly before hand.
> 
> .....Look, i really cant be botherd to get into an deep debated argument on here i come on RFUK to read about whats going on with peoples reps /snakes etc, and im sorry if my previous post was blown out of proportion and sounded agressive ..perhaps i had a bad day or something..i cant remember to be honest, the post above by White origionaly put up said that he bred gerbils but cant get rid of the off spring ..not i breed gerbils for feeders and am going to kill them and feed to my snake...
> if he wants to breed and feed to his snake then fine im sure the snake will be happy about getting a diffrent feeder, i actualy feed mice myself to all my big monitors and know they are killed but all i was saying is if you cant get rid of bred babies then dont breed them any more to prevent this problem occuring.* if he wants to breed them himself for feeders then great this is diffrent and will be a hell of alot cheaper in the long run*, but as long as he does it humanly and as quick as poss to prevent un due suffering....im not a "fluffy lover" as you say im an animal, reptile and snake lover and have kept loads of diffrent and rare species or gecko,rep and some snakes too...but for god sake can we leave it now......WHITE if you kill your baby gerbils before feeding and do it humanely and are totaly positve it will kill quickly then go ahead fine..job done....ok so please can we leave it at that guys...thankyou.:2thumb:


Sorry is there some kind of genetic difference between a gerbil bred to be fed and a gerbil bred to be a pet?
Does the gerbil bred to be fed just accept its fate as it's purpose in life where as the pet ones demand a second hearing before meeting their untimely end?

Just about every breeder of show rodents I've ever met has a strong policy on culling the unwanted and over produced babies. If you have to breed several dozen babies to get the purfect show animal, you have to be prepared to dispose of the excess and there isn't a never ending need for them in the pet shop. 

The law in this country recognises all animals as equal. A few years ago there was several media stories about the grey hound people shooting unwanted grey hounds and how nothing was done to stop them. The reason for that was that a grey hound keeper has just as much right to destroy an unwanted grey hound (humanly) as a gerbil keeper has to destroy an unwanted gerbil (humanly) regardless of the purpose it was bred for.

Natrix


----------

