# fresh killed or frozen



## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

Iv been looking at some snakes that are on fresh killed weaner/medium rats.
And we got talking the owner was saying the snakes puts on waight quicker with fresh killed and looks better ( must addmit did look nice all of them 30 / 40 royal 4 boas hog islands pluss what i did not see

And he was saying with frozen roadents so much is lost and you lose nothing with fresh killed and you feed only quality as it for your own stock

And to be honest I am thinking of following in his line of thought. But is so much lost while the rat is in the frezzer........

if you have anything to say but in fear of been shouted at please pm me then it's just for me thanks


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## Love_snakes (Aug 12, 2007)

Im not sure... I dont think i could kill a rat though.

Also, I dont think its wise putting your number in your sig, you are likely to be prank called


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

I think you will find that snakes wiil do much better on pre killed......Freezing must take some of the goodness out of the food item

I think most are not comfortable killing their own Rats and mice and frozen is more convienient


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

Love_snakes said:


> Im not sure... I dont think i could kill a rat though.
> 
> Also, I dont think its wise putting your number in your sig, you are likely to be prank called


 

prank calls :lol2: yes please  nice and sexy please kinky thats up to you im open to ideas :whistling2:

On a serious note I do understand what you are saying and thankyou .....


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

madaboutreptiles said:


> I think you will find that snakes wiil do much better on pre killed......Freezing must take some of the goodness out of the food item
> 
> I think most are not comfortable killing their own Rats and mice and frozen is more convienient


 
I shouldent have a problem in killing them food is food aslong as it is eaten if it is left then I would be a bit :devil: but saying that we have a 4 foot bosc that eats owt :lol2: I think it just the cost in setting up that I have to get my head around:gasp: and how to stop them from smelling or ill be getting a :bash: off her indoors

At the moment we use approx 4 small mice, 5Lg mice, 2 small/weaner rats, 6 weaner rats and 2 medium rats A week so it might be worth it then again If I breed to many instead of frezzing I can get more snakes :lol2:


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

brian said:


> I shouldent have a problem in killing them food is food aslong as it is eaten if it is left then I would be a bit :devil: but saying that we have a 4 foot bosc that eats owt :lol2: I think it just the cost in setting up that I have to get my head around:gasp: and how to stop them from smelling or ill be getting a :bash: off her indoors
> 
> At the moment we use approx 4 small mice, 5Lg mice, 2 small/weaner rats, 6 weaner rats and 2 medium rats A week so it might be worth it then again If I breed to many instead of frezzing I can get more snakes :lol2:


I breed alot of my own mice these days purely because I was spending over 150 a month on frozen mice......

Most of my snakes take frozen but I do have one or two who will only take pre killed


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

madaboutreptiles said:


> Most of my snakes take frozen but I do have one or two who will only take pre killed


The ones on pre killed do you think thay look better and seem better in the way thay are...........


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## madaboutreptiles (Jun 5, 2007)

I think they do better.......when i feed my others pre killed they do seem much more aggresive when they strike so it must smell better


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

Thanks..............


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

your snakes will grow better on fresh killed.. only thing is, they might not want frozen if you sell them on.
also, one good thing, you wont need to waste them, if the snakes dont take them within a short time, you could then always freeze them as they wont have been frozen.. obviously i dont mean overnight as they will have started to go off.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

I would if i could use fresh killed. i think its better for the snake.. My BF used to rear and kill his own mice and it was excellent high quality food. However i am unable to provide the space or time to do so.

I have however tried many many mice suppliers and found the cleanest smelling freshest frozen to be from A&N , the service is also excellent . None of my snakes have ever refused a mouse from A&N it may be cooincidence but when defrosted they smell so fresh and clean i think the snakes just cant resist.


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

They have a very clean facility, i have seen how they do most of the things there, looked in the freezers and seen all the rodents..the time and effort they put in really is exceptional.. 
bit of a nightmare to find though lol


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

cornmorphs said:


> They have a very clean facility, i have seen how they do most of the things there, looked in the freezers and seen all the rodents..the time and effort they put in really is exceptional..
> bit of a nightmare to find though lol


 
LOL

I honestly havent in all the time ive been orering frozen come across such a professional company on the level they are at.. I know at times for quality you have to scrimp on customer service etc.. but the fact there is a telephone line and a friendly voice coupled with excellent packaging and quality mice.. you can go wrong..

big thumbs up from me


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

definately, and all that on top of the fact that they are one staff member down, or were when i went in last month.
If i was fit enough, id be happy to do that full time, but its bloody hard work. i only have about 200 mice, well probably less as thats including all sizes.


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## bluerain (Jun 7, 2008)

Theres an intresting thread going on about this very subject!! I"d say Fresh killed wins over defrost every time...but..its having the space and the time to breed your own rats, mice!!! The mice DO stink!! One of the best things is theres no need to defrost!!...on the down side though, you need to be able to dispatch the mice!


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

I cankill mice all day long now, rats i have an issue with... its like swinging a cat lol, so i dont use the same method, or should i say i WONT use it when i start killing them.


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## sparkle (Mar 21, 2007)

cornmorphs said:


> definately, and all that on top of the fact that they are one staff member down, or were when i went in last month.
> If i was fit enough, id be happy to do that full time, but its bloody hard work. i only have about 200 mice, well probably less as thats including all sizes.


 
my Bf gave up after 6 months.. he spent SO much time on it. a huge effort went into feeding cleaning and killing and dealing with litters etc... I think people assume intially rearing your own is easier... i can safely vouch after watching Scott do it a few years back... the answer caller is ...NOPE
although he has no issue killing the mouse.. im not convinced could have done it .. although if shown properly im sure id have managed..


It does however ensure you know what they are being fed on and how they are being killed so theres a huge upside. Which is why when i found A&N I was over the moon... its the quality i was looking for without the time and effort


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## cornmorphs (Jan 28, 2005)

Yeah thats it, I gave up the 1st timein 2005 when our 2nd daughter was born.. but started again recently after my bills went thru thr room. althoughi only actually started so i had a few live incase of bad feeders, but i enjpy doing the mice so increased it. I dont think time wise i could do anymore, i have space but couldnt manage anymore.


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## Paul Chase (Mar 7, 2007)

You will always benifit from home bred mice, wheather frozen or fresh killed, because of the food you give the mouse.
What i used to do was freeze most of my mice and feed fresh killed once a month. I used to have alot better condition snakes doing this than i do now, especialy after egg laying. My girls used to pack on weight with this meathod very quickly. My hatchlings used to grow alot faster too, without more food.
I think there are at least 2 reasons for this
1. As said before the mice have been given a better food.
2. gutt forna (same as in what they advertise in natural yoghuart) is still alive in fresh killed mice, and obviously will aid in proper digestion.
I have again started to breed my own mice, and hope to benifit again from fresh killed :2thumb:, but at the mo i am still building up my mouse collony.


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

This is intresting Butiv been on frozen for so many years and deep down i do think this is for me.

I do not think it will be cheaper but it will give me peace of mind I know what thay are getting 

if anyone has any more views on this please give them......


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## oakelm (Jan 14, 2009)

I have found that they just seem to do better on pre-killed than frozen. I am surprised someone hasnt done an analysis of a rat pre killed then one f/t say 1 month, then 3 month. To see what the difference is. I feed pre killed because I can and buying frozen would cost me a bomb. But must agree I have had frozen rats/mice from various suppliers when my own breeding has fallen a little short and agree that A&N seem to be clean, in good condition and obviously not been frozen for ages before they reach me. Plus they do multi's which some of my dodgy feeders that would only take live have easily taken f/t multis.
The state of some of the frozen rats that have come to me from various other places have been disgusting. I was even sent 2 large rats that had a growths on them. The whole batch got binned and I got my money back on that one.


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## brian (Oct 22, 2005)

thanks.........


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## Issa (Oct 13, 2006)

Mine get p/k if culling day happens to co-incide with feeding day other-wise normally its f/t. I started breeding my own rats after hearing a horror story from a mate that works in freight transport, not blowing my own trumpet or anything but I tend to find I get a better feeding response from my home breds than shop bought rats and have had similiar feedback from people who have had feeders off me before. Personally I think the effort of rearing them is far outweighed by the secure knowledge that everything I feed my snakes was healthy and more importantly frozen no more than once.


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