# Culling Pinkies



## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

Are there any better ways of culling pinkies than freezing them? It's so hard to get a straight answer about culling.

And at what age do baby mice respond to Co2?

Grizzly subject, but snakes gotta eat and I'd like as little suffering involved as possible for the mice.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

They are a bit small and squishy to break their necks. I imagine CO2 should work though maybe slowly. 

Failing that you could puncture their brains with a pin, I imagine that is effective.


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

Freezing should never be an option, it is cruel. Simply flicking them on the back of the head or gassing them is far more humane (although they have the ability to go without oxygen for quite a while as pinkies) you could always slam them down onto a hard surface one by one too, back first.


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## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

That all sounds terribly violent. I'm not sure I can do it. 

The freezing idea I got from mice breeders. It's not something I find acceptable. It's probably worse than live feeding.

I shall wimp out and wait until they're fluffy and cute as a button before putting them in to a gas chamber, followed by crying into my pillow at night.

The atrocities we commit for the love of snakes.


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## Tops (Apr 26, 2007)

if you are happy to wait for them to grow on a little bit you can break their necks quite easily. Just place a pencil/screwdriver behind the head and a tug on their tail will do it. you will feel it happen. pinkies are a bit harder because they are a bit squidgy and sometimes the tail comes off :gasp:


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## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

I have Co2 for culling stuff older than pinkies. It's still not perfect, but a less violent death for the mouse. 

I've tried other methods of culling with disastrous results (for me - I was traumatised!).

Culling isn't my favourite.


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

Carlie said:


> I have Co2 for culling stuff older than pinkies. It's still not perfect, but a less violent death for the mouse.
> 
> I've tried other methods of culling with disastrous results (for me - I was traumatised!).
> 
> Culling isn't my favourite.


It's not something you want to enjoy.... 
I would have thought co2 but freezing is the one.I've read most about with pinkies... 

Tiger

Sent from my LT18i using Tapatalk 2


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## stokiereptile (Jun 21, 2011)

Apparently with pinkies they can survive in lower oxygen environments meaning with co2 it takes a lot longer for them to die than adult mice


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## Guest (May 31, 2013)

Pinkies + fluffs take longer due to the adaptations toward low oxygen conditions as already highlighted in the thread.

The usual culling method (or rather, the usual one where ethics are paramount) is to gently increase the CO2 concentration over about 10 minutes to lull them off and then flooding the container before sealing it off. For mice sized small and above the deed is done within a few minutes of sealing off but we insist on 15 minutes to be sure (would you want to be frozen). For pinkies and fuzzies they stay in there for 25-30 minutes after which they are well and truly culled.


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## kingkelly (May 14, 2012)

Pinkies absorb oxygen through their skin so they arent suffocated in the nest. 

Interesting to read your Co2 method frozen reptile. I suppose if you aren't doing so many then a small tub would work.


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## Carlie (Sep 27, 2006)

Thank you FrozenReptile, that's very helpful.

Thanks for the replies everybody. I'm glad I posted and seem to have found the most humane way of culling.

As odd as it seems, I adore mice almost as much as the snakes. Wonderful little creatures that deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Unless they've been keeping me awake chewing - then I'm likely to fling a shoe.

Thanks everyone.


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## jb1962 (Sep 21, 2009)

Freeze em in a plastic butter container..with small holes cut in lid..
They die fast.


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