how do you defrost ?

[jo]

i defrost my food by putting it in warm water for about 15 mins untill thord. (lol my snakes food not mine )anyway im having this on going debate with 2 of my friends as both of them put the food on the top the fire on a plaite to defrost, i think this is a bit silly as you could cook the mouse and its un natural for the snake to eat cooked food plus i think it could cause digestion probs any one agree or disagree with me or anyone got any other quick safe ways to defrost. I dont like the idea of leaving them for ages to defrost normaly becouse ill forget or my dog will eat them or the rats could find it. (rats run free most of time dont go far from cage) plus my young snake leaves his secound pinky over night so i like food as fresh as possiball.

[John Pilling]

i do both ways depending on what i'm doing on the day, put the mouse in water (not boiling) and change after 10 min,s wait another 10 mins and 1 nicley warmed and defrosted mouse.

If it's a busy day i'll pull the mouse out in the morning and leave for around 8 hours so it is totally defrosted, but cold to the touch.

Eather way is right, but for me it's just a case of prefered method and time, each has their pro's and con's.

[Vicki]

I put mine in warm water for about 15 mins then put it under the warm tap just to warm it up before feeding.

I have heard of people leaving it to defrost but there is a higer chance of bacteria forming on the mouse. I would put it in a warmish place like ontop of the tele for about 2-3hours.

Either way i think is fine as long as you dont use boiling water or put it in a really hot place to defrost because like you said a snake cannot digest cooked food.

[lozzer]

Yah the best way is to defrost in got water and wait 15-30 mins defrost.I do and ive nevr had ne problems.

[Muphesto]

hmm dont know if id call that the best way lozzer but more your preffered way

i used the steam method for some time and it worked great (steam the mouse above a kettle until thawed)

ive also put the mouse into water inside a bag to stop it getting wet and that worked pretty good aswell

personally id think the safest way would be to leave it out for hours like you would do for a frozen chicken you were going to eat...but hey thats just my humble opinion (ive never done this as my mum would have a fit)

me i use the hot water method just now and have no problems apart from when the water is to hot it tends to soften the mouse up a bit to much and the snakes can burst the stomach open very easily

[Vicki]

I tried the bag thing last week, but they smelt yuck when i took them out and i washed my hands about 5times. Good idea if you dont mind the smell, lol

[jo]

i totaly agree its not practical to leave the mouse out defrosting for ages. i defo think the warm water is the best way for me and my snakes! thanx guys any more views peps?

[Muphesto]

the smells another reason i wouldnt leave them out to deforst. im tempted to try breeding mice once i sell my motorbike, set up a love shack in the garage so to speak

then i can give the snakes fresh killed i wouldnt even need to heat them up or anything, small whack to the head to knock them out or kill them..then straight into the stomach of my snakes
easy peasy

[jo]

oh yeah sounds nice ! i could never do that couldnt bring ma self to kill a mouse!

[lozzer]

Well i prefer the defrosting in hot water as sometimes the mice have poo stuck to them or wee on them and with hot water it washes it all off.

Btw muphesto you could get taken to court for cruelty to animals for killing mice for your snake.But who will know lol

[Dave]

i went to a snake breeder to get some mice, i thought he was feeding frozen but he took us into the back room and pulled 4 little rat pups out of the cage and one by one wacked em!!!

[jo]

its against the law! i dont agree with it
but anyway wouldnt its brains be sticking out all over if you hit them with something ? not nice

[Dave]

no, if you just pop em lol, dunno i have thought about it being cruel but then think about what origanally happened to your frozen ones?

[Muphesto]

aslong as there killed humainly its allowed
i.e knocking them out then freezing them, using a c02 chamber to freeze them

its illegal to feed live mice tho

[John Pilling]

f/k and f/t are allowed in the UK, live is not, and thats come from the rspca.

Best way to kill them humanley is to use the blunt end of a pencil or something similar and place at the base of the neck and lift so the neck and spinal cord breaks, that what they use for frozen in the smaller supplier's while the bigger suppliers use eather a co2 chamber or dry ice (is it the same thing?).

I'm with Jo though i don't like the idea and couldn't kill one myself, but thats just me.

[lozzer]

Most mice breeders freeze theirs alive and i think thats the most humaine way as when you get cold you get sleepy and slowly drift off and the same happens with the mice the fall asleep and then their heart stops and don't feel a thing.

[lee]

many breeders make gas chambers where the most humane way is co2 gas
its illegal to live freeze them but if you dash them before feeding its ok but the most humane way is co2
its neither quick or painless is freezing alive
i let my own thaw naturally then raise the temperature in a bowl of warm water by dipping them because if they are sumerged fully they lose their smell but is ok if you wanted to get a snake on rats
lee

[jo]

thanx guys im gonna e-mail this page to ma mate now, without saying i told u so

[Jared]

I put mine in warm water. But couldn't you just flick the mouses head as hard as possible to knock it out? ;D it would take to long to make adult mice for your snake. but pinkies would be easy.

[DAZ180]

Have to follow the warm water defrost as my preferred way. One question on this would be has any one had the problem of changing their snakes to Rats as my 5ft+ just will not change over to them and I have tried many ways?