Frozen Mice

[ashesc212]

How do they freeze mice? Do they humanely euthanize them first? I'm just wondering because yesterday I went to a store that told us on the phone that they would sell us frozen mice in bulk for cheap (Rodentpro.com cheap...). I go out of my way to go there, and all of a sudden they say they don't sell frozen mice. Then one of the employees (it's a family run business so he is actually related to the owners) tells me he'll just freeze them for me. I was like "how are you going to do that?" He replied, "easy, put them in the freezer." I was so upset, I said to him, "no, sorry, that's not humane; I'm not purchasing them." He thought I insulted him and then called me a hypocrite because I feed my snake mice anyway. However, I don't think that it's hypocritical since when I buy frozen mice I am assuming that they were humanely euthanized, and they are a part of the food chain like all of us. At least I am doing my best to make sure I am choosing a method which I believe to be as painless as possible, and I am not feeding them live to my snake which would, in my opinion, be very painful for a little mouse. As it is, I feel guilty about feeding little critters because if I didn't have a snake I would keep them as a pet. I know a snake has to eat so what am I going to do?...

Anyway, sorry for the rant.

 

[PastorAaron]

I buy my feeders from RodentPro and they have a chamber that they fill with Co2 that kills them. They just fall asleep and never wake up. I don't know what that butt nut was talking about...probably just trying to irritate you. When I started ordering from RP that's what the owner told me...Co2chamber
The US actually has laws regarding legal ways to euthanize animals including feeders. Legal ones that apply are:
Co2 chamber
Cryogenics (Freezing)
Not applicable (Makes the feeder unusable)
Severing the spinal cord (vet's office)
Shot (vet's office, can't feed chemical infused critters)
Illegal are:
bludgeoning (pretty much anything that would cause a huge amount of suffering)

God Bless,
Aaron

 

[ashesc212]

Well that's good to know because I'm going to order from Rodent Pro. Can you tell me how they package their mice? How much freezer space do you think 100, 300, and 500 mice would need?

Also - do you think it's safe to feed a snake a mouse that has been in a freezer for a year? I'm trying to find out how not to spend over $0.50 per mouse.

 

[PastorAaron]

Mice don't take up too much room...but we have a 9ft chest freezer for our feeders..lol.
I think the max you'd wanna keep feeders in the freezer is 6 months. After that the meat starts to lose nutrients and break down in the freezer.
God Bless,
Aaron

 

[ashesc212]

Ok, thanks!

 

[wizeguy]

I buy my feeders from RodentPro and they have a chamber that they fill with Co2 that kills them. They just fall asleep and never wake up. I don't know what that butt nut was talking about...probably just trying to irritate you. When I started ordering from RP that's what the owner told me...Co2chamber
The US actually has laws regarding legal ways to euthanize animals including feeders. Legal ones that apply are:
Co2 chamber
Cryogenics (Freezing)
Not applicable (Makes the feeder unusable)
Severing the spinal cord (vet's office)
Shot (vet's office, can't feed chemical infused critters)
Illegal are:
bludgeoning (pretty much anything that would cause a huge amount of suffering)

God Bless,
Aaron

so according to your list and re reading the original posters thread. the man at the store was doing to the mice, in the eyes of the law, something considered to be just as humane as co2 chamber. I just want to point that out. You may not like the method, and it may not fit your defined method of humae, but it is indeed still humane.

HOWEVER, I want to point out that we do freeze a bunch of rats on a regular basis and our preferred method is we have a garbage can that we have drilled and inserted a quick connect plug from an air supply line for a compressor. We have a hose that fits into it from teh outside and goes to a ball valve for a shutoff and then we have put a T inline to the air line on the kegerator . connect and open the ball valve and sing a lulalby. quick and easy and quiet and I like to believe painless. Plus putting directly into the freezer alive is difficult cause you can not bag them that way. putting them to sleep means teh body is still very pliable and can easily be bagged 4-5 in a bag and frozen, this way you can snap one off as you need it. We generally to 4 to a bag that we have affectionately call "the Kit Kat"

 

[ashesc212]

I don't think that putting them in the freezer (as the guy at the store would have done) is the same as cryogenically (spelling?) freezing them. Cryogenics implies that they are rapidly freezing something at around -250 degrees Farenheit. I believe that the average freezer operates at around 0 degrees Farenheit. Cryogenics would definitely be painless whereas a being put in the freezer may take a little longer, in my opinion.

 

[NegativeCreep]

I've had similar conversations in the pet store. People tell me that they 'thump' their rodents.. That is illegal.. it's abuse. They argue that they are going to die anyways, and it is inhumane to feed to another animall.. but I digress. I have one place that I can get mice where they just put them in the freezer... I don't like to buy from them, but I do, since it is local.

I would rather buy in larger quantities, since I have two different animals that eat mice. When rodent pro says they are individually frozen, does that mean that I can just remove one or two from it's packaging? Are they individually wrapped? I can only imagine a big, disgusting bag of frozen rodents.. *shudder*

 

[ashesc212]

When rodent pro says they are individually frozen, does that mean that I can just remove one or two from it's packaging? Are they individually wrapped? I can only imagine a big, disgusting bag of frozen rodents.. *shudder*

I'm trying to figure that out too...I have an order coming in on Thursday so I'll let you know how it's packaged.

 

[NegativeCreep]

When rodent pro says they are individually frozen, does that mean that I can just remove one or two from it's packaging? Are they individually wrapped? I can only imagine a big, disgusting bag of frozen rodents.. *shudder*

I'm trying to figure that out too...I have an order coming in on Thursday so I'll let you know how it's packaged.

Thanks!