Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,

I came home this Monday and found that my freezer was cracked. This is where I keep my FT rats and mice. I individually freeze them in a vacuum sealed bags. When I pulled several weaned rats out they were semi thawed. They were still cold but soft to the touch. The tails were limp. I will sometimes refreeze a totally thawed rat that was rejected by a snake and have never had any problems thawing it out several times and reusing the rat. Should I be concerned about these rats being sanitary for feeding? Thanks for anyone with a similar experience with this? Thanks for any help you can share.

Best regards,
Bill

They're probably fine. I've re-frozen thawed rats if the snakes ever refused a meal, but I won't do that more than once cuz they start getting funky. Considering that they weren't totally thawed and it was likely just a few hours, they should be alright.

Hello,

Thank you for your quick reply. I agree totally. I have noticed that sometimes that a secondary thawed rat that the fur will fall off in clumps. When this happens I dispose of the rat. It is impossible to tell if they are bad for me through smell because they always smell horrible to me. Thanks again.

Bill

I do not refreeze stuff that has been in a cage or on the floor....(running loose and caught )...

I feed or try once and trash it....

yes I can throw away a hundred a week at times...counting pinks,fuzz, and all.........

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..JY

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it happens.......all thawed all the way.....hmmmm

still pretty well frozen ....(screw the tails...cut them off later ...LOL)....refreeze now....

I have had a freezer with troubles before...show up at a brother's home with 6 big bags of mice of all sizes...throw in his freezer till fixed...did it ? 3 times...then once a rat chewed the pipe with the freon looking for a drink...(wonder how he liked that taste>?)..threw all stuff into a large trash can, cover well...unplugged freezer, pushed it up the steps and out the door and flipped it into the yard...went right to Lowes and loaded a new one...(called friend to get it down)...gotta do things fats when you have to....

.......they're snakes...they can eat a half rotting rat that layed there all night and stinks...and not mind it at all....

freeze them.....
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..JY

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Hi,

Thanks for sharing your experience with me on this matter. I am always on the bubble on reusing a FT rat or mouse. I have been doing it for years. I think I may use your advice though it makes sense. Thanks again.

Best regards,
Bill

it's all what you can afford to what you throw away sometimes

I know a guy that won't use rat chow that falls on the floor...due to wild mice and all being in the building..
ummmm...the wild mice can get ON the racks too....so does the cat....s......use the dropped food on the larger rats for sale that week?......

as for refreezing thawed stuff that doesn't get eaten....thaw fewer at a time if you aren't sure they will eat....

.......I use live......easier for me.....

.....usually they take it from hand so you know what's eating and what's not really going to....
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..JY

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I have refrozen rodents for 10 years now and have never had a problem ! I personally cant afford the waist , if I threw out every rodent that was refused or thawed out do to a incorrect count I could not afford to feed my reptiles or me for that matter LOL. No it’s not that bad but you get my meaning . David

Don't hesitate at all to feed them off.