Reptile & Amphibian Forums

do you kill the rat pups before sticking them in the freezer? what if you have a live one that you are about to feed to your snake...whats is the easiest way to kill just one?
i know im gonna have trouble doing this the first time. oh well ill get over it. heh.

hold the pup to a hard surface firmly with a screwdriver and quickly give its tail a good hard tug. should break its neck and kill it instantly.

or

give it a good whack right behind its head with the handle of the screwdriver. you might have to hit it a few times...

these are the two ways i kill feeders.. the way i tell when its dead is its bowels and bladder will release and it will kick its back legs a few times.

yea the first time is the hardest.. after that its just another mouse.. or rat.. dave
-----
"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."

pups and the "pull" method dont always work well..

ive had plenty of rat pup tails come right off in my hands before.. and its quite painfull for the rat if they arent already dead..

for pups and pinks.. the best method is just to toss them down onto a hard surface.. or hold them by the back legs and swing their head into the edge of a table.. quick.. painless.. and almost INSTANT which is the key!..

best of luck

dan

I agree with Dan, throw them down on the floor, might take two tries to make sure they are dead. I stopped feeling too bad after I had been bitten enough times. Even pups and weanlings will bite if frightened. The breeders I try to handle regularly and can even remove babies from most of my females nests without them protesting. My male is so huge I'm a little reluctant to just pick him up. I take him out with gloves and after he is out he settles down and I can pet him. I also remember that in the wild the pinkies would be eaten alive! A gruesome fate so at least I can say I am humane enough not to let them be swallowed alive and alert.

yea ive had the tail come off a few times too.. i ended up having to crush their heads to get the poor things to stop breathing... dave
-----
"i have a mortal wound!"
"where? where does it hurt?"
"oh, pretty much around the big bloody spot"
"come inside. ill get the neosporin. da na na na na - NEO! ba na na na na na na - SPORIN! blee nee nee......."