This is exactly how I feel about it. There is room for everyone's opinion. None are wrong and none are perfect. Bottom line is we care for animals that eat other animals. My personal issue with it is this. I have to breed and raise animals for the purpose of killing them. The part that gets me through it is that I know that if it wasn't me someone else would be doing it and I would need to get them from someone else who is doing it. So may as well take it in to my own hands.

Now as for your method. I'm not saying its wrong. I'm saying it's not perfect. Sure it sounds great. Wack em in the head and it's instantaneous. But is it really? What if they don't die instantly. And how exactly do you know that it's instantaneous? If its really that great I don't know why we wouldn't use it as an entertaining form of Capitol punishment.

My way isn't perfect either. As you said the gasping. Which btw in my experience has never been longer than a minute or two tops. And for the most part they just seem to go to sleep. Keep in mind I gas with compressed CO2. I don't use the dry ice and water method.

Just putting them in the freezer doesn't seem too bad either, but I will admit the frozen rats always look somewhat freightened when you pull them out of the freezer and I've heard that they have a heart attack before they actually die, but who really knows.

Of course you could go the natural method, but let's be honest getting wrapped up by a python 10 times your size and squeezed to death doesn't sound like a good time either. Actually sounds the worst to me.

So let's get to the skinny of it. Snakes it mice bottom line. I gas and freeze because it's the most humane and convenient way for me to breed, raise, kill, store pre-killed, and feed the rats. I think the topic of the best way to kill freeze and feed is a train wreck of and argument just looking for a place to happen. I do it my way and I suggest that everyone else do the same. There are pros and cons to all method.
-----
----------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 Spider Ball Python
1.0 Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pastel Ball Python
0.3 Het for Albino Ball Python
0.1 Pinstripe Ball Python
0.1 Bumble Bee Ball Python
1.0 Hypo Ball Python

[ Show Entire Thread ]