I put wheels and corn in the CO2 chamber for my rodents. The CO2 slowly leaks in through the top vent first, so they stop running on the wheel, snuggle up in a corner, or just sit and eat their corn. When everyone is happy and subdued, I add a much stronger flow of CO2 through a vent near the floor of the chamber. Eventually everyone goes glassy-eyed. There is the occasional rodent who is doing better than everyone else, but usually there is none of the panic or jumping about I have seen in other fast-dose-only chambers.

I have no ethical or moral quandry with it. The rodents I like the most tend to live to a ripe old age before being "put down". All them live decent lives in large cages with treats, toys, and good company. It isn't any different to me than having a dog or a cat that eventually needs to be put down due to age or infirmity.

There's my 2 cents.
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25 year old 0.1 from Lincoln, NE
Ball Pythons - 0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly, 2.1 Normals
Kingsnakes - 1.0 L. m. thayeri, 0.1 L. m. thayeri X L. alterna, 1.0 L. g. californiae
Other - 0.1 Whitesided P. catenifer sayi, 1.0 H. nascicus, ?.? Chrysemys picta, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

[ Hide Replies ]

• Gasing Rats Immediately before feeding - Seeves1982, Mon Jan 9 08:44:46 2012
• RE: Gasing Rats Immediately before feeding - Bolitochrome, Mon Jan 9 10:48:34 2012
• Co2 isn't poison - mikebell, Mon Jan 9 11:09:24 2012
• RE: Co2 isn't poison - Seeves1982, Mon Jan 9 11:48:00 2012
• u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - zippy00_99, Mon Jan 9 14:32:32 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - DChristensen, Mon Jan 9 15:36:56 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - JYohe, Mon Jan 9 17:53:41 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - Seeves1982, Mon Jan 9 18:55:51 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - pfan151, Mon Jan 9 19:03:28 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - Seeves1982, Mon Jan 9 19:11:49 2012
• They are my pets too. - Bolitochrome, Tue Jan 10 11:42:42 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - morphed, Tue Jan 10 11:55:19 2012
• RE: u seem 2 know a lot about it...? - Seeves1982, Tue Jan 10 23:25:21 2012
• RE: Co2 isn't poison - BWsPythons, Mon Jan 9 19:34:25 2012
• RE: Co2 isn't poison - Seeves1982, Mon Jan 9 21:47:08 2012
• Obviously - mikebell, Mon Jan 9 23:40:25 2012