Killing prey for feeding

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Killing prey for feeding

Postby iiviii » Thu May 12, 2011 3:51 pm

I apologize if this has been posted before.

But what do you think is the most "humane" method to killing your snakes food before feeding it?

I have heard of people hitting rats against a wall to stun them, i have heard of some people grabbing the head and tail and putting as to "snap" the spine, i have heard of someone cutting the teeth out with nail clippers and then either feeding them live or turning the head around to break the neck, have heard of putting them in a gas chamber with CO2 and then i have heard of drowning them or putting them down on a table and putting an object on the back of the neck as to apply pressure to break the neck.

Personally I feel that either gassing them is the most humane way as it does not cause any pain, simply a bit of a fright and then falling asleep. It takes only a few moments and then its all over.

Are there any other methods out there that anyone can think of?

Chris
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby LAMB Pythons » Thu May 12, 2011 4:07 pm

iiviii wrote:I apologize if this has been posted before.

But what do you think is the most "humane" method to killing your snakes food before feeding it?

I have heard of people hitting rats against a wall to stun them, i have heard of some people grabbing the head and tail and putting as to "snap" the spine, i have heard of someone cutting the teeth out with nail clippers and then either feeding them live or turning the head around to break the neck, have heard of putting them in a gas chamber with CO2 and then i have heard of drowning them or putting them down on a table and putting an object on the back of the neck as to apply pressure to break the neck.

Personally I feel that either gassing them is the most humane way as it does not cause any pain, simply a bit of a fright and then falling asleep. It takes only a few moments and then its all over.

Are there any other methods out there that anyone can think of?

Chris

:lol:
My opinion Co2 or a quick break of the neck.
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby CarlaSmit87 » Thu May 12, 2011 4:40 pm

This has been discusted so many times here and always end in a fight.. :(
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby iiviii » Thu May 12, 2011 4:51 pm

:( Maybe we shouldnt discuss it then. . .don't want anyone to fight about it, just want opinions after i read the post about the NSPCA by cvanvollenstee
( viewtopic.php?f=49&t=25958 )

Just makes me so mad that people are judging us for feeding one animal to another as nature would allow it, yet there are still so many people that encouraging dog fights or teach dogs to attack or even blatantly assault their dogs. Dogs are hunters / scavengers be nature yet they eat food from a tin, our pets don't have that privilege.

Another reason for the post was to see if there are any other methods that maybe i haven't looked at / heard of and might want to use. I do however not agree with animal violence and can see their point.
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby bubblesharp » Thu May 12, 2011 5:22 pm

if the gas chamber looks like a new home, there wont even be a fright, except if your use a fire extinguisher, the sound will scare them

using CO2 is the only humane way seen in the eyes of the SPCA, the dog fights etc that you mention is also against the law in the animal protection act.

Some people should never have animals, period!
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby tJokkie_ » Thu May 12, 2011 5:42 pm

This has been discussed

Came down to , Gas them , break their necks or Tazer gun.

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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby imperial exotix » Thu May 12, 2011 7:00 pm

I would go for the gas chamber,but it does take a while for them to die,a quick and almost painless way is a break of the neck it's just like a gun shot to the head.

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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby iiviii » Thu May 12, 2011 7:10 pm

Do you know why it would take yours long to kill the prey imperial exotix? Maybe it has to do with the size of the chamber or the quantity of gas? How is yours set up?
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby imperial exotix » Thu May 12, 2011 8:51 pm

It does not take long it's just faster to snap they neck.Where I work we just have a plastic tub that we put the mice in and we put co2 in.plain and simple.

Hope I helped.

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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby CarlaSmit87 » Fri May 13, 2011 12:20 pm

On this subject, I hope people take no offence as to what I am asking..
Rabbits have way more fur/hair than rats. And as you know hair don't realy get digested and ends up in their poo.
Do the snakes "need" the hair for some digestive process or get any nutrients from the hair? My boas like to poo in their water bucket and after they have eaten bunnies believe me the mess that this leaves is quite horrifying with lots of fur. Say if you remove the skin from a pre killed bunny (if you know how, this procedure is quite fast and rabbit is left only with fur on the head and paws) will the snake be loosing out on nutrients he need?
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby iiviii » Fri May 13, 2011 1:52 pm

i doubt it will be loosing much, if anything at all. I think it would be something nice to do, if you have the stomach for it that is. . .
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby Kevin Lancaster » Sat May 14, 2011 7:51 am

You could then start a cottage industry, making fur coats from the rabbit skins. LoL
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby Fooble » Sat May 14, 2011 10:03 am

CarlaSmit87 wrote: Say if you remove the skin from a pre killed bunny (if you know how, this procedure is quite fast and rabbit is left only with fur on the head and paws) will the snake be loosing out on nutrients he need?


Snakes mostly cannot digest fur in anycase, so that wouldn't make much of a difference nutritionally.
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby CarlaSmit87 » Tue May 17, 2011 9:26 am

Thanks for the replies, this might really be something to look into. Especially when the burmese is big enough to eat a few rabbits at a time
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Re: Killing prey for feeding

Postby bubblesharp » Tue May 17, 2011 11:05 am

I have a friend that breeds rabbits, and he reckons that it is way easy to kill them, grab them behind the head and the hind legs, stretch him out and twist your wrist holding the head, breaking the neck. (They do not use CO2 cos these rabbits are bred for human consumption, he reckons it tastes like chicken, in which case I'll stick to chicken)

Oh and you don't wanna buy these rabbits for your python either, they can reach R100 p/kg, and the average one weighs about 2-3kg. Yes they are freaken big!!

Just some useless info I thought I'll share if you don't have a gas chamber.

I eventually got my Yellow Rat on freshly killed rats, he took it yesterday after staring at it for almost 5min, waiting for any type of movement, then very casually just took him by the head and started to swallow it. I'll give it another 3/4 weeks then try a thawed rat.
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