Heating frozen rodents

[Mavrick]

Just interested in opinions and methods regarding heating up frozen rodents for feeding. I've heard pros and cons for different methods and am wanting to know what others with more experience are doing.

Cheers

[loungelizard]

I just let them thaw naturally to room temperature, never heat them at all.

[eddie123]

i just get a tub and put all the rodents/rabbits/mice in, under hot water, not boiling water. Leave em and flip them over onced one side is thawed, this takes less than 10 minutes. I have tried putting them in a bag etc etc to stop them getting wet but it takes too long and i just dry them afterwards.

[Cold-B-Hearts]

i just get a tub and put all the rodents/rabbits/mice in, under hot water, not boiling water. Leave em and flip them over onced one side is thawed, this takes less than 10 minutes. I have tried putting them in a bag etc etc to stop them getting wet but it takes too long and i just dry them afterwards.

why even bother drying them, i leave them wet helps with hydration

[abnrmal91]

why even bother drying them, i leave them wet helps with hydration

It depends on what substrate you use, if you have paper it's no problem. If you have any sort of mulch, pellets, critters crumble etc it can become stick to the food item and be ingested (small quantities are generally of no harm however if the food becomes covered with a large amount if substrate it can cause issues).

[rvcasa]

+1


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[Mavrick]

I just let them thaw naturally to room temperature, never heat them at all.

You don't heat the rodent before serving? I was under the impression that rats/mice ran at about 38c, not room temp. You've never had any adverse effects from not having the right temp food?

[Snowman]

A few on a skewer and a few minutes on the BBQ does the trick.

[Mavrick]

A few on a skewer and a few minutes on the BBQ does the trick.

Not since I moved home from Asia have I indulged in the rat BBQ.

[pythoncrazy]

Why don't you feed them out of their enclosure

It depends on what substrate you use, if you have paper it's no problem. If you have any sort of mulch, pellets, critters crumble etc it can become stick to the food item and be ingested (small quantities are generally of no harm however if the food becomes covered with a large amount if substrate it can cause issues).

[Mavrick]

Pythoncrazy: I know with my own, I like to feed in house, as removing can agitate the snake. If he's in his own enclosure, hunting for food like he should of an evening, then it's very easy to feed them. That being said, many have no issue removing to feed. But I do towel off my wet rats to avoid excess clumping of substrate. It's a simpler fix to the issue then removing the snake to have him go '*** is going on here... oh look, a rat'.

[yeahbutno]

Why don't you feed them out of their enclosure

Why when its not necessary?

- ybn

[abnrmal91]

Why don't you feed them out of their enclosure

Removing an animal to feed it outside of it enclosure is unnecessary, feeding them in the enclosure is ok as long as the food item doesn't pick up the substrate due to it being wet.

[Mavrick]

I've also known cases where removing to feed makes the snake unruly to handle because whenever he's taken out he assumes he's going to be fed.

[loungelizard]

You don't heat the rodent before serving? I was under the impression that rats/mice ran at about 38c, not room temp. You've never had any adverse effects from not having the right temp food?

Never ! Pythons are natural scavengers anyway, so i doubt a dead rodent lying on the ground in the bush would be 38 degrees.