mice expirey time period

[basketcase]

whats the max time a thawed mouse should be left with a snake ?

im asking coz my little bredli was offered a mouse earlier today and hasnt taken it yet. i was pretty much expecting her not to as she seems the be more or less nocturnal, so hopefully shell eat it tonight

cheers, jono

 

[wattso]

Ive left one overnight and threw it out when it wasnt eaten the next morning, but that was in winter. I personally wouldnt leave it more than a few hrs in this heat, [im thinking bacteria levels] but thats just me.Why not wait till dark then offer a fresh one, or refridgerate it then rewarm it later?

 

[Hawkeye]

Jono,

Don't listen to the rocket scientist there. If the snake hasn't eaten the rat/mouse in 4 hours after thawing then throw it away. Refreezing it will kill your snake if you try and thaw it again. The bacteria built up from the initial thawing get frozen but not killed. You run the risk of giving your snake a deadly meal. The bacteria build up is an exponential growth curve so the longer you leave it the faster and faster they multiply.

Wattso.....don't give advice that endangers peoples snakes especially about things that you know nothing about.

Hawkeye

 

[wattso]

Crap Hawkeye, Ive refrozen rats, after about 2 hrs and refed him with no ill effects at all.

 

[Farkurnell]

Yeah Dan, Hawks don't know what he's talking about, he's only a Doctor and has studied that sort of thing for years and years.

 

[wattso]

So explain how my snake is alive healthy an uneffected by the rewarmed rat please doctors???? did either of you two einsteins even read the post?[mine] what did I say?

 

[Hawkeye]

Wattso,

Please be my guest. Feed your snake as many refrozen rats as you like then maybe you will not have a reason to grace us with your presence. Hell........refreeze chicken or pork a few times and have a feed yourself if you are so sure. Just don't do it near Sydney as you may end up in my ICU.

Hawkeye

 

[Slateman]

I would take Hawkeye advice. He knows what he is talking about. You can get a way with feeding refreezed food sometimes, but I would not advice to push your luck.
If anything, I do not thing that Hawkeye is talking crap. He knows more about it that many members here.
I don't want to be sarcastic, just to avoid some new members to be ill adviced.

 

[basketcase]

.

i chucked the old one and im putting a new thawed one in before i sleep tonight.

so take it easy.

cheers, jono

 

[Matty_2004]

It's pretty simple, hot temps = bacteria bomb therefore don't leave the prey item in the heat for a great deal of time once already defrosted.

Do not re-freeze and re-thaw meat of any description, it makes the bacteria levels sky-rocket!

 

[Slateman]

I must agree here.
Please do not freeze again food if you left it in cage defrosted for 2 hours. Specially if you defrosted food by warm water or microwave.
I would like Watso to slow down with his advices to new members as he is not fit to do that responsibly.
Hawkeyes advice was the proper one and Watso's post irresponsible.

 

[rockman]

hi , only fairly new to herps , so i'm not one to give advice ! :lol:
we should be gratteful for the more experienced herps, to help and offer advice. we are never to old to learn (some just stubbourn :wink i know myself, that i have picked up alot of helpful hints and tips just watching , for that i'm grateful. for those herps that are very experienced , please no not stop helping those that are trying to learn.

 

[Greebo]

Basketcase, here is the best solution to your problem.
Buy some more snakes then if the first one doesn't eat the mouse, you offer it to the next snake. I have one snake that is a real pig and I always leave him until last because 99/100 times he will take what is offered.

 

[Slateman]

Lol Grebo. I am doing the same. My olive girl eat any time enything. She is always last on list. Boy she is growing fast.

 

[stockeh]

hey slateman you displayed some good use of the english language throughout this thread.... whats up with that...lol.

 

[basketcase]

.

she didnt take it

i guess ill just keep offering

cheers, jono

 

[Slateman]

stockeh this time all my comments was pure me mate. No editing from Adam. But as you see some individual had problem to understand.
Basket, be patient mate. sometimes they do not feel good in enviroment they are and they do not eat. I think that would be good idea to describe what conditions she is in now, Temperature and set-up. So we can think about your snake instead arguing about things.

 

[basketcase]

.

just a small plastic viv with a heat mat under 1/3 of it. water bowl, hide, all the essentials

what im woried about is that the breeder was feeding her live fuzzies and im offering her thawed coz id like to get her onto thawed asap.

if she keeps refusing ill prolly have to get some live fuzzies from somewhere

cheers, jono

 

[Greebo]

Patience Grasshopper.
If the live feeding is an issue, you may have to 'spike' the defrosted fuzzies in the head so your snake smells a bit of blood.

 

[Bendragon]

It might sound a bit bad, but I've found that by touching the snake on it's back with the food, you can provoke a strike. (none of mine fall for it anymore, if they're not hungry they just slither away from the food)