Best way to defrost

[Colin]

Been defrosting them in buckets off hot tap water for years with no ill effects When having to defrost big numbers of them it's the only way to go.I also don't bother using plastic bags and feed them off wet as the extra water is good for the snakes.

exactly true rams.. same way I do it.. hot tap water and feed warm and wet..
and offer with tongs HEAD first so they grab hold of the head..

 

[Dar1stheory]

Just dont let the missus see a bunch of rats defrosting in a bucket....they generally dont like that!

I've only just purchased my first big snake, so I'll try the bucket method, until now I've been defrosting my fuzzy and hopper rats etc in a plastic cup or container.

Funny story, my sister in law hit us up to house her boyfriend when his last housemates had bailed on him, as a result she used to come over and just use all our stuff, never washed up, would use our groceries etc... Gave me the "excrements"...

And then one day, my wife came home and found her eating frozen yoghurt out of a familiar looking plastic cup, that sits on top of the fridge for a reason... I nearly died laughing when I heard, was like a giant giggling school kid telling all the family... :lol:

 

[bigfrog]

Thawing Method for Frozen Rats and Mice



There are many ideas and 'techniques' for thawing Frozen Rats and Mice (FRM). Below is a method DoLittle Farm recommends as best practice to maintain food quality and palatability.

1. Remove required amount of food from the ziplock pack. Reseal the pack and return to freezer.
2. Place a single piece of 2-ply, unscented paper hand towel on a heatpad, heatcord or other warm surface (like a VCR that is on). Place the rat or mouse on top of the paper towel. It is a good idea to do this close to your pet reptile's cage, as he will smell the food and become quite excited.
3. After an appropriate amount of time, turn the rat or mouse over and thaw the other side. Click here for a thawing time chart
4. Once the rat or mouse is thawed and warm to the touch, check the abdomen for any frozen or cool spots by rolling around between your fingers and thumb.
5. When satisfied the rat or mouse is thawed and warm (approx 38oC - close to your body temperature), offer to your pet reptile as soon as possible.

A few thoughts:

• Once thawed, the longer you wait until you feed, the lower the food quality as gut bacteria has already started digestion again.
• Do not use warm water to thaw. It can poach the food (resulting in split skin and guts everywhere) or can wash the scent of the rat or mouse away, leaving it unpalatable.
• Do not use the microwave. Cooking of the rat or mouse can occur (if it doesn’t explode first!), or you could burn your pet reptile's esophagus with excessive heat.

i find this is the best way it works for me

 

[Bondy]

bondy - the will pop if they are defrosted in hot water for too long - it seems to weaken the thinish stomach skin if they are in there for too long. Just try pulling them out a bit sooner and you should be fine.

blondie - you get used to it after a while.....its no worse than cleaning up a big stinky messy poo after its eaten the rat you have held in your hand! =)

David, I may have had the water to warm or left them in to long.
I made the mistake of feeding them in the same viv and they both took the mouse when he got through the dividing shelf. They wrapped themselves into a tight fist and thats when the mouse popped and guts squeezed out everywhere.
After trying both ways for a year each I prefer over the hot spot , They are fluffier and smell better and the pythons are already in the mood. It's just what works best for me.

 

[Blondie84]

Just a little update.... little pinkie is now in the fridge to defrost over night... i will be warming it in the warm water in the morning and offering my baby my first feed LOL!!! My first, not hers LOL. Im prepared for her to refuse it as she MAY be coming up to a shed... i will not feel like a failure as a mother if this happens!!

 

[GTsteve]

Lol good luck! I like the bucket of warm water myself (straight from the freezer and into it). There's no way my wife would go for a rat in the fridge all night!

 

[Blondie84]

It's been triple snap lock bagged, has its own section and I live by myself.

 

[mozi]

My mum has a good method of thawing out rats when she seemed to 'think' that my snake 'looked ' hungry (***!!) She got out a rat and then tried to thaw it out in the microwave only to have it all explode everywhere. I came home to her cleaning the guts out of our microwave and her disgusted about it all....she's sooooo cute sometimes!! Thank god she never got near the snake because she would have scared herself. half to death!!

 

[waikare]

i use boiling hot water from jug and test the stomach to make sure its defrosted and feed wet as it helps with hydration

 

[ChrisZhang]

bondy - the will pop if they are defrosted in hot water for too long - it seems to weaken the thinish stomach skin if they are in there for too long. Just try pulling them out a bit sooner and you should be fine.

blondie - you get used to it after a while.....its no worse than cleaning up a big stinky messy poo after its eaten the rat you have held in your hand! =)

that happened to me and i saw the rats intestines hehe

 

[elapid@]

I just defrost them in the sun or hot water

 

[redbellybite]

Been defrosting them in buckets off hot tap water for years with no ill effects When having to defrost big numbers of them it's the only way to go.I also don't bother using plastic bags and feed them off wet as the extra water is good for the snakes.

feed the same way wet rats ...snakes love em ..but I always give the rats a going over before i feed to make sure they are fully thawed so nice and soft and squishy is ready to be eaten

 

[Shinglegirl]

Warm water.

 

[smeejason]

feed the same way wet rats ...snakes love em ..but I always give the rats a going over before i feed to make sure they are fully thawed so nice and soft and squishy is ready to be eaten

yeh me to. i figure the extra water can only do them good.

And agree with Dave's earlier comment wife does not seem to appreciate a bucket of rats in the kitchen sink as much as i do. my laundry is now designated rat prep room.

i have also found (when the wife is out) that our ceaser stone bench tops are an awesome defrosting plate as they must disapate the coolness away fast and defrost the rats a lot quicker if i have forgotten to take out and put in beer fridge over night.

 

[mark83]

exactly true rams.. same way I do it.. hot tap water and feed warm and wet..
and offer with tongs HEAD first so they grab hold of the head..

exactly the same.

 

[maanz641]

i just dab mine with paper towel and feed them wet

 

[bpb02]

i just feed mine tonight, i put mouse in fridge then on enclosure light to heat, he ate it straight away first feed down, many more to come

 

[Blondie84]

i just feed mine tonight, i put mouse in fridge then on enclosure light to heat, he ate it straight away first feed down, many more to come

I fed mine this morning! Success! I almost stuffed it up tho... I flinched when she struck so she ended up grabbing the pinkie in the middle, not by the head, but she got it down eventually... pretty much as soon as she figured out she didnt need to "kill" it LOL!

 

[Lesa]

I fill the sink with hot water, drop em in, come back and check occasionally and feed warm and wet when they feel "squishy." Hardest part of feeding is dodging the grumpy husband cos there's bloody rats in the sink again.....

 

[bpb02]

mine doesnt strike just slowly takes it from tweezers