How do you heat up your pinky mice?

[Grogshla]

I normally drop the pinky mice in a container of warm/hot water. They still don't seem to stay that warm though. Does anyone else use different techniques to warm up their pinkys?

 

[ricky_91]

hot water is the only way i do it

 

[tankslapt]

try a bigger container/more water. It'll stay warmer for longer that way.

 

[dickyknee]

Straight hot tap water into a small bucket or cup.
I thaw them , then replace the hot water once I go to feed.

 

[Renenet]

I used to heat them under a lamp with a fluro bulb. I put the bulb as close to the mice as possible and turned them a couple of times to get an even thaw. I always checked to make sure the brain had thawed by rolling the head between my forefinger and thumb. (You should have seen my face when I first did that.) I only have the one, so far, but I can imagine this technique would be a pain if you have a lot of snakes to feed.

I have begun to use the warm water method now that I have to heat larger mice. I find I have to keep replacing the water because it cools so quickly. I'm wondering if it would work any better with two, let's say ceramic, containers of different sizes. You'd put the smaller in the larger, fill the outer one with hot water and the inner one with warm/hot water for thawing the mice. The theory is that the hot water in the outer container would keep the water in the inner container warm, but not too warm.

PS: Mine sounds a little complicated after reading some of the other suggestions.

 

[LIZARDZ_11]

i put mine in a lockup bag and run hot water over them.

 

[Kimberlyann]

I fill up this metal bowl/jug/thingy up i have with boiling water from the tap and float a little yoghurt cup on the water, drop the mice in and wait. Usually singing "IM ON A BOAT . DONT YOU EVER FORGET!"
For bigger things (large rats) i put them in a zip lock bag in the water. I dont really like it when they are soaking wet, a little bit of water doesnt phase me thou.

 

[Cunningham]

in a bowl of hot water is how i do it let it defrost till nice and soft

 

[Jacobxvx]

In a freezer bag in a tub of hot, not boiling water, usually hold it down with some weight, nothing worse than a soggy rat

 

[r3ptilian]

You could warm them in your mouth, but I found hot water to be easier lol.

 

[Grogshla]

lol thanks for the replies.
I just have a fussy eater and trying to get him to feed for me. I was told to make the pinky on the warmer side of things as dipping in egg yolk and braining has not worked.

 

[Shotta]

i put mice in a sealable sandwich bag and sit them on a tile that sits on my heatmat that takes about 15 mins or i just put them in the bag and sit it in a bowl of real warm water

 

[apprenticegnome]

I thaw mine small and adult in a large glass bowl of fairly warm water. I push them under to get wet all over and check on them about 20 mins later. I then change the water and wiggle the body to move the fluids around inside. usually the next time I check they are warmed right through and fully defrosted. I rub my thumb over the belly to make sure theres no lumps then I roll them on paper towel to dry off excess water. My snakes eat are on them within 1 minute of entering the tank.

 

[wokka]

I normally drop the pinky mice in a container of warm/hot water. They still don't seem to stay that warm though. Does anyone else use different techniques to warm up their pinkys?

Obviously a 2 gram pinkie isn't going to stay warm for long compared to say a 100 gram rat. The less time the pinkie is out of the warm water the less time it has to cool. I feed straight out of a tub of warm water.

 

[Hoplophile]

I've never seen the need to "heat" them at all. I thaw them at room temperature and any snake that I've had that needed pinkies ate them at room temp. You can make a tiny hole in the head with a pin to ooze some brain out if you want a better feed reaction. It's the movement and smell that does it I reckon.

 

[Raddy318]

hot water then a hair dryer

 

[wokka]

I've never seen the need to "heat" them at all. I thaw them at room temperature and any snake that I've had that needed pinkies ate them at room temp. You can make a tiny hole in the head with a pin to ooze some brain out if you want a better feed reaction. It's the movement and smell that does it I reckon.

If you feed pinkies which are close to snake body temperature then the snake doesn't have to use energy heating the food up to digest it so digestion starts straight away.

 

[ricky_91]

try to get the snake use to unheated food