my two cents...
grab rodent by the tail, base of the tail preferably, and place rodent on something he can pull on with his feet, so he's trying to move away from you, quickly place thumb and finger of choice on his neck, and make sure it's right behind is skull, as you maintain pull oh his tail to prevent his going forward, with speed, squeeze thumb and finger and at the same time your squeezing pop forward. Breaks the neck instantly if you use proper pressure and speed. Sounds awful doesn't it? But no matter what you try to tell yourself, in all the situations, your killing the rodent. I was personally shown this technique at college where I worked in a live reptile lab, and we raised our own mice. I guess I've done it so many times, I hardly think about it. But if done right, causes no bleeding, and death is instantaneous, with minimal wiggling. To those who want to scream, oh how cruel, um, do we forget what we are feeding, and what they would do if they had to kill their own??? It's not a pleasant sight, but fact is, Nature is hardly ever up to our standard of um, humane treatment!!!
Russell Keys
Keys Reptiles