Is it ok to feed live mice

[Jsandy]

I have been feeding frozen pinkies to my newly rescued corn but recently came across a nest with 3 baby mice barely developed what I'd call fuzzies. Should I kill them before feeding them to her or is it ok to feed them live?

 

[hypnoctopus]

I always prefer to feed dead mice to my snakes. It's safer for the snake and more humane for the mouse. Although if you found a nest of wild mice, I wouldn't feed them to her at all. Wild mice can have parasites.

 

[Jsandy]

Can I sterilize them somehow blanch them perhaps or could there still be internal parasites? This was my first concern with the found mice.

 

[hypnoctopus]

I would be worried about internal parasites. I think if you were able to get rid of any parasites that they have, it would end up being so much work that it wouldn't even be worth it.

 

[NH93]

Short answer based on your post:

No.

 

[Rigby & Marcy]

Wild mice, no never. I also won't feed live anything any more. I recently gave my hatchlings some pinkies that I raised at home. The first two I fed live, thinking that mouse pinks were barely sentient... But they screamed and cried all the way down and I felt terrible for them. I've mastered a humane pre-killing technique that I'll be sticking to from now on.

 

[Nythain]

Definitely nothing wild. There's no telling what those mice have or could pass on to your snake. And definitely nothing conscious. The risk of harm to your snake is just not worth it.

 

[Chip]

Even retail, a frozen pinkie is usually under a dollar. No way I would take a risk and feed a wild caught animal to save that little money.

 

[Jsandy]

It wasn't a money issue it was availability but I have now found several online places that ship direct so not to worry I have already flushed those little nasty's. I'm sure glad that I found this site and thankful for all the advise I would never want to do anything harmful to this beautiful creature. Also thanks to some of the other postings I was able to recognize that she was about to shed gave her a warm bath and moist moss and this morning she left me a nice full skin. Thanks again everyone I couldn't do it with out you. I'm sure you'll be seeing lots more from me.

 

[Shiari]

You flushed them? Please tell me you humanely euthanised them BEFORE sending them down the toilet....

 

[ravendance]

Flushed mice???? I think that's the first time I've heard that one - dead fish sure, but mice? Unless the comment was misunderstood?

 

[smigon]

You flushed them? Please tell me you humanely euthanised them BEFORE sending them down the toilet....

I read this line in horror too! PLEASE say you humanely euthanized them. It makes me sick to my stomach if they drowned.

Just like the reasons not to feed live, the mouse suffers an excruciating death like drowning and the fighting live mouse can and will fight back, possibly causing harm to your snake.

Believe it or not, flushing them would totally fall under the category of animal cruelty.

 

[Jsandy]

Not trying to offend anyone but I live on a ranch with lots of acreage and when it comes to disposing of rodents I just do what is convenient and available. Now that I think of it after all I did to keep them alive after their home in an oven was destroyed in order to make use of the oven I guess I should have fed them to my mama cat and her new kittens. There will always be more where they came from as I have yet to catch their parents! I have provided a home for many unwanted and discarded pets but have never given a second thought to humanely killing pests. But now that you mention it how would you have disposed of them Shiari?

 

[Jsandy]

I might also add that I didn't destroy their home they weren't in my cabin but they were put in a paper bag and tossed on the trash. I fed them warm drops of heavy cream for a week gave them a warm place to sleep and plenty of fresh water. Albeit with the intention of feeding them to Amber the unwanted corn snake that is now flourishing and happy. I am open to suggestion as to how to "humanely" kill a trio of orphaned homeless barely developed mice. But don't judge me for drowning them when if not for me they would have starved and or dehydrated to death in a cold dark paper bag in the trash. It just never occurred to me that I could or should smash them with a hammer before flushing them so that they wouldn't suffer.

 

[Shiari]

Cervical dislocation would have been an excellent, fast way. CO2 is also a fast, kind death. Hell, even the cats would probably have been faster. You could even have put them outside and let nature take its course as predators would have found them pretty quick.

They were in the paper bag because of you in the first place. How could not *occur* to you that drowning would be actively causing suffering?

You know what, don't even answer that. The idea of drowning a live animal is beyond repugnant.

 

[smigon]

If you had read the "stickies" at the top of each topic you would have found this.

cervical dislocation

I understand about living on a farm or in the woods, but they are still living creatures that deserve to be treated humanely.

 

[Jsandy]

It is all a matter of perspective

Cervical dislocation would have been an excellent, fast way. CO2 is also a fast, kind death. Hell, even the cats would probably have been faster. You could even have put them outside and let nature take its course as predators would have found them pretty quick.

They were in the paper bag because of you in the first place. How could not *occur* to you that drowning would be actively causing suffering?

You know what, don't even answer that. The idea of drowning a live animal is beyond repugnant.

I would first like to apologize to anyone that my earlier post offended and to you Shiari personally. I grew up growing my own food raising my own pork beef and poultry. IMO the little mice were going to die no matter what I did. Also IMO drowning deaths happen as fast if not faster than suffocation by co2 poisoning. Not to worry though it will not happen again. And to say that I was the cause of them being in the paper bag is not only hurtful but offensive as I have on numerous occasion opted to relocate rather than exterminate. Thanks for showing me a different view but you don't have to be mean to do it. I did not intentionally offend you and don't expect you to have the same opinions as I do. The advice is noted and appreciated.

 

[Jsandy]

Also to you smigon I have only been on this site for a couple of days and appreciate the help navigating all the helpful info that is available.

 

[Shiari]

CO2 is actually far faster and kinder than drowning. They are unconscious within seconds, something that doesn't happen as they inhale water.

I have no problem with euthanasia, or the culling of animals for food or health of the flock/herd. I mentioned the paper bag because you implied that drowning was better than slow death in a paper bag. And while yes, slow death not good... they were not born in that paper bag in the trash.

I'm a veterinary technician. Animal abuse is something I have problems with, even if it is abuse through ignorance. Callousness towards a living being also bothers me a great deal. Even as I am completely okay with the fact that animals die that I may eat them, I still feel appreciation for that animal. I still feel sorrow for the spider I squish and the ants I kill. I hope for quick, pain-free deaths because that is part of what makes me human.

 

[Jsandy]

The world needs more people like you. I totally appreciate your point of view and simply hope that you don't judge me too harshly for one ignorant act of insensitivity I am learning all the time. Again I'd like to apologize for not taking the time to think of the feelings of every creature involved it is totally not my norm to kill other than for food and I have never been in the practice of flushing live animals or dead ones for that matter. I was simply single minded in caring for one life that I forgot that the others mattered as well.