Gassing

[Botis]

Are their any possible dangers (for my snake of course) to gassing my rats with C02. I cant fathom how there would be, but I want to verify.

Particularly using a baking soda+vinegar setup to gas them.

Im very tired of cleaning up blood splatter from thumping, under a black light my room looks like an episode of CSI lol.

[david]

nope thats how all the big guys do it like rodent pro

[AbsoluteApril]

I've always heard dry ice is the best way? this place says use straight CO2DIY Co2 chamber and Cervical dislocation. I never liked cervical dislocation, never had luck with that (poor rats) and I usually used the thump method, now I just buy bulk f/t.

[david]

Your one stop reptile community - Simple CO2 Apparatus
best how to guide i have found

[HaloedSatan]

I didnt bother reading the link, I'm just goign to tell you how I gas. Get a 73 Qt./70 L rubbermaid storage bin with a top. Drill a couple holes in the top (this allows the oxygen to be pushed out by the heaving C02). Get a chunk of dry ice. I normally buy a piece of the brick. It should be about the size of a hockey puck. Throw it in the tub. Let it sit for 20 mins. Slowly remove the top of the rubbermaid tub. Drop the rats in.

The rats will try to jump out when they first take the breath of CO2, so drop them in one at a time or as fast as you feel comfortable. They should take a few steps or run around for about 10 seconds. They'll fall over and slowly stop breathing. Leave them in there for about 20 mins to make sure theyre all "asleep". Then do what you will.

I've used this method on hundreds of rats over the last year and a half. It works fine and costs about $10-$15 for the tub, and $1-$2 in dry ice when you need to put them down.

Trust me, this is the way to go if youre small time or only putting down a few rats at a time.

[HaloedSatan]

Oh, and the CO2 dissolves in the blood-- not that it would hurt the snakes anyway.