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Post by fuzzymom on Apr 3, 2009 12:39:04 GMT -5
I have two male african soft furred rats that are huge. I was going to breed asfs but found out I had two males instead of a male and female. Since I can't find anyone locally who sells them (they are considered exotic) they are just sitting around taking up space and food. I was wondering how best to feed them to the ferrets. I no longer have a CO2 chamber since I moved, and I am not comfortable using the spinal dislocation method.
Would it be safe to feed an adult male asf live?
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Post by harrisi on Apr 3, 2009 13:17:42 GMT -5
I wouldnt touch them with a barge pole let alone have the ferrets kill them I would have the killed first or sell them, way to agressive IMO to feed them to ferrets unless the ferrets are "well trained" (read as: ALWAYS go for the head/kill first!).
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Post by fuzzymom on Apr 3, 2009 13:29:06 GMT -5
What killing method would be best. I've only ever done spinal dislocation once and it was because my cats had found a mouse and injured it but not killed it so I had to put it out of its misery. And it was a small mouse. These asf males are huge. Probably well above 100g.
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Post by harrisi on Apr 3, 2009 13:37:37 GMT -5
Cervical dislocation is easiest and best without a CO2 chamber but I am guessing you dont want the "hands on" approach?
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Post by fuzzymom on Apr 3, 2009 13:45:47 GMT -5
I don't want to cause the asf to suffer if I don't know how to do something right.
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Post by harrisi on Apr 3, 2009 14:44:20 GMT -5
I dont know what else you could use then, sorry.
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Post by bigsis7 on Apr 3, 2009 15:30:12 GMT -5
Would freezing be humane or is that a slow death for ASF's?
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Post by harrisi on Apr 3, 2009 15:33:41 GMT -5
Would freezing be humane or is that a slow death for ASF's? Its a slow death for any mice and rats over the pinkie/early fuzzy stage.
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Post by bluedove on Apr 3, 2009 16:02:17 GMT -5
I believe there is a way to use a vinegar and baking soda reaction to produce CO2... might be worth looking up....
If using a quick hard blow makes you nervous... the next best thing I can think of would be drowning. It sounds awful, I know... but it is quicker than freezing and less painful than a botched injury. :-\
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Post by fuzzymom on Apr 3, 2009 16:48:51 GMT -5
I just found a cooler that belongs to my mother in law. She uses it for fishing, so she's not using it right now. I could go to the store and get dry ice and make a quick CO2 chamber with it.
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