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Post by rattum on May 25, 2010 19:28:40 GMT -5
I'm buying 5 small mice, 5 large mice, and 5 small rats on Sunday. I found a nice breeder in the area. It's hard for me to get over that they're RATS. I love rats. I have 16. They're my babies. But I want what is best for my ferret, too.
I don't even have him, yet, lol. But I'm making sure I make no mistakes.
I'm just wondering, how do you thaw? Soak in water, leave out, microwave?
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Post by mustelidmusk on May 25, 2010 20:25:31 GMT -5
The safest way to thaw anything is in the refrigerator. I recommend against thawing any "raw food" in the microwave since the heat will affect the nutrients and enzymes. I sometimes use the microwave of defrost to get food started - but I check the MIDDLE of it every 5 seconds and I let it finish thawing outside the microwave. If I accidentally cook any part of my brats' food (even a tiny corner), my brats will not touch it. I would be really concerned about thawing whole prey i the m-wave. I once exploded an egg yolk - what a mess. I'd be afraid that I might explode a mouse in the m-wave and then I'd have to buy a new one - that would be preferable to opening the m-wave door I don't feed whole prey because I've had pet "meeces" and birds, so I can understand your apprehension with the rats. I'm just too wimpy to deal with it! -jennifer
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Post by nwheather on May 25, 2010 21:53:25 GMT -5
I put hot tap water in a bowl, put the mice/chicks in, & in about 10-12 minutes, they are thawed. I then dry them with paper towels & as soon as I walk into the weasels room, they can smell them, & come running. LOL I agree with Jennifer though, I'd never use the microwave to thaw them.
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Post by rattum on May 25, 2010 22:40:58 GMT -5
I don't use the microwave to thaw my dogs meat, but I've never had to thaw frozen whole animals before, lol! I think I'll go with the water method. It seems the easiest and quickest. Thank you!
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 27, 2010 10:15:26 GMT -5
DO NOT PUT FROZEN RODENTS IN THE MICROWAVE!!! Unless you want an ungoddly mess to clean up. EW!!!! For rodents the best way is to heat water to hot but not boiling and drop them in. They will be thawed when you can manipulate the joints especially in the spine and the head is no longer cold. Do not leave them in until they turn reddish because then they are cooking. If they feel rubbery they are cooked. Which for ferrets may not be as bad as for snakes. I do not know.
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Post by Heather on May 27, 2010 12:19:31 GMT -5
cooked boned food is bad for any furchild, or scalechild for that matter. I use the fridge or serve them up frozen (mouse and ratcicles). My guys love them, especially in this heat spell ciao
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Post by rattum on May 27, 2010 12:20:49 GMT -5
They can eat them cold? It won't hurt them or anything? I know it's bad for snakes if they're still cold.
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Post by Kerit on May 27, 2010 15:05:31 GMT -5
Every morning mine have frozen mice or occasionally chicks for breakfast. There's usually a horrible-sounding scuffle about who got the bigger one (they're always identical) and then they chow right down. I usually float the baggie of their raw dinner in warm water to thaw, but if I have to hurry that goes in frozen too. Never had a complaint, except for kidneys, which are apparently gross at any temperature!
For snakes, the mice go into a snack-size baggie that get floated in more warm water.
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 27, 2010 15:34:29 GMT -5
My snakes don't mind getting soggy warmed feeders. They won't eat room temp so I warm them slightly with the hot water. Makes the smell stronger for them. If the ferrets don't have to have them warmed then hey, all the easier for me!
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Post by rattum on May 27, 2010 16:30:20 GMT -5
That is awesome! In the heat, I'll bet he'd like cold raw sometimes. What about soupies? Think he's like it in ice cube form, lol.
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Post by carnivorouszoo on May 27, 2010 19:25:08 GMT -5
Oh yes, soupies can be frozen its their version of an ice pop!
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Post by goingpostal on Jun 2, 2010 22:53:44 GMT -5
Never had a complaint, except for kidneys, which are apparently gross at any temperature! Is that what organ they always leave behind? I never was good in science class, my cat consistently leaves behind one organ and the ferrets do sometimes.
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Post by Heather on Jun 2, 2010 23:23:26 GMT -5
My guys consistently leave the spleen and gall bladder....I was told by someone, can't remember who that it was probably bitter. My guys will eat everything of the mice, except maybe the tail (dental floss) but will consistently leave the spleen out of the rat, as well as the gall bladder and the stomach. ciao
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Post by sherrylynne on Jun 3, 2010 19:31:09 GMT -5
I always thaw in either warm water(if in a hurry), or in the fridge, although I have been known to leave meeces on the counter overnight! As for the guts of the animal? If the mice are large enough, I always find them on the cage shelf, or on the wall, depending on how hard they've shaken it to get them out
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