Frozen Snake Food

[willywonka]

Okay, I'm a new snake owner and mine are feeding on frozen mice and rats. I had to leave the food out over night to defrost and fed everything to my snakes before I left for work. When I came home eight hours later I notice that there was one rat and one mouse left in the cages. Can I refreeze the food and give it to my snakes later?

 

[Kriegan]

Exactly how long has it been out? Hmm it has never ocurred to me to refreeze anything though, but my best guess would be...if in total it's been more than 6 hours after being defrosted and you want to put it back in the freezer then NO, I just wouldn't risk it because of food contamination and unsanitary issues etc...I'd like to feed fresh food always. You say they didn't feed on them at all...:? Did you move them so they would notice it, or did you just placed them in a corner for them to find the food?

Snakes respond on prey movement, so you have to wiggle them a bit to resemble this so they can attack it. This way, you can know if they're hungry or not, and can avoid refreezing food...which could be unsanitary and I just wouldn't recommend it.

Regards,
Ulrich

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I refroze a prey item once. Once.

When I thawed it again, the reek was overpowering and I threw it out immediately.

EDIT: Wait, how many prey items did you leave each snake?

 

[LeilaNami]

Next time just soak the mouse in hot water for fifteen minutes. Then wiggle it in front of your snake and if it's hungry enough they'll make a grab for it.

 

[Midnightrdr456]

you cant refreeze it unfortunately. It just like regular food, if you have frozen sauce for example, after you thaw it and eat some, your not supposed to refreeze whats left, just put it in the fridge. For these if you thaw them out and refreeze them it allows time for some of the rat/mouse to decompose (hence the smell)

 

[willywonka]

Snakes respond on prey movement, so you have to wiggle them a bit to resemble this so they can attack it. This way, you can know if they're hungry or not, and can avoid refreezing food...which could be unsanitary and I just wouldn't recommend it.

The guy that I got them from just put the mice/rats in there and the snakes found them and ate them. I have been doing the same for the last couple of months and had no problem with them eating. I guess they were not as hungry as I thought they were.

you cant refreeze it unfortunately. It just like regular food, if you have frozen sauce for example, after you thaw it and eat some, your not supposed to refreeze whats left, just put it in the fridge. For these if you thaw them out and refreeze them it allows time for some of the rat/mouse to decompose (hence the smell)

I kind of figured that you couldn't refreeze them but I thought it was worth asking. Thanks to all for the imput.:worship:

 

[Midnightrdr456]

they will find and eat them, but its just quicker to move it infront of them. Usually people that breed just put them in, b/c they cant spend the time to do that for 100+ snakes.

 

[tjhammerhead]

What kind of snake? What is the snakes age? How often are you attempting to feed?