Killing rats/mice with CO2

[becca81]

Why not just get a good pair of tongs, take the rat or mouse with the tongs, shove it down in a bucket of water for a few minutes, pull it out its all dead and such? Or maybe just devise something you can tie to there feet that will make them sink to the bottom and then just walk away for a few minutes, come back and the deed is done? .

I think the point here is to reduce suffering as much as possible. Just because you walk away and don't have to watch the mouse drown, doesn't mean that it isn't any less cruel.

 

[Hedorah99]

carbonmonoxide also works well, It works great for people, first they fall asleep and then die. If you own a car, connect a hose from your exhaust to an airtight container. Should't take longer than 5-10 minutes.

You've also just coated the mouse in all the toxins that come out of the exhaust of your car as well. And the idea is to kill them quickly, not maybe in 5 or 10 minutes.

 

[Hedorah99]

CO2 is the way to go. Like Nich said, you can get a tank from a paintball supply store very cheaply and the gas itself is very in expensive. Failing that, find some dry ice, as it evaporates it will fill teh chamber with CO2 and push out any oxygen. Both are methods used by rat breeders for mass humane euthanization. I have done the paper bag and and the smack against a hard counter before. If you hit the rat hard enough it should be killed instantly, but this can be messy and not a sure fire method of putting the rat down.

 

[Snipes]

well she sprung it up on me so i killed two pinkies/almost fuzzies by using a butter knife dull edge against the neck and snapping them up into a "u" by the back legs and tail. I didnt have time to do the yeast/sugar/bottle thing, a neato idea. I did not hear or feel a snap, but they immdiately started twitching and urinating. After about 30-45 seconds the twitching stopped. I could see a large bruise forming around their necks. Did I do it right? Also, she will want me to kill them when they are juvies, a little larger than a mouse. Will the same method work, just with more force? Will the back of a butter knife suffice like with the babies?
btw, all your CO2 suggestions were pretty cool, my friend actually decided she is going to stop and go back to frozen because she can't stand the smell, so lucky me!

 

[Thoth]

The method works better with older mice/rats than pinkies. Though you method was a little off, The motion is more to pull the body away from the skull (see below)

IV. Method

1. Restrain the rodent in a normal standing position on a firm, flat surface and grasp the tail with one hand.

2. Place a stick-type pen, a rod-shaped piece of wood or metal, or the thumb and first finger of the other hand against the back of the neck at the base of the skull.

3. To produce the dislocation, quickly push forward and down with the hand or object restraining the head while pulling backward with the hand holding the tail.

Performing the procedure on a surface that the animal can grip may make it easier to gain access to the base of the skull because rodents often stretch themselves forward when held by the tail. The effectiveness of dislocation can be verified by separation of cervical tissues. When the spinal cord is severed. a 2-4 mm space will be palpable between the occipital condyles and the first cervical vertebra. Occasionally, however, the dislocation occurs between thoracic vertebrae. Check closely to confirm respiratory arrest, and when possible verify, by palpation, that there is no heart beat.

 

[Texas Blonde]

I was able to seperate the vertebrae of mice very easily by a similar method to what Thoth posted. I would hold the mouse in the air by its tail, and then lower it down so it could just grab the edge of a wooden box with its front legs. It would pull forward, extending the neck perfectly. Then one good wack right on the back of the neck with a screwdriver handle, and the mouse was dead. I never had a problem with partial paralysis, like I did with the bag and whack method.

 

[Snipes]

ah, so how do i know that i did it right? What are the signs after snapping that it was done (relatively) quickly and hopefully humanely.

 

[Nich]

ah, so how do i know that i did it right? What are the signs after snapping that it was done (relatively) quickly and hopefully humanely.

Immediate death. Muscle spasms after death can occur for afew minutes. Usually the limbs go ridged then slowly relax in 10-30 seconds, I would say the hand to hand kombat......is the most effective. But it really wears on you after few months. I perfer the "auschwitz" method if you have alot of mouths to feed, and the hands for a few a week. the My preference about the ausch. method is that if you have a nice freezer (low temp) you can freeze a month or more's worth at a time with minimal effort/time.

 

[moose35]

this might be creul to some . but i use the pluck method.
1. hold mouse by tail.(hold with non-dominate hand)
2. let mouse dangle
3. then pluck mouse on head and they die instantly

you might have to practice once or twice. but you'll find the spot.

pretty much same as smacking mouse on any hard surface method. but with less chance of the mouse flying across room.

 

[slimtim454]

Or maybe just devise something you can tie to there feet that will make them sink to the bottom and then just walk away for a few minutes, come back and the deed is done?

Ah yes, the old "sleeping with the fishes" routine?