I really enjoy the resposes I've seen on this site, and I can't really trust any knowledge I can get around where I live because no one really has much knowledge except for one man I know who is a breeder.
But I would just like to know what the best way to kill my rats would be, I've read and heard so many horror stories about live prey, and that's all I've ever fed my snakes pretty much except for when I first purchased them they were eating f/t. My snakes have never been attacked by a rat, but I'm willing to try out fresh killed rats, I was not really a fan of the f/t however. And I figure I'm better off trying it now, before its too late.

Also I'm sorry if this question has been asked/answered, I just came across this site today and I'm becoming familiar with it all, and I'm full of questions lol.

I feed f/k, I just "thunk" the mice or rats on the back of the head really hard so that they are immobilized. And you can never ask too many questions!

Ok, that's what I had in mind. I just didn't want to be "inhumane". Thanks once again.

Don't worry about the questions. So I have a question for you? Why don't you like F/T? It's the same mouse.

And for "thunking" I have heard of people putting them in a plastic bag and giving it a good swing, connecting with the side of a table.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I have found that hitting them against solid objects can be messy, I just flick them really hard on the base of the neck because it just stuns them, they are still alive and breathing, so its no threat to the snake, I always hand feed just to make sure the mouse doesn't "come to" and bite though, and I advise against just leaving a stunned mouse in a feeding cage with the snake.

I just didn't like the f/t because they smelled so bad, and I have almost never had any problems with my snakes not eating. And the only time my snake wouldn't eat live I tried a f/k and it eventually ate. The smell just turns my stomach.

Yeah, and the smell of crickets turns my stomach, but I have 15 mouths to feed so I deal with it. I have 2 frogs that eat mice and I only feed f/t because I worry about my frog getting bit. IMO a little bit of uncomfortableness on my end can go a long way to the health of my pet.

__________________
My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

Yeah I completely agree, if there was ever any problem with them eating normally, I wouldn't think twice about resorting to f/t.

You can either whack it or what I used to do was get a tuperware container, poke a hole in it, stick the rat in, then buy a can of air turn it upside down, insert the little red straw into the hole and then squeeze the trigger. They go right to sleep and it doesnt hurt them.

Or here is a CO 2 chamber.
http://reptileguides.herpcenter.com/showthread.php?t=3

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!