CO2 Euthanasia tank
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CO2 Euthanasia tank |
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| All Credit goes out to Cheryl Marchek for these instructions. Thanks Cheryl! | |
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Humane prep of Mice and Rats for
Reptile Prey We have all heard the debates for and against feeding live or pre-killed prey. It really comes down to a personal choice of preferences. Once the choice has been made however; if pre-killed prey is desired you must decide how to humanely kill the prey. Stanford University has decided that CO2 is the most humane method of pre-killing rodents meant for consumption by other animals. This is safe for rodents intended to be consumed by other animals as CO2 is a natural by-product created when mammals exhale. So, nothing foreign is introduced into the prey item. So, now you need to set up a cost effective CO2 chamber to do the pre-killing. This is not nearly as complicated as it sounds when first starting out. The initial cost of the set up in my picture was around $100. After that initial investment the only recurring cost is $2 per fill on the CO2 tank. I do approximately 15-30 mice and/or juvenile rats per week, and usually fill the CO2 tank about every 3 months at that rate. First, go to your local paintball store (Welding supply may also have these items) and obtain a CO2 tank, CO2 release valve and a "Remote" (the hose that runs from the tank to the kill tank). Show the picture to the nice man at the paint ball store, he can find all those pieces for you. An adapter to fit the end of the "Remote" will be helpful, but not absolutely necessary. Next you will need a Kill tank, a container for water, an air hose and a sealant. I got the "Kill tank" (Tall plastic container with tight fitting lid) at Wal-Mart. Any tall container will work, but be sure it has an airtight lid (or as close as possible). Also, the one in the picture is NOT large enough for adult rats. Weanling rats are the largest that kill tank work for. You need a taller tank for adult rats due to an adult rats increased ability to jump above the CO2 in the tank. My water container is just an old pickle jar. Anything will work as your water container; it only needs to be deep enough to hold the loose end of the air hose under water. The air hose in my pic is a fish tank air supply hose (Yep, Wal-mart!) you may want to go with a slightly larger hose, but that one works. You will also need a good sealant. I used a hot glue gun, but caulking will work as well. Now that you've been shopping, let's assemble. Drill a hole in the bottom of the kill tank large enough to accommodate your "CO2 Remote" (or that adapter I mentioned above). The CO2 needs to go in the bottom of the kill tank as CO2 is heavier than Oxygen. Be sure to seal around the CO2 hose/adapter as air tight as possible. Drill a hole near the top for the Air tube. Again, be sure to seal around it as tight as possible, and make sure it is at the top of the kill tank to exhaust air from the kill tank. DO NOT let the air tube become kinked. Now you're ready. Place a paper towel in the bottom of the kill tank (to absorb urine) and tightly seal kill tank. Fill water container, place end of exhaust tube under the water level. Prime kill tank with CO2. Watch the water container to see approx how much air you have exhausted from the kill tank. Quickly load rodents into kill tank. (the one in the pic will take about 6-10 per fill, more than that and the lower rodents become drenched with urine) Seal kill tank and pump in more CO2 to replace what escaped while you were loading the rodents in. Be sure the air tube stays in the water so oxygen can not creep back into the kill tank via the exhaust. The rodents will twitch, but according to Stanford they are CO2 intoxicated and un-conscious almost immediately upon entering the primed CO2 chamber. Do not remove the rodents until you are SURE they are dead or they will wake up! I usually leave adults approx 5 minutes; juveniles for approx 8 minutes. Pinkie's are not suited to CO2 euthanasia. They are naturally resistant to hypoxia. If you plan to freeze the prey items: Do not vacuum seal fresh killed rodents. (If it's a strong vacuum it's gross, trust me) Lay out rodents on parchment paper and freeze solid. Once solid, then vacuum sealing will help maintain quality for a longer period. However, I have stopped vacuum sealing (Machine broke) and have seen no degradation in quality over the last 8 months freezing and sealing in standard zip lock baggies. From JMR> Ziplock freezer bags work quite well to keep rodents 'fresh'. The larger bags can accommodate up to large rats / small rabbits...something like 4 small bunnies per bag. Just place the rodents in the bag on a flat surface, partially close the seal, push as much as the air out as you can and seal the rest of the top. If you want to be REALLY picky, ensure the rodents' legs are not sticking out. What we've found is, at times, you'll go to grab a few feeders and will have to (ugh) break the legs or tail of other rodents to dislodge them if they froze while hugging each other. :-\ |
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