[Peteyandthegang]

I have some simple questions about freezing pinks, I cant find a definitive answer anywhere for the life of me! Wherever I go I either get told Ill burn in hell for even considering doing it, or that its fine to freeze pinks just because everyone does it :? People really seem to disagree

So Im wanting to know

-How long does it generally take pinkies to die in a freezer?
-What temperature or setting do you have your freezer at?
-Does anyone know specifics about how the mice die?
-In your opinion is it humane to freeze pinkies and why?

Thanks guys. Im only trying to think ahead, just incase we get a mega oversized litter or something. I dont want to be unprepared, for their sake

 

[Mark]

-How long does it generally take pinkies to die in a freezer? - Takes less than a minute with my freezer
-What temperature or setting do you have your freezer at? Im not sure ill try and find out what mine is set at
-Does anyone know specifics about how the mice die? - I suppose it would the the same as in the wild if the mum dissapears ie Death the mice would become slow moving at try and concentrate all it energy in trying to keep warm ( but pinkies cant regulate their own body temperature ) so just fall asleep and not wake up perhaps - This is basically what i was told by a few people.
-In your opinion is it humane to freeze pinkies and why? I think as long as they are under 5 days old then its humane id like to explain why i see it as humane but with the day ive had at work i wouldnt be able to explain myself properly so ill leave it there for now lol.

 

[Peteyandthegang]

Thanks, that really does help. Ive been told anywhere from under a minute all the way up to a couple of hours for pinks to die...the thought of them squirming about longer than a few minutes made me uneasy :? Its good to see it can be quick

 

[Cait]

Ive been told anywhere from under a minute all the way up to a couple of hours for pinks to die...

Well it's certainly not a couple of hours - they don't know what they're talking about I have been back 15 minutes later and they are frozen solid, quite literally.

 

[Maplewood Stud]

hun, they will of started to do as so as uve taken them away from the nest as being kept warm is the key thing for them to survive x

 

[ian]

I've had an incident when a doe died and the babies had all died within an hour or two in the unattended nest, so in the freezer its going to be fairly quick, I find its less than a few mintues. The older tha pinkie the longer it takes so do it as early as possible, also my blues are huge as babies much larger than the rump whites and it takes a bit longer for them too although as Cait says within 15 mintues they are frozen solid.

I think its fairly humane the better option is probably throwing them onto a hard surface as its instant but personally I couldnt do that, although I thought I couldnt physically cull adults either and I've surprised myself. Its far more human than leaving a doe with a huge litter and certainly more responsible than producing large numbers of mice which you may not be able to find good permanent homes for.

 

[NaomiR]

I'm not an expert but from my limited experience I would say it takes roughly 1 minute per day (old) so if the pinks are 2-3 days old it would take 2-3 minutes to freeze.

I won't freeze anything 6 days and over, if absolutly necessary I would grow them on and cull later (c02) after trying to pet home first.

 

[dingbat]

Pinkies in the freezer die from hypothermia as they have no temperature control mechanism until the grow hair, at that age I would not cull in the freezer (4-5 days old).
This is also the reason they die when there is not mother or foster mother in attendance.

 

[NaomiR]

Pinkies in the freezer die from hypothermia as they have no temperature control mechanism until the grow hair, at that age I would not cull in the freezer (4-5 days old).
.

would you be okay to freeze before 4-5 days??

 

[dingbat]

Totally yes, quicker death for the babies due to hypothermia, very fast.

 

[Velvet_Meece]

1 min per day?

i had some 3 day old pinkies i had to freeze last Friday, i put them in the freezer for 30mins and one was still gasping for air when i took them out :|

I don't fancy experiencing that again, was the first time i'd put anything live in the freezer and felt terrible... will have to be couple of hours next time just to make sure!

 

[Cait]

Turn your freezer temp down, mine are frozen solid within 15 minutes (never looked sooner than that).

 

[Kallan]

To answer the first post - they die by hypothermia. Once your body gets below a certain temperature your brain starts doing weird things - you start feeling warm again and going slightly nuts. I can imagine the mice shut down to conserve energy and gradually pass away as the temperature keeps dropping.