wasted food

[Nafun]

When you warm the prey item up to room temperature bacteria starts to grow pretty rapidly. Even if you refreeze and kill the bacteria, the toxic waste products of the bacteria remain. I know reptiles in the wild often eat carrion, but to me the cost of a dead rodent isn't worth the chance of making my snakes sick.

A lot of people have a "garbage disposal" animals to take care of refused prey, such as monitors, or any other indiscriminate eater that has to be fed every day. I'm getting a tegu this summer for this very purpose.

[mtolypetsupply]

I've found that it's actually easier for me to chop frozen salmon than thawed. I cut off slivers to the amount I need, then chop it. For babies, grating the frozen salmon works well too. Pinkies are easier to chop frozen, too, IMO.

I give my guys plenty of time to eat, so I wouldn't refreeze what I offer them, it's been out too long. And I don't find there's too much left over, so don't worry about it.

[infernalis]

I too find it much easier to mince up pinks and fish while frozen. I can dice up pinks into the smallest of bits while they are still stiff.

[ConcinusMan]

Definitely. Trying to cut pieces off of a thawed pink is like trying to slice water balloon filled with blood and guts. It doesn't work out too well. BTW, it doesn't hurt a garter one bit to eat a slightly rancid pink. It doesn't hurt them anymore than it hurts a large dog to eat rotten meat. Their systems are designed to take it. Not that I would do it on purpose, and that's why I said I would refreeze within 15 minutes or so. That's not long enough to build up toxins from bacteria.

[Mommy2many]

If any of you know a pampered chef rep, they have this nifty little "food scissors". I think it is usually sold for things like cutting pizza slices but my new found use is for worms, fish pieces, silversides and yes, pinkies! Works wonderful and I can get it exactly the way I want it.

[Hollis_Steed]

Good idea! My wife would support that wholeheartedly...she is getting tired of me using here kitchen knives and scissors

If any of you know a pampered chef rep, they have this nifty little "food scissors". I think it is usually sold for things like cutting pizza slices but my new found use is for worms, fish pieces, silversides and yes, pinkies! Works wonderful and I can get it exactly the way I want it.

[Mommy2many]

Pampered Chef Cutting Edge Kitchen Shears 1075

Here they are! $14.00. And they have a little cover for them too!

[mustang]

i just use one of my many knives

[Charis]

I'm lucky, I just use my Dad's really sharp fillet knives. Already use them for the fish we catch, so nobody cares if I use it on the snake's fillets. And if I ever need to cut pinks up, my Dad has a pair of bone scissors that he uses on his deer, elk & game birds. Probably would not be to thrilled to know what I was doing with them, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? LOL
And, yes things are much easier to cut up if they aren't thawed, though some of it I find easier if it's not totally frozen either.

[mustang]

I'm lucky, I just use my Dad's really sharp fillet knives. Already use them for the fish we catch, so nobody cares if I use it on the snake's fillets. And if I ever need to cut pinks up, my Dad has a pair of bone scissors that he uses on his deer, elk & game birds. Probably would not be to thrilled to know what I was doing with them, but what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? LOL
And, yes things are much easier to cut up if they aren't thawed, though some of it I find easier if it's not totally frozen either.

do you hunt????