Having thawed a couple of Mini Rabbits for my Boa Constrictors and found them a little bit smelly, I was wondering if anyone had ever had an issue with Frozen Thawed food that made an animal sick or unwell. If prey items smell a little bad, I throw it away, but am I being over cautious?
Personally (and I’m only a few years in so wait for a more knowledgeable response aswel) if a prey item smelled a little then I’d say it was fine, having been frozen beforehand most of the bacteria will be dead.
However during it thawing out, depending on many factors, bacteria could have grown in it in that time.
If it still smells like rodent/rabbit but just strong I’d say go ahead, but if you can smell something fishy/mouldy/not right I wouldn’t risk it.
Think to yourself beforehand “would I skin this prey and eat it myself?” If not then you have your answer.
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I thawed them the same I do with everything, just leave it out overnight.
@eagleboas that’s why I threw a couple away. I wouldn’t have eaten it. I was wondering if anyone else had had an issue with poor quality prey items. Some retailers products are pretty poor, I like my prey items to look like they had a nice life before they died, not just like a carcass you’d find by the roadside.
I would feed it. Doesn’t it makes sense a dead rabbit wouldn’t smell good to you. Snakes have strong digestive systems, comparing what you would eat to what a snake can eat isn’t a fair comparison, IMO.
I would never skin and eat a carcass that was frozen with entrails and all in it then thawed out.
Oh don’t get me wrong, I do expect it to smell but sometime you can just tell a smell is different to usual. For the sake of a few quid I’d rather not take my chances.