De-clawing Crays: Tank Management or Plain Ole' Torture?
- Thread starter Manny Stiles
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duke33;1993652; said:Do your thing. It's a forum where all types will answer. I guess you got to hear all sides.
Well originally I was going to cut the entire claws off and turn him, effectively into a shrimp. But then when the idea of having him re-molt with small claws (and the plans of farming them for personal food use) hit me - I realized I don't want small clawed crays. The claw meat, while smaller and somewhat of a hassle to retrieve but is excellent when you have a few hundred of them to use for crayfish cakes!!!
If the "thumb" grows back smaller with the molts then I think that's actually a good thing! A tub full of crays aren't going to 'joust' each other with thumbless claws into submission!
Anyway. I personally don't see this as "cruel". Is it a 'little mean'? Perhaps, but I can get over it quickly enough!
To reiterate - this one is a male with thin, long and weak claws.
Perhaps when I fish crays and throw them in a tub to clean out their feces for eating, I will simply rubberband the claws... perhaps.
We'll see what I learn this time around...
Thanks to all who have read and offered their opinions. Seriously, I am not an obstinate a-hole who loves to torture creatures. Not at all. I took all of your opinions into consideration. But I also had a good idea that some type of procedure would be taking place for the sake of gaining knowledge that can be applied in the future.
Results - so I cut the "thumb" (movable) part of the claws off instead of cutting the entire appendage off. I cut them less than 1 cm from the joint and the process took under one minute total.
The crayfish showed annoyance - as much annoyance as it normally shows to being taken out of the tank - but other than that it was quick and easy.
When I returned the cray to the tank one of my little bumblebee catfishes apparently caught the scent of cray meat in the water and came over to get a bite but was rudely turned away by the remaining spears of the rest of the claw.
So the cray is able to defend itself still without the ability to clutch and grab/shear at the fins of it's tank mates.
The operation took place Monday night and now on Thursday, the cray is still 100% healthy and active. He is feeding just fine and roams about the tank with the same confidence as ever. However, in the process of capturing him he seemed to notice there are more places to hide in the tank and has begun to frequent other places he normally avoided before the "operation". So I think I enlightened the cray on his entrapped environment a touch...
I am waiting to see what the claws will look like after the next molt - which is the crux of this "experiment", afterall. I suspect the "thumb" (what is the technical term for it anyway?) will come back smaller while the rest of the claw will continue to be larger... although this cray isn't FULLY grown yet.
Sorry I didn't take more detailed notes with pictures and all - maybe next time I will. It was more of a way to quieting my curiosity (there isn't much on the internet about claw management) than it was a true scientific experiment.
Thanks for your ideas and opinions. I consider this little foray into "claw management" to be fairly successful up to this point. I will update again after the next molt.
I think when I finally get around to raising crays in more mass quantities (for personal consumption purposes) I may continue to try claw management experiments.
The crayfish showed annoyance - as much annoyance as it normally shows to being taken out of the tank - but other than that it was quick and easy.
When I returned the cray to the tank one of my little bumblebee catfishes apparently caught the scent of cray meat in the water and came over to get a bite but was rudely turned away by the remaining spears of the rest of the claw.
So the cray is able to defend itself still without the ability to clutch and grab/shear at the fins of it's tank mates.
The operation took place Monday night and now on Thursday, the cray is still 100% healthy and active. He is feeding just fine and roams about the tank with the same confidence as ever. However, in the process of capturing him he seemed to notice there are more places to hide in the tank and has begun to frequent other places he normally avoided before the "operation". So I think I enlightened the cray on his entrapped environment a touch...
I am waiting to see what the claws will look like after the next molt - which is the crux of this "experiment", afterall. I suspect the "thumb" (what is the technical term for it anyway?) will come back smaller while the rest of the claw will continue to be larger... although this cray isn't FULLY grown yet.
Sorry I didn't take more detailed notes with pictures and all - maybe next time I will. It was more of a way to quieting my curiosity (there isn't much on the internet about claw management) than it was a true scientific experiment.
Thanks for your ideas and opinions. I consider this little foray into "claw management" to be fairly successful up to this point. I will update again after the next molt.
I think when I finally get around to raising crays in more mass quantities (for personal consumption purposes) I may continue to try claw management experiments.
Or glue or tape, etc... blah, blah blah...
I went over this already. Too much of a hassle for my antinimble, sausage-like fingers and I want the process to last through molts. Thumb-ectomies will affect the claws through several molts (according to the theory).
I know what rubberbands will do. I wasn't sure what clipping the claws would do... now I can find out!
i personally think its a great idea to mutilate an animal just so you can see what happens.
please stop voting.
please stop voting.
This is stupid imo. If you can't keep a creature with another creature without altering it physically, it shouldn't be together. However, as stated, it's just an opinion, and all one can do is share them.
People asked me why I never trimmed my reptiles claws... I love the animal for what it is... If I want to handle it, I must be willing to put up with a few scratches.
People asked me why I never trimmed my reptiles claws... I love the animal for what it is... If I want to handle it, I must be willing to put up with a few scratches.
deadrockstars;2009634; said:
Yes, your holier/wiser than thou approach will get you very far in this realm.
If man didn't "mutilate" animals so he could "see what happens", there'd be very, very many critical medical and scientific advances never made. It's people who question things in this world that allow us all to further our own lives. It's people who assume they have all the answers and sarcastic wit to prove it that RUIN this world.
I hope you never need an organ transplant or a severed nerve re-connected. I hope you never need an anti-toxin, vaccination or chemotherapy. I hope you never need to go to space (or use satellite technology). After all - ALL of these things were things man tried to animals FIRST - you know, just to see what happens...
It's awesome that you judge a person so easily. Based on your ability to wield your assumed moral superiority, maybe YOUR vote is just a waste anyway...
I'm sure your heaven has an extra special room for people like you.
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