I've transported sacks of crawfish a few times. What worked best was to lay the sacks on pallets placed in the bed of the pickup then cover the sacks with bags of ice, then place a tarp over the whole thing. The pallets keep the crawdads from drowning in the melting H2O.
Yep, a common mistake. People put them in an ice chest or tub covered with ice for several hours in their backyard. Ice melts and they sit in standing water. Then they call the market and complain about having dead crawfish. Another common mistake is purging them forever, especially in salt water. Letting them sit in water (salted or not) more than 20 minutes or so will start to kill them due to lack of oxygen. Also, a study has shown that salt water does not help with the purging and kills them faster.
I didn't know that, but we've always purged them with fresh water for ten minutes or so and then let them sit in a dry tub until ready for the pot. The chorine in the hose water makes them spit up a lot of mud but doesn't distress them like salt.
I've always taken the position that purging is for show (mainly for the women) and it's a waste of time. If you're willing to suck the head and all of the crap that goes with that, a little swamp juice ain't gonna hurt.
All we do to 'purge' them is to spray them with a hose for a few minutes while in the boiling basket. NO soaking in standing water.
Ok, batgirl....if you were a really nice tiger fan, you could drop off a few of those boiled mudbugs in Clinton on your way through!:thumb:
