Two week old deer mouse orphans

by peepsqueak Thu 23 Mar 2017, 5:35 am

I found a litter of six deer mice pups with their eyes closed and followed instructions from arfma, deer mouse ranch, the fun mouse, etc, as best I could. It's been four days and their eyes have opened. They're all alive, though two are runts. The runts are not as nearly as active as the others, but are otherwise well and get excited to eat.

I'm wondering how long I need to rub their bellies to help them defecate. They seem to dislike it when I do it now, and they leave droppings in their habitat. Is it safe to let them explore solid food at this stage? They were incredibly interested in my oatmeal. I let them have a few grains of it, but I'm unsure if this was the wisest decision.

Do I still have to worry about bloat? Should I still be feeding them with a syringe at this age? They don't like to keep still anymore and I'm more worried about them choking now than before. Are there any other tips for orphans at this stage? I see a lot of information for the younger mice, not so much for them once their eyes are opened.

Thanks.

by Peachy Thu 23 Mar 2017, 10:15 am

Welcome, I'm glad you've done so well with these babies! Applause

If they're going potty on their own, you can stop helping. It's also safe to let them explore solid foods-- some good choices would be bird seed, millet spray, and mealworms or crickets. Maybe some hay if you want to... it doesn't do much for them nutritionally but it's fun to hide in and nibble at.

Here's what our wild mouse care page says about feeding older babies. It's the same info as on TFM, however I organized it to make it an easier read. lol

If the babies have their eyes open, and are fully furred, they are at least two weeks (14 days) old... much easier. At two-three weeks old, you can feed them their milk-substitute every 4 to 6 hours. At four and five weeks old, feed them every 6 to 8 hours. After 5 weeks, they will be weaned and able to survive on their own. Starting at two weeks, you should also begin to offer real food and water. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons per baby of wild bird seed around their box. If you do not have bird seed to give them, use dog kibble, uncooked oatmeal, rice, scrambled eggs, uncooked pasta, toasted bread, or cereals that are all-natural and healthy, and get them wild bird seed as soon as you can. Use a *very* shallow cap (like the top of a Snapple bottle) as a dish of water. You don't want to use a deeper dish because babies can fall in and will drown. Check their water often to make sure it stays clean.

https://www.petmousefanciers.com/t4-wild-mouse-mice-care-and-information

Two week old deer mouse orphans

Two week old deer mouse orphans

Re: Two week old deer mouse orphans