Found baby mice

[ButtonHoarder]

So yeah, I found baby mice. I don’t know how old they are, but they’re wiggling around a lot now that they’re in the warm truck. I’m just wondering if there’s anything I can feed them now, as I won’t be home for another 7 hours (I’m at work).

I have a sandwich with peanut butter and bananas, yogurt granola bars, cashews, raisins, Gatorade, and water. Can I give them any of that?
Thanks in advance

 

[The Confused Chicken]

Cute little things. I have no idea what to feed them, hope somebody can help with that.

 

[ButtonHoarder]

@NatJ @JacinLarkwell , any ideas? I have no idea if you know stuff about mice or not, I just thought you might.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Where did you find them?
I recommend contacting your local wildlife rehab. Young mice, especially wild ones, are very difficult to keep alive. Even if they are not able to take them in they may be able to offer some advice.

They look to be around 10 days old. Don't feed them anything cold, and keep them somewhere warm. Kitten formula or goats milk would be best for them. A syringe or eyedropper is what I would use but a clean makeup/paint brush can work. Keep their noses clear of any food so they can breathe. They should have a full, wrinkle free belly at the end of each feeding. Be sure to check their bums as well, it's important to keep it clean and clear so they can continue to pass food. A damp, warm, q-tip can work for this. They'll need to be fed about 6 times a day, from what I have read.
I've cared for orphaned squirrels before giving them to a rehabilitation, but never mice so I recommend you do your own research as well.
Good luck with the little ones.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@NatJ @JacinLarkwell , any ideas? I have no idea if you know stuff about mice or not, I just thought you might.

I don't do baby mice

 

[NatJ]

@NatJ @JacinLarkwell , any ideas? I have no idea if you know stuff about mice or not, I just thought you might.

Sorry, I don't know how to raise them.

Before you put much effort into this, you might consider what will happen to them if you DO raise them.

Do you want to keep them as pets? Are you prepared for when they have babies of there own, or keeping the males & females separated so no babies happen? If they refuse to live peacefully in same-sex groups, are you prepared to give them individual cages?

Or would you try to turn them loose? Most people do not want mice around, so there is a good chance that someone would trap or poison them. Even if that does not happen, they might starve, or get eaten by a predator, because they will not have the right skills to keep themselves fed and safe.

Personally, I wouldn't try to raise baby mice. I would leave them alone where they were, or give them to a cat/dog/chicken, or dispatch them myself rather than letting them die of other causes. But that is me, not you, and what is "right" for me may not be the decision you choose to make.

 

[MinervaTheHen]

I’m not anywhere near an expert, but I’ve tried my best to save a few orphaned babies from the hay fields.

Often they die. It sounds terrible but they’re just really delicate and hard for humans to care for.

I fed mine either warm milk (not too warm, just a little over room temp) or kitten formula (not sure if that was the right thing to do, it was a last resort). The other thing to watch out for is to make sure they’re clean. Like chicks, their butts can get all nasty, as well as their mouths. They eat a lot, like every hour or two, and they can’t eat much at one time.

Apparently the mother mouse would lick or massage them after feeding, to keep their digestive systems moving? I’m not sure about that, it’s been a long time and all my information came from my neighbors and the internet.

Probably the best thing to do would to bring them to a wildlife rehab center. In my experience, it’s more trouble and heartbreak than it’s worth to try it yourself. But by all means don’t take my word for it, I definitely didn’t know what I was doing and didn’t have the right setup. Good luck with whatever you choose to do! I hope everything goes well!

 

[lagrange chicks]

The 1st chickens I had loved when I would find baby mice in my lumber stacks. I know that is mean but the chickens did not care they loved a mouse snack. When they chew the wiring in your truck you will wish you fed them to the chickens.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

How adorable! You should name them!

Found this online:

Baby mice need to receive proper care within a few hours of being born in order to survive. If you find orphaned mice, you can feed them kitten milk formula with a syringe or pipet every two or three hours12. After that, baby mice can start eating solid foods such as cooked rice and beans, cooked carrots, soft vegetables, and fruits132.
Learn more:
1. feedingnature.com2. vivopets.com3. termitesblog.com4. wikihow.com5. wikihow.com

If you can't care for them, I would try to find a local wildlife rehab. Good luck!

 

[Evadig]

Thank you for trying to save the mice! I don’t have any suggestions, alas. Here’s a couple links, hope they help!

animals.mom.com/how-to-find-out-how-old-a-wild-mouse-is-7808207.html

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

I have to tell you an amusing story about myself - one day I was at a store that was near a busy highway and I spied a mouse that was old enough to run but it was still a baby. So I grabbed a plastic container and tried to catch this mouse. Finally it ran off. In the meantime all the customers in the store are staring at me. As I was standing there all hot and tired, the storekeeper comes out and says, “Miss, your mouse ran off that direction”. I told him, “That’s not mine, it’s just a wild baby mouse I wanted to try to catch”. The look on his face was priceless!