When to wean?

[JTGoff69]

:sidestep: At what age are mice babies ready to wean?? We've got babies that are dying off one by one. (They're about 2 weeks old) Their eyes are finally open, but some seem sick or malnourished. Just wondering when I can remove them from the mom???

 

[Baba-Lou]

They'll wean between 2-3 weeks. I've noticed If my mice are still in the nest I usually take them away from the nest by then and scatter them across the tank. And by then they'll explorer. But I want till I see my babies are eating on their own before I take them out. Just my MHO.

 

[mvervest]

They have to be 3 weeks at least before removing from the mother

 

[JTGoff69]

Thanks, that's my problem, I don't know if they are volutarily feeding on their own yet. And I found out that other employees are handling them. Won't that make the mother dismiss them??

 

[Baba-Lou]

Well. basics. if they are....tell them to stop ogling and touching them until after 3-4 days old. and ogling in on the babies will do it...or it could also be population control

 

[JTGoff69]

It's too late to tell them to stop oogling, and the babies have their eyes open. I can't imagine population control with just a female and her babies in a 15 gallon tank, but maybe........ I just want to find out what the problem may be so I can save as many babies as possible. So should they be ready to wean in the next week or so?? :shrugs:

 

[Baba-Lou]

Well do you see them eating and drinking on their own?

 

[nerys]

you could try giving them a mush of the normal food, soaked in watered down goats (not cow) milk..as they will find it harder to eat hard food at such a young age..

I've hand reared rats from just pre-eye opened stage on that mixture..

N

 

[JTGoff69]

That's funny, someone suggested giving goat's milk to the mother yesterday. I think I remember seeing it at the grocery store am I right? And would you be talking about the lab blocks or the seed? Thanks!

 

[nerys]

cows milk is horrid stuff for lot of things... many humans cannot tolerate it, and it can do horrid things to the digestion of most furries.. goats milk on the other hand doesn't seem to be anywhere near as bad..

i've always known about cows milk being bad.. from giving cats the squitts to killing hedgehogs when well meaning folk feed them bread soaked in fullfat cows milk *sigh* but a friend with lactose intolerance, used to be able to drink goats milk.. so.. yus.. its not bad stuff, a bit watery compared to cows..

it can be a bit hit and miss, but generally i work on the principle that anything the adults eat, the babies can, provided its soft enough for them to be able too..

the rat pups, i drip feed from a syringe, they used to lick the mush up..

i've remembered too they used to get readybrek and goats milk - its a breakfast cereal a bit like fine porridge..

if they won't come to the bowl to try it, you can try dunking their nose in it (although try not to get it into the airways!) at which time they should then lick to clean themselves..

you could try adding supplements to the liquid part too.. here.. i would put in a bit of something like critical care, avipro.. maybe some honey.. small bit of bee pollen..

generally though, they should be able to eat what mum does, once its soft enough for them to handle, if they are scrawy now, and you have time for the one on one, then try dropper feeding to start with.. scrawny baby mice i have found don't last that long.. if they won't keep still, then wrap them in a bit of fabric, and just have the head peeking out..

keep an eye on the bellies.. if they start to bloat, the mix is too rich, so cut it down a bit (water it down) they should be able to defecate by now, but if not for any reason, you need to be mum and rub their tummies and "bits" with damp cotton wool to make them pass waste.. not too hard though or they get a bit red with it all..

good luck with them!

Nerys