Two tiny field mice

[bonney99]

A serious question to someone who knows or with similar experience. On a recent trip i was handed two baby field mice as there nest was destroyed by a digger.It was assumed i would know exactly what to do!
For three days i have been feeding them on lactose free milk sometimes i add a mashed berry or something soaked out of the rabbit food. They seem to be doing really well and have now opened their eyes. I have taken them out of their box and placed them in a small tank with some mouse food and a water bottle with lots of warm bedding. I am still syringe feeding on demand, my worry is though that it may be to soon to put them into the tank, i am afraid of them getting cold as they seem so tiny yet are very lively. Should i wait a little longer?

[valleyforge]

Hi bonney99,

You seem to be doing really well so far.

If you are keeping them indoors in a warm room, then together they might do OK with just the warm bedding.

Raising field mice this small can be problematic and keeping them warm is certainly one of the main factors affecting success, but in the absence of a proper electic hear pad, you can still improvise.

Try filling a small screwtop plastic soft drink bottle with hand hot (not boiling) water and then wrapping it in a light teacloth or cotton handkerchief. Place this in the tank such that the bedding is close and can be warmed by it, but also so that the mice can move to a cooler bit if they get too warm.

Of course, make sure there is no danger of the bottle rolling over the mice.

You will need to refill the bottle with warm water quite regularly, and really at this stage you should still be feeding milk every 2 hours day and night, but of course the sooner they can be weaned on to solid food the better for everyone.

Let us know how you are getting on ... we will be pleased to provide support as necessary.

[bonney99]

Hi
Thanks for your reply. I have now been and bought a heat pad which is amazing, as the mice always seemed to have cold feet before but now are toasty.
Thanks again for the reply
bonney99

[valleyforge]

That's good to hear bonney, and good to know they are still doing OK.

Just make sure that they can get off of the heat pad too (that is, to some part of the tank that is a little cooler) if they want to ... you don't want to accidentally cook them.

Mice should wean before their eyes are fully open, so since you said in your original post that they had now opened their eyes, you should be providing a variety of soft solid food, in addition to the milk feeds.

You could try them with a little crumbled digestive biscuit or baby rusks, a small slice of apple or banana (both good for encouraging good gut bacteria), and perhaps a few dehusked sunflower seeds.

Once they start to decline the milk, try them with a general wild bird seed mix (one containing sunflower seed, hemp, linseed, etc ... often marketed as a finch mix .... is usually well accepted), plus some greenstuff such as a piece of lettuce leaf, spinach, water cress, etc.

Ensure you supply a shallow dish (jar lid, etc) of fresh water, or get a small water dropper from the pet shop.

If you haven't already done so, you should organize a secure 'lid' for your tank ... they will soon be very mobile and wood/field mice are excellent jumpers and climbers.

If you have any queries, don't hesitate to post them here, or send me a Personal Message if you prefer.

[bonney99]

Hi
Thanks for the advice, which i have taken.
My babies are now eating wild bird seed and a small amount of fresh fruit and carrot daily. They are also happy to drink water from a water feeder. Only the smallest of the two still has two milk drinks a day, i don't feel as needed any more which is sad on my part but brilliant for them. The only thing bothering me now is do i keep them or release them? Its getting cold and im worried if i release them they will freeze to death, or worse how will they find food and water? At the moment they seem happy and have created a masterpiece of a nest with tunnels and separate entrances so im aware the instinct is born in them to survive but what do you think i should do?
bonney99

[connerlake]

Personally i know exactly what i'd do given it is bordering winter and before soon the frosts will start coming.
Ask yourself 2 questions and make your decision from there.
1 Can i afford to keep them, give them a good life?
2 Is there anything cruel immoral or illegal about what im doing.
Again personally my answers would be

1 yes, and yes.
2 no Im doing the right thing with the right intent.

[valleyforge]

Hi bonney ... glad to learn everything has been going well.

As to what you should do with them ... well that is a tough call that only really you can make.

The aim of rehabilitation is of course to return rescued animals to the wild, but with certain species ... wood mice in particular ... releasing hand reared individuals requires a lot of consideration, if you are going to ensure that they have as much chance of survival as their wild reared cousins.

That means choosing as safe an environment as possible, and being particular about just where and when you let them go ... and whether or not you then provide extended support with supplementary feeding.

Wood mice are just about the most preyed upon species in the UK and most wild born individuals would be lucky indeed to live beyond 2 months.

For me at least, that seems to be little enough return on the investment made in both time and effort in raising them, particularly bearing in mind that the hand-rearing of these tiny animals leaves a lasting bond between both youngster and the surrogate parent. That may lead to difficulties in their associating naturally with their own kind.

With larger species, with greater longevity, it is easily possible to ensure that the reliance and trust in humans is diminished, so that they do stand a fighting chance on their own. With such short-lived species, this becomes all the more problematic.

Although I have raised and released nests of wood mice, the last one I fostered was on his own and I made the decision to keep him ... at least until such time that he showed some inclination to want to go.

He lived very contentedly in a cage in my office, running in a wheel, feeding from my hand and being fastidiously clean. He died almost exactly 23 months from the day he was brought here, without showing any prior symptoms of illness or old age ... almost as if the coin in his meter had just run out and his allotted time was up.

Actually he did quite well, as a more usual captive lifespan for a wood mouse would be between 18 and 20 months.

'Captive' is of course an emotive word for some, with generally negative connotations ... 'close protection' is a better description of what actually occurred because he didn't know any other life, didn't ever try to escape, and when let out of his cage, would return to his 'house' of his own accord.

I was never in doubt that for that particular individual we made the right decision. For your mice, you will need to make a decision based on your own assessment as to what is best for them, but I hope what I have related to you here is at least of some help.

No one who hasn't been through the same process of hand-rearing these animals, should judge or criticise you for whatever choice you make.

[bonney99]

Hi Valley Forge
I have sent you a private message so let me know if you dont receive it!
bonney99

[bonney99]

Originally Posted by connerlake

Personally i know exactly what i'd do given it is bordering winter and before soon the frosts will start coming.
Ask yourself 2 questions and make your decision from there.
1 Can i afford to keep them, give them a good life?
2 Is there anything cruel immoral or illegal about what im doing.
Again personally my answers would be

1 yes, and yes.
2 no Im doing the right thing with the right intent.

Hi Connerlake
Thank you for your reply, i received it through my personnel email and did send you a reply but im not sure you have received it.
bonney99