field mouse nest

alba_gur_brath · #1 (**permalink**) 21-10-2010, 10:28 PM

i was clearing out the garage last saturday and i disturbed a nest of field mice by accident, which were huddled up in an old roll of underlay. the mother shot off under the freezer. i thought i need to find her or the six little pink , blind babies will die. i made a point of not touching the babies with my hands in case the mother, if caught would not accept them again. after an hour and a half of hunting and cornering, i reunited the mouse with its young. i put in some loo paper and fluff from the tumbledryer and a little cardbord box into a plastic crate. i put in a handfull of birds nuts and some raisins for the mother to eat, i assume she will just feed the babies with her milk. i also put in a jamjar lid of water. the little ones are turning brown, and seem to follow the mother around if she moves. right the question is when should i release them to give them a sporting chance. will they stay together or shoot off on their own . i plan to take them to the woods, because weirdly enough i have mouse traps in the house. i don't want them coming in and eating cables etc, like they have in the past. they are cute but destructive in a house.

paulinemiller10 · #2 (**permalink**) 22-10-2010, 12:07 AM

Baby field mice leave the nest quite young, but I would wait until they are big and strong before releasing them, the woods sound like a nice home for them, I think they will all run off in different directions lol, but if the place you release them is not too far to visit, I would scatter some food about the place when you let them go, and scatter some every other day if you can, it gives them time to make a new home and keep their pantry's full while they learn how to find food in the wild. Pauline,

alba_gur_brath · #3 (**permalink**) 22-10-2010, 06:45 PM

Thanks fir the advise, but how young is quite young. ?

paulinemiller10 · #4 (**permalink**) 23-10-2010, 01:17 PM

The babes are weaned after about three weeks and become breeding adults in two months, I have quite a few of these mice living at the bottom of my garden, I used to feed hedgehogs when they were around, and the mice pinch the food, I was surprised to find they enjoyed cooked chicken as much as their peanuts, they are lovely creatures, I still feed them everyday, it was nice you saved their nest. Pauline.