What do baby mice eat? Please Help!

Question

We found 5 baby mice, the mother ran away when we discovered them in the back yard. The mice are new-born and chirping for the mom, but we believe that she is not coming back and we want the babies to live. Any Advice on what they eat or how to care for them???

Answer 1

Depending on their size, they might still be drinking milk.  You might put some in a cotton ball and see if they can take it.  If they get a bit larger, they would eat grain and other seeds.

Answer 2

Do NOT give them milk!!! They cannot process the lactose and it will damage their digestive tract if not kill them. They need a special formula.

I would suggest putting them back because the mother will return if you leave the area alone. Mice are nocturnal and she will probably return under the cover of dark. That's the best thing. If you can't help it though, you must get them to a wildlife rehabilitator because they need a special formula at newborn age. They will not eat solid foods. They need to be fed a certain rodent formula every 2 hours day and night to survive. If you think you can provide that care, a good substitute is Esbilac, which is puppy formula. It comes in a can. Warm water is a must.

Any vet, animal shelter, fish and game, or police station can give you numbers of wildlife rehabbers in your area. They take the animals for free and make sure they are raised to be wild.