Need help with orphans!

<gemond.TakeThisOut@canada.com> wrote in message
news:Pdedna3kYIteEkvcRVn-3g@giganews.com...
> Good morning, I'm hoping all you other mouse lovers out there can help me
> out. Two of my females (Chloe and Ginger) had litters within a day of each
> other (I only planned on one, but the male somehow got to both of them...
> figures.) Today, the pups are two weeks old, and sadly, Chloe died. I
don't
> know how or why, but it was sudden. The combined litters number 20, and
I'm
> not sure if Ginger can care for them all, even if she does seem willing.
Do
> you have any suggestions on how to help her out? Can I give anything to
the
> babies myself? Help!
>
> G.


there are a few web sites that can help with suggestions..
main one is www.horns.freeserve.co.uk/mouse.htm
but here's the gist.
everything I've read says to feed them kitten formula. They should be fed
every two hours or so. Watch them to see if they and potty on their own
yet. If not, you'll have to help them by gently rubbing them with a wet wash
cloth. hopefully they'll move to solid foods easily and quickly.
Keep them warm. This can be accomplished by placing a heating pad, set on
low, under _part_ of their sleeping tank. They need to have the option of
moving off if they get too warm.
Your other mom might be willing and able to take them. They can have up to
20 in a litter, so she might be able to do it, especially at this point.
Give it a try, but watch carefully for signs of rejection. To put them in
her next, do it while she's out on one of their breaks. (our mom would run
off to an area of the cage the babies hadn't figured out yet for a nice time
out..) then rub the new babies in the litter and nesting material from her
nest to give them her scent, mix in with her babies and watch. You might
want to mark them with a sharpie or something so you know who you're
watching. If she kicks them back out, you're going to have to do the hand
raising.
Good luck!
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gemond.RemoveThis@canada.com wrote:
:: Good morning, I'm hoping all you other mouse lovers out there can
:: help me out. Two of my females (Chloe and Ginger) had litters
:: within a day of each other (I only planned on one, but the male
:: somehow got to both of them... figures.) Today, the pups are two
:: weeks old, and sadly, Chloe died. I don't know how or why, but it
:: was sudden. The combined litters number 20, and I'm not sure if
:: Ginger can care for them all, even if she does seem willing. Do
:: you have any suggestions on how to help her out? Can I give
:: anything to the babies myself? Help!
::
:: G.

At two weeks old they are virtually weaned, don't expect *all* of them to
survive though, there are almost always one or two who don't make it.
They will live on brown bread, wholemeal or similar, they can eat yoghurt
drops, pizza and pie crusts and will probably be eating seeds within a week,
'til then you've got to make sure they have plenty to eat as they are
growing fast and have high metabolisms, you can try almost anything, mine
like the fat from pork chops or bacon rind.

good luck!
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