# URGENT Hand Feeding



## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

I need some urgent advice on hand feeding babies;

~ What's the youngest you've successfully hand reared?
~ What temperature do they need to be at?
~ What did you feed them/how often/how?
~ How did you get them to poop/how often?

I have three of a vital litter left but they're tiny. I'm not holding out much hope.


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

Can you foster them onto another doe? I've never hand reared any myself but I would imagine they need feeding every couple of hours and toileting after every feed by wiping their underneaths with a moist cotton bud or cotton wool.


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

no other feeding does atm


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

Do you have an amenable doe you could put with them just for the warmth, then at least that would be the temperature requirement sorted?


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

do u think it will work? I have a heat matt and thermostat, what if she leaves them to get cold?


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## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

I found this link http://wildlife1.wildlifeinformation.or ... M_Mice.htm. It relates to wild mice and voles but it should help.

I'm afraid I have very little experience in breeding mice at all but I have three does together at the moment, one of whom gave birth and all the does share the nest with the babies. In fact the mum spends the least time with them, leaving that task to the others.


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## LUX (Mar 10, 2011)

I've handfed a rat baby.
She had her mother so I didn't need to wipe her after feeding. Her mother didn't have milk.
I justed milk for kiddens.
My vet had these. I think they are ment for hedgehogs babies.










I just put it on a syringe (?) (with out a needle ofcourse) and it worked great.









Mice babies are smaller then rat babies so I don't know if it will work, but you can try.
Just an idea


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

2 left. fed them with a cotton bud and one bubbled it back up. Think he breathed it in.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

I could probably find a doe to feed them.If they survive the night and you can get here you can try.What happened to the Mother?


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

think one of the last twwo is going, too.

I think she's sick tbh, she lost a lot of blood and scattered them in the nest throughtout the day,. She had 11 and 8 were dead.

Where abouts are u? might not be worth in tbh.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

just outside the City centre,near Abbey Park/the Blackbird pub.The offers there if you think it's worth it although it sounds doubtful


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

They're too tiny. If they were older, I'd give it a go. I've let Mum settle and rebuild her nest, and put the two back in there. We'll see if they make it, but I think one's dying already. It sucks, they're my last and only astrex, and since Mum looks sick and I think that's the end of that.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

oh dear.What about the buck or did you cross to a normal?


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Crossed to a normal blue, I was working to blue astrex.

Its been a bad couple of weeks for mousie death DX. I was looking forward to this litter. The next are likely to be still born, since the mother got an infected eye and had to be put on baytril .


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

Kage Davies said:


> Crossed to a normal blue, I was working to blue astrex.
> 
> Its been a bad couple of weeks for mousie death DX. I was looking forward to this litter. The next are likely to be still born, since the mother got an infected eye and had to be put on baytril .


you can get anti biotic eye drops from the chemist,over the counter that are safe for mice.Chloramphenicol in drops or cream.Use that next time.


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Well crap. She's only been on Baytril for two nights think I can switch meds?


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## Kage Davies (Dec 21, 2008)

Both gone. Waste of four hours. At least Mummy can have some baytril now.


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## SarahC (Oct 3, 2008)

oh bad luck,perhaps it will work out with the other doe.


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