MILK REPLACER for MICE
About Mouse Milk:
Different species of mammals produce milks of different composition in order to nourish their young:
Species
Cow
Dog
Mouse
Solids
(g/L)
119
227
408
Protein
(% Solids)
25.6
33.2
28.2
Fat
(% Solids)
29.9
41.9
60.9
Lactose
(% Solids)
38.7
16.7
5.9
Metabolisable
Energy (kJ/L)
2620
5440
12600
Mouse milk is characterised by a very high solids content, elevated fat levels and low amounts of lactose1.
Mouse milk has over four times the energy per litre than that of ordinary cow’s milk. Clearly the high
amount of lactose and low energy value of cow’s milk make it an unsuitable substitute for hand rearing
mice.
However, due to limited demand, it is not commercially practical to produce a milk replacer specifically for
mice. We therefore recommend to use Wombaroo Dog Milk Replacer as a suitable substitute. As can be
seen in the table above, mouse milk is still significantly higher than dog milk in total solids, fat and energy.
This can be somewhat compensated for by making up the dog milk replacer at about 50% higher solids
concentration, when feeding mice. Domestic mice as well as native species (Spinifex & Mitchells Hopping
Mouse) have been successfully reared using this milk replacer.
Typical Composition per Litre of Prepared Wombaroo Dog Milk Replacer (at 1.5 x strength)
Protein
Fat
Carbohydrate
Energy (ME)
Vitamin A
Vitamin D3
Vitamin E
Vitamin K
111g
134g
48
7700kJ
600µg
23µg
23mg
3mg
Choline
Inositol
Vitamin C
Thiamine
Riboflavin
Pyridoxine
Nicotinamide
Pantothenic Acid
170g
120g
45mg
14mg
5mg
5mg
53mg
23mg
Folic Acid
Biotin
Vitamin B12
Taurine
Calcium
Phosphorus
Potassium
Sodium
2mg
170µg
45µg
750mg
3.8g
3.0g
1.5g
680mg
Magnesium
Iron
Zinc
Manganese
Copper
Iodine
Selenium
150mg
9mg
6mg
3mg
1.5mg
200µg
45µg
Ingredients: Whey protein, caseins, whole milk solids, taurine, vegetable oils, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty
acids, vitamins and minerals.
Pack Size: 215g, 1kg, 5kg, 10kg & 20kg.
Hand Rearing:
Success in hand-rearing young mice (pups) greatly improves if they receive colostrum at birth. Pups that
don’t get colostrum from the mother should be fed Impact Colostrum Supplement in the first 48 hours of
life. Commence feeding Wombaroo Dog Milk Replacer from 12 hours of age onwards, after the initial
feeds of colostrum. Keep pups in a clean, draught-free environment at an appropriate temperature for age
(see table below). Supplemental heat may be provided by using a Cosy Heat PadTM.
Age of Mouse Pup
1-3 days
4-14 days
15-21 days
21+ Days
Housing Temperature
32-35°C
26-32°C
24-26°C
21-24°C
Wombaroo Food Products ph (08) 8391 1713 www.wombaroo.com.au
Updated 30/05/13
Making up Milk: Add 10g of powder to 25ml of preboiled warm water (makes approximately 30ml of
milk). Add about half the water to the powder first and mix to a paste. Then make up with the remaining
water and mix thoroughly. Other volumes of milk can be made up by scaling up or down the above
quantities. Avoid making up very small quantities of milk as this becomes inaccurate to measure out and
difficult to mix. Prepared milk can be stored in a refrigerator for a day or frozen for up to 2 weeks. Small
quantities can be frozen in ice cubes trays, so that the required daily feed volumes can easily be thawed
out. Do not re-freeze thawed milk.
Feeding: Warm milk to about 35o C. Feed from a dropper or syringe every 2 hours for the first 3 days,
reducing this to every 3 hours by the end of the first week. Stimulate pups to defecate and urinate after
each feed for at least the first 7 days. During the second week reduce feeding to 4 hourly intervals.
Encourage pups to lap from a shallow bowl once their eyes are open and voluntary bowel motions begin
(at about 14 days). To avoid dehydration during periods of hot weather provide drinks of pre-boiled water
between feeds. Always offer pups drinking water once their eyes are open and they become mobile.
Consult your veterinarian or experienced carer for particular advice about hand rearing mice.
Growth: Body weight of mouse pups should increase by about 0.3 to 0.6g per day. It is important to weigh
pups regularly with an accurate set of scales to verify weight gains and determine the volume of milk to
feed. Overfeeding milk can cause diarrhoea so feed the suggested volumes in our tables.
Guide to Feeding (Domestic Mice) - growth rates may vary according to breed or species (eg native
species)
Age
Body Weight
Feed Volume
Age
(days)
(g)
(ml/day)
(days)
Birth
1.5
1.0
10
2
2.1
1.3
12
4
2.7
1.6
15
6
3.3
1.9
18
8
4.0
2.2
21
* Feed volume now depends on quantity of solid food eaten
Body Weight
(g)
5.0
6.0
7.5
9.0
11
Feed Volume
(ml/day)
2.6
2.9
3.5
4.0
4.6*
Weaning: When mice are about 12 days old they should show interest in solid food. To entice them to
eat solids offer a small portion of mouse cubes soaked in Wombaroo. Once they start to eat solid food
continue to increase the solids and reduce the milk in their diet until they are fully weaned at about 21 to 28
days.
References:
1. Oftedal, I.T.&S.J.Iverson. 1995. Comparative analysis of non-human milks. In “Handbook of Milk Composition”.
Academic Press
2. Peters, R. H. 1993. “The Ecological Implications of Body Size”. Cambridge University Press
3. Quesenberry, K.E. and Carpenter, J.W. 2004. Ferrets, Rabbits and Rodents Clinical Medicene and Surgery. 2nd
Ed. Saunders Press.
4. Keeble, E. and Meredith, A. (editors). 2009. BSAVA Manual of Rodents and Ferrets. British Small Animal
Veterinary Association.
Wombaroo Food Products ph (08) 8391 1713 www.wombaroo.com.au
Updated 30/05/13