How does a mouse feed its young? - briefly
A mother mouse provides nourishment through lactation, allowing the pups to nurse while attached to her abdomen. She feeds them multiple times daily until weaning occurs at roughly three weeks of age.
How does a mouse feed its young? - in detail
Mice provide nutrition to their offspring through a combination of lactation and, shortly after birth, the ingestion of maternal secretions. The mother’s mammary glands produce milk rich in proteins, fats, and carbohydrates essential for rapid growth. Newborn pups are blind and deaf; they cling to the mother’s abdomen and stimulate milk release by rhythmic suckling motions that trigger the hormone oxytocin, causing the alveoli to contract and expel milk.
During the first week, milk constitutes the sole food source. As the pups develop, the mother supplements their diet with a substance known as “milk‑derived colostrum,” which contains antibodies that confer passive immunity. By the second week, the mother begins to introduce solid food items, typically small pieces of the same food she consumes, such as grains, seeds, and insects. This transition is gradual:
- Day 1‑7: Exclusive milk intake.
- Day 8‑14: Introduction of colostrum and occasional maternal secretions.
- Day 15‑21: Emergence of solid food fragments, still supplemented by milk.
- Day 22 onward: Predominantly solid diet; milk production declines and ceases.
The mother’s behavior also includes frequent nest cleaning and thermoregulation, ensuring the pups remain warm, which is critical for efficient digestion and nutrient absorption. Once weaning is complete, the young become independent, capable of foraging and self‑feeding.