What do mouse babies eat? - briefly
Newborn mouse pups subsist solely on their mother’s milk for the initial two to three weeks. Following weaning, they begin consuming solid foods such as grains, seeds, and insects.
What do mouse babies eat? - in detail
Newborn mice, called pups, depend exclusively on their mother’s milk for the first 10‑14 days of life. The milk is produced by the dam’s mammary glands and contains a precise balance of nutrients that supports rapid growth and organ development.
During the lactation period, the milk provides:
- Proteins – casein and whey fractions supplying essential amino acids for tissue synthesis.
- Lipids – high‑energy triglycerides and essential fatty acids required for brain and membrane formation.
- Carbohydrates – primarily lactose, delivering a readily metabolizable energy source.
- Vitamins and minerals – calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, and B‑complex vitamins in concentrations tailored to neonatal needs.
- Immunoglobulins – passive antibodies transferred to confer early protection against pathogens.
Milk composition changes as pups age. Early lactation milk is richer in protein and immunoglobulins; later milk shows increased fat content to meet escalating energy demands.
Around day 10‑12, pups begin to sample solid food while still nursing. The transition involves:
- Nest material – soft bedding fibers ingested incidentally, providing roughage.
- Maternal secretions – glandular excretions containing trace nutrients.
- Commercial rodent chow – introduced by the dam, offering balanced protein, carbohydrate, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
- Fresh water – accessible from the cage’s water bottle, essential for hydration and metabolic processes.
Complete weaning occurs by day 21, after which the diet consists entirely of standard laboratory mouse feed or a formulated grain‑based diet. This diet supplies:
- Protein – 18‑20 % of calories, primarily from soy or casein.
- Carbohydrate – 60‑65 % of calories, mainly from corn starch and wheat.
- Fat – 5‑7 % of calories, from vegetable oils.
- Fiber – 5‑7 % of weight, supporting gastrointestinal health.
- Micronutrients – precisely calibrated vitamin and mineral premixes.
The nutritional regimen, from maternal milk to solid feed, ensures optimal growth rates, immune competence, and reproductive readiness in juvenile mice.