How should I go about releasing 3 orphaned baby deer mice after they are weaned?

Question
Hi,
For 3 days I have been caring for 3 orphaned baby Deer mice. I think they are approximately 7-9 days old - eyes shut with fur. I am feeding them (every 3 hours) warm KMS diluted with a little water administered with an eyedropper (it's a bit big for them, but we are making do). I am using a moist Q tip to make them go toilet - so far, successfully.
They are really cute and my husband is helping with the feeding.
My big concern is weaning them and releasing them back outside. I want to know how to do this - and do it right. I cannot keep them as pets and would rather them have the opportunity of a natural life.  
I would really appreciate any advice you can give as this is my first time caring for rodents.

Also, I don't know how much to feed either. I tried weighing them and think they might be 6 grams. The scale is weird and I don't have the instructions for it. It displays 0.06 for each mouse ???

Fey

Answer
Hi Fey,

Orphaned mice are HARD work - it sounds like you are doing an amazing job with the little guys!  The best thing to do about feeding is let them tell you what they want, and to be sure they are consistently gaining weight - never losing any.  They'll get restless when they are hungry (although until you get a feel for it you should be trying every 2-3 hours), and sleep happily when they are full.  They may be fussy about starting eating, but will also tell you when they have had enough.  Soon, once their eyes open, they may start exploring the cage and trying harder foods (you can provide a solid mouse food or mix from the pet shop for them to learn to eat at their own pace), but you will need to continue feeding them kitten milk solution until they are about 3 or 4 weeks old.  With pet mice I advise stopping kitten milk once the pups have started using a water bottle to get their hydration - you can use this method with the deer mice or just feed as long as they will let you, since they will get their water from their diet once they are released again.

Once they are eating avidly and on their own (and by that point, they'll be pretty active and it will be obvious they are taking care of themselves), it's time to think about releasing them.  It's really as simple as taking them to a safe place away from people/houses with some vegetation and cover and letting them go!  Their instincts will be strong, and just like when they leave the nest, they will know just what to do.  If you want to leave a small supply of food or water by where you leave them you can, but it's not necessary and they will find their own things when they go exploring.

Best of luck, and thank you for taking such great care of them!
-Tam