how to feed baby mice

Question
my female mouse had a litter of six but 2 have disapeared i think she ate them, they are about 1 week old had have fur their eyes are shut at the moment but i am not sure how to wean them do i soak the mouse food in water so it is softer then stop soaking them and when do i start weaning them.
they ar pet mice bought from a pet shop
thanx

Answer
Hi Lisa,

Luckily, baby mice wean themselves fairly well at about 3-4 weeks old.  When they start moving around a whole lot and exploring the world with their hands and mouths (you might even catch them nibbling at bedding!), you can start making sure there are lots of easy foods around and not just seeds that might be difficult for a pup to open.  You don't need to moisten it - some pups really get into the challenge of nibbling on a block of food.  If you're worried about them you could supplement with a few cheerios or even stale bread, but until 3 weeks they'll be getting most of their nutrition from mom, so make sure she has a good, round diet.

My babies have always taken longer at figuring out the water bottle than the food, so don't consider them weaned until you've seen them drinking from the sipper.  You'll need to separate the boys from the girls and mom somewhere between 4-6 weeks, as long as you are certain they are eating and drinking on their own.  Even if they're still nursing, as long as they *can* take care of themselves they will once you pull them out.  Keep an eye at that point for fighting, as boys sometimes hit a point where they won't tolerate living with any other males and can get quite violent.  Here's a link to help you sex them:  http://www.fancymice.info/sexingcait.htm

Best of luck!
-Tam