Guidelines on Mouse and Rat Breeding and Housing Management
To address the health and well-being of mice and rats by ensuring safe breeding practices and population densities. Limiting breeding cage occupancy reduces the incidence of morbidity and mortality due to overcrowding.
In all cases, cages should be regularly monitored to ensure the well-being of the neonates (e.g., size, age, and activity level of litter), as well as characteristics of the cage environment and colony breeding performance. Exceptions to this guideline require prior IACUC approval.
Questions?
Questions or concerns about the content of this document should be directed to the Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) at (734) 764-0277 or [email protected].