Reproduction

Environmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival

Historically, we have added approximately half a cup of shredded aspen bedding for nest making into each littering cage. This procedure was continued as we looked into additional environmental enrichment. There are many types of environmental enrichment available on the...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Griess, R. S. 2011. Environmental enrichment improves fertility and pup survival. Tech Talk [The Newsletter for Laboratory Animal Science Technicians] 16(1), 2-3.

The naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material

In laboratories, mice are housed at ambient temperatures between 20 to 24 °C, which is below their lower critical temperature of 30 °C, but comfortable for human workers. Thus, mice are thermally stressed, which can compromise many aspects of physiology...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B., Winnicker, C. L., Garner, J. P. et al. 2011. The naked truth: Breeding performance in outbred and inbred strains of nude mice with and without nesting material. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 741 (Abstract #PS95).

Energy reallocation to breeding performance through improved behavioral thermoregulation

Mice are housed at temperatures which increase their basal metabolic rates and impose high energy demands to maintain core temperatures. Thus, energy may be reallocated from other biologic processes to increase heat production. We hypothesized that nesting material will allow...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Gaskill, B., Garner, J. P., Pritchett-Corning, K. 2011. Energy reallocation to breeding performance through improved behavioral thermoregulation. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 771 (Abstract #P120).

Refining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment

Dynamic changes in housing and husbandry techniques based on the concept of 3Rs should be included as routine practice in breeding and experimental animal facilities tending to improve animal welfare. Immunosupressed mice are susceptible to diseases and have special requirements...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Paula, A. A., Goyeneche, L., Crispo, M. 2011. Refining housing and husbandry techniques in transgenic mice through environmental enrichment. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 777 (Abstract #P148).

Effects of environmental enrichment on the production of C57BL/6 mice kept in different housing systems

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of environmental enrichment on the performance of C57BL/6 mice kept in conventional animal facilities (open cage; OC) and individually ventilated caging system (IVC). We analyzed the interactions between treatments (enrichment...

Year Published: 2011Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Neves, S. 2011. Effects of environmental enrichment on the production of C57BL/6 mice kept in different housing systems. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 788 (Abstract #P201).

Enrichment materials do not negatively affect reproductive success and offspring survival and weight in mice

Environmental enrichment is designed to improve the overall welfare of laboratory animals, including mice. Few studies have directly assessed the effects of different types of enrichment on mouse offspring survival and growth. The authors examined how survival and growth of...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Rearing & Weaning, ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Shair, H. N., Nunez, Y., Osman, M. M. 2012. Enrichment materials do not negatively affect reproductive success and offspring survival and weight in mice. Lab Animal 41(1), 14-19.

Current practices in a captive breeding colony of 13-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus)

The authors provide an update to their 2006 report on the successful large-scale captive breeding of the 13-lined ground squirrel (TLGS; Ictidomys tridecemlineatus) in their colony, now a single-source supplier of purpose-bred TLGSs for several research institutions. With funding from...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Housing, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, ReproductionAnimal Type: Other Rodent, Rodent

Citation: Merriman, D. K., Lahvis, G., Jooss, M. et al. 2012. Current practices in a captive breeding colony of 13-lined ground squirrels (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). Lab Animal 41(11), 315-325.

Effects of group stability on aggression, stress and injuries in breeding rabbits

On Swiss rabbit breeding farms, group-housed does are usually kept singly for 12 days around parturition to avoid pseudogravidity, double litters and deleterious fighting for nests. After this isolation phase there is usually an integration of new group members. Here...

Year Published: 2012Topics: Husbandry & Management, Reproduction, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Rabbit

Citation: Andrist, C. A., Bigler, L. M., Wurbel, H. W. et al. 2012. Effects of group stability on aggression, stress and injuries in breeding rabbits. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 142(3-4), 182-188.

Environmental change and housing conditions result in disappearance and return of reproductive seasonality in rhesus macaqes (Macaca mulatta)

Rhesus macaques in their natural environments, as well as in the free-ranging colony at Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico are highly seasonal breeders. Many animal species lose breeding seasonality when brought under captive conditions. The present study that covers a period...

Year Published: 2013Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Macaque, Nonhuman Primate

Citation: Kaumanns, W., Singh, M., Schwibbe, M. 2013. Environmental change and housing conditions result in disappearance and return of reproductive seasonality in rhesus macaqes (Macaca mulatta). Current Science 105(4), 517-521.

Effects of breeding configuration on behavior, reproduction, and pathology in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus)

While numerous published studies have evaluated the effect of housing density on the wellbeing of laboratory mice, little is known on the effect of breeding configuration. The eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals...

Year Published: 2014Topics: ReproductionAnimal Type: Mouse, Rodent

Citation: Braden, G.C., Rasmussen, S., Tolwani, R.J. 2014. Effects of breeding configuration on behavior, reproduction, and pathology in the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus). American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 605. (Abstract #P210).