The milk ejection of the rat, as a stimulus and a response to the litter.
A finding that the milk ejection of the rat is stimulated effectively only if at least half the pups are suckled is confirmed. This relationship, however, is found if the mother is anaesthetized but not if the mother is conscious. If the mother is conscious, the milk obtained by individual hungry pups is unaffected by the number of other hungry pups suckled. This is true whether the other pups of the litter are removed, or whether they are present but satiated. After the milk ejection, pups tend to leave the mother's nipple. Milk yield decreases with each milk ejection of a series, but getting less milk does not make the pups more likely to leave the nipple in search of another.
D000828:Animal Population Groups / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D013391:Sucking Behavior