Weaning and growth of artificially reared rats.
The importance of suckling experience for later feeding in the rat was tested by means of an isolate rearing technique that eliminated oral feeding. Pups reared in the nearly complete absence of suckling and feeding ate and drank at weaning and then grew normally. Furthermore, the characteristics of apparently normal ingestion and growth make the artificially reared rat a useful preparation for other developmental investigations.
D000818:Animals; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D051381:Rats / Q000254:growth & development*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013391:Sucking Behavior; D014886:Weaning