title: The influence of litter size and favourable conditions on mortality and weaning weights in rats.
abstract: Litters of 12 pups produced the optimum results for survival (P less than 0.005) and for weaning weights (P less than 0.05) when compared with litters of 8 and 10 pups. This number is similar to the normal litter size and normal number of teats in rats. In our study, the normal litter size was means = 12.5. Our results were obtained under favourable conditions without disturbing the animals and facilitating access to food and water for the mothers and pups.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014886:Weaning