title: The effect of cage size on reproductive performance and behavior of C57BL/6 mice.
abstract: Scientific research has yet to conclusively determine the optimal cage size for mice. The authors examined the effect of cage size on mouse breeding performance and on offspring behavior, which can serve as indications of overall well-being. They housed breeding trios of C57BL/6Tac mice in standard or large individually ventilated cages and measured four reproductive parameters: litter size; litter survival to weaning age; average pup weight at 7, 14 and 21 days; and the number of days between litter births. They investigated the behavior of a subset of male and female pups from parents housed in cages of each size in the elevated plus maze test, the open field assay and the acoustic startle test. Cage size had no significant effect on any of the reproductive parameters measured and few or inconsistent effects on behavior in weaned pups.
authors.affiliation: Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 1100 Bioinformatics, CB# 7115, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. julia_whitaker@med.unc.edu
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitaker
authors.forename: Sheryl S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Moy
authors.forename: Benjamin R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Saville
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Godfrey
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Dwight
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bellinger
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bradfield
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008098:Litter Size / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013216:Reflex, Startle; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012376:Rodent Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D015996:Survival Rate; D014886:Weaning; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000502:physiology