Policy
If animals will be bred for the purposes of research, either at UCLA or using UCLA funding at an off-site location (e.g., Charles River Laboratories), an application must be submitted and approved by the ARC prior to initiating activities. Breeding that occurs outside of DLAM-managed vivaria is subject to monthly reporting requirements as described in the ARC Policy Acquisition, Tracking and Reporting Animal Numbers.
Protocol Requirements
If investigators will be breeding animals and do not already have an approved breeding protocol on file with the ARC, an application must be submitted using the online Research Application Tracking System (RATS). Following initial approval, continuing approval must be obtained every three years. Breeding activities may be described in a stand-alone breeding only protocol or included in an experimental protocol.
There is no need to complete a separate breeding colony protocol for each strain of animal or housing facility to be used; generally, these can all be accommodated under a single protocol.
Some special considerations for breeding colony management:
Recommended Minimum Space for Commonly Used Laboratory Rodents Housed in Groups
Recommendations for housing laboratory rodents are based on the 2010 edition of the National Research Council Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (the Guide, pp. 56-58) and the size of rodent caging available in UCLA vivaria.
The DLAM has developed a guidance document entitled "Rodent Cage Population Limits" details minimum space requirements for different cage types for non-USDA-covered rodents (primarily mice and rats) that are housed under the care of DLAM at UCLA. The document also describes expectations for laboratory staff for monitoring for potential overcrowded conditions and DLAM’s procedures for separating cages.
Important note: cages that might appear to conform to Guide standards when litters are born may have insufficient space as pups grow; the DLAM guidance document has been written to consider this. Departures from minimum space requirements for reasons of convenience, cost, or other non-animal welfare considerations are not acceptable. The ARC will, however, evaluate objective measures of outcome-based performance for cage density. If approved by the ARC, exceptions to the DLAM guidance document must be detailed in the ARC protocol. Examples of objective measures which may be considered as part of a justification for an exception include:
- average litter* size of the strain(s) of rodents;
- whether multiple litters* are present in the cage;
- difference in the age of the pups of different litters*;
- growth rate;
- need for cross-fostering (i.e., use of two or more dams in the cage to improve health and survival of pups);
- overall management and husbandry practices such as cage sanitation or bedding change frequency.
*The definition of "litter" in the DLAM guidance document is "offspring in one cage up to fourteen (14) individuals, all born within four (4) days of each other."
Harem Breeding
Mouse harem breeding groups (defined as one male and more than one adult female) are often used for the propagation of inbred, transgenic, or other strains of mice which generate small numbers of pups or are difficult to breed. Outbred crosses, hybrid crosses, intra-specific crosses, or any other crosses that produce larger litters are best propagated by a monogamous (i.e., one male and one female) breeding strategy.
Investigators who decide that harem mating would be a beneficial breeding strategy for their research must accept responsibility for any overcrowding in their colony and follow these guidelines:
- For DLAM standard caging systems, four (4) adult mice per cage is considered maximum capacity; for most ventilated cages (including disposable cages), five (5) adults of average weight is the maximum (please refer to DLAM’s document for details). Once a litter, as defined by DLAM, appears in the cage, the maximum number of adult mice that can be in any size DLAM mouse cage is two (2).
- Investigators using a harem breeding strategy must be aware that they have increased responsibilities to ensure the adequacy of cage space for all animals, including (a) prompt weaning of mature pups at twenty-one (21) days or less and (b) prompt separation of animals if cage density becomes greater than that established by the DLAM guidance document In addition, difference in the age of the pups of different litters, growth rate, cage dimensions, and husbandry practices may require an Investigator's prompt attention and intervention if there are multiple litters of pups in one cage that are greater than four (4) days of age apart from each other.
- When breeding ratios are 1 male to 3 or more females, the cage space may be considered to be at maximum capacity, depending on cage type. At this point, the investigator must ensure that pregnant females are removed and placed into another cage before parturition.
Extended Weaning Periods
The ARC adopts the standard practice of weaning mice at day twenty-one (21). Individual exceptions to this policy may be permitted after consultation with a DLAM veterinarian. Requests to routinely extend the weaning period must be approved by the ARC and be described in the approved protocol.
Extended weaning periods enhance chances of multiple litters appearing in the same cage, a situation that can compromise the health and welfare of animals by resulting in overcrowded cages and decreased survival of younger animals due to injury or inability to suckle.
Approved 1/27/2014; Revised 6/11/2018, 10/7/2024
Replaces ARC Policy: Extended Weaning Periods