Rodent Husbandry

DEFINITIONS

Animal Use Area- any location outside of approved rodent animal facilities where rodents are used for research, teaching, or display.

Approved Rodent Animal Facility- RITA Vivarium

Atmospheric conditions- air changes per hour, daily temperatures of animal housing rooms, relative humidity, lighting, and ambient noise.

Feeding- refers to ad libitum (constant access) provisioning of food.

Guide- Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, Eighth Edition

Health examination- daily examination by IACUP staff to monitor general health of animals.

Home Cage- the microenvironment, or physical environment, that immediately surrounds the animal(s) and is bounded by the primary enclosure or cage in which the animal(s) normally resides.

Husbandry- activities including but not limited to feeding, watering, macroenvironment and microenvironment cleaning, breeding, health examination, and atmospheric conditions.

Macroenvironment- space in which animal microenvironments are located.

Macroenvironment cleaning- refers to the sanitization of the animal housing room, including washing walls, counter tops, sinks, floors, cage racks, and any other equipment located in the housing room.

Microenvironment- physical environment that immediately surrounds the animal and is bounded by the primary enclosure or cage in which the animal resides. 

Microenvironment cleaning- involves sanitization of animal housing, including cage washing, sterilization, and bedding changes.

Nestlets- two paper towels rolled into a ball or fluffy pine shavings may be used as nesting materials.

Watering- refers to ad libitum provisioning of water.

STANDARDS

• Fluorescent lighting is provided on a 12-hour on/12-hour off cycle.
• Air changes will occur at least 10 times per hour.
• Temperature is maintained between 64 and 79 degrees F (18-26 degrees C). Relative humidity is maintained between 30% and 70%.
• Ambient noise is an intrinsic artifact of the facility. A silent facility cannot be guaranteed, but every effort is made to ameliorate the effects of noise.
• Social animals should be housed in stable pars or groups of compatible individuals unless they must be housed alone for experimental reasons.

Standard cages

Polystyrene Mouse Cage

Floor Area:  490 cm²

Height: 12 cm

Total Volume: 5,880 cm³. The average adult weight for a mouse is 20g. According to the Guide, each adult mouse needs 64.5 cm² of floor space. Each cage can hold 7 mice.

Polystyrene Rat Cage

Floor Area: 882 cm²

Height: 20 cm

Total Volume: 17,640 cm³. The average adult weight for a rat is 250-300g for females and 450-520g for males. According to the Guide, adult female rats each need 187.05 cm² of floor space, while each male requires 288 cm². Each cage can hold 4 females or 3 males. 

Peromyscus Cage

Floor Area:  512.5 cm²

Height:  15.5

Total Volume: 7,943.75 cm³. The average adult weight for a Peromyscus is 20g.  According to the Guide, each adult mouse needs 64.5 cm² of floor space. Each cage can hold 7 mice.

ACTIVITIES

Daily

• Animal census and health assessments are conducted.
• Temperature and humidity are monitored in the macroenvironments.
• Food and water are provided as needed.
• General sanitation is maintained.
• Records are updated.

Biweekly (twice per week)

• Bedding under hanging wire cages is changed. Trays are sanitized.

Weekly

• Animals are changed to clean polycarbonate bin microenvironments with clean bedding. Floors are mopped.

Fortnightly (every 2 weeks)

• Water bottles are changed out and sanitized. Sinks are cleaned.

Monthly

• Walls of macroenvironments are cleaned.
• Vents and drains of macroenvironments are cleaned. Hanging cage microenvironments are sanitized.

Approved: April 5, 2001

Revised: April 19, 2001

Revised: September 11, 2001

Reviewed and revised:  August 24, 2012

Revised and approved: September 27, 2019