Effects on Mice of Numbers of Animals per Cage: An 18-Month Study (Preliminary Results)

Chvédoff, M.; Clarke, Margaret R.; Faccini, J. M.; Irisarri, E.; Monro, A. M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-67729-8_101

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…However, for variables where there is no heritable variation, inbred animals should be no more uniform than outbred ones. Chevdoff et al (1980) found that animals housed singly for long periods varied more than grouped ones, with a standard deviation for body weight of 5' 8 g. This decreased to 3, 9 g for mice housed in pairs, 3' 2 g for mice housed in groups of 4 and 2' 9 g for those housed in groups of 8. Doolittle et al (1976) compared groups of the same size from different mouse litters with litters of variable size, and found the latter to be more uniform.…”

Section: Groupmentioning

confidence: 85%

The scope for improving the design of laboratory animal experiments

Festing

1992

Lab Anim

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The factors which need to be taken into account in designing a 'good' experiment are reviewed. Such an experiment should be unbiased, have high precision, a wide range of applicability, it should be simple, and there should be a means of quantifying uncertainty (Cox 1958). The relative precision due to the use of randomized block designs was found to range from 96% to 543% in 5 experiments involving 30 variables. However, a survey of 78 papers published in two toxicology journals showed that such designs were hardly used. Similarly, designs in which more than one factor was varied simultaneously ('factorial designs') were only used in 9% of studies, though interactions between variables such as dose and strain of animal may be common, so that single factor experiments could be misleading. The consequences of increased within-group variability due to infection and genetic segregation were quantified using data published by Gärtner (1990). Both substantially reduced precision, but toxicologists continue to use non-isogenic laboratory animals, leading to experiments with a lower level of precision than is necessary. It is concluded that there is scope for improving the design of animal experiments, which could lead to a reduction in animal use. People using animals should be required to take formal training courses which include sessions on experimental design in order to minimize animal use and to increase experimental efficiency.

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Section: Groupmentioning

confidence: 85%

The scope for improving the design of laboratory animal experiments

Festing

1992

Lab Anim

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“…Whether an animal is group or individually housed has implications for the food intake and the results. Individuallyhoused mice of both sexes had a higher food intake than group-housed mice (2, 4 or 8 mice per cage) (Beynen 2001, Chevdoff et al 1980 The mice housed individually or at 2 per cage had a higher body weight and body weight variability than the other groups. In case the mice were housed 8 per cage, an increased gastritis frequency occurred compared with individually housed mice (Chevdoff et al 1980).…”

Section: Group Housingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrition and animal welfare

Ritskes‐Hoitinga

Strubbe

2007

The Welfare of Laboratory Animals

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“…In a study which may be related more to group size than stocking density, Chevdoff et al (1980) housed weanling mice in groups of one, 2, 4, or 8 per cage (giving 576, 288, 144, and 72 cm 2 / mouse, respectively) and studied them over an I8-month period. Survival was 75-83% with no significant differences between groups.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Population density and growth rate in laboratory mice

Peters¹,

Festing

1990

Lab Anim

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SummaryHome Office guidelines recommend an area of 60 cm 2 per mouse for growing mice up to 30 g. However, the overall growth rate, and final adrenal weight of weanling BALB/c and MFl strain mice was not affected by being housed at a density of down to 27 cm 2 per mouse, though there was some evidence of strain differences in ability to tolerate such dense housing. The presence of cage accessories had no effect on growth rate of BALBI c and female mice, but reduced growth of MFI and male mice, though the effect was small. It is concluded that present Home Office guidelines make a generous provision for the space requirements of growing laboratory mice, and that the use of cage accessories of varying design may be worth exploring in more detail.

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Effects on Mice of Numbers of Animals per Cage: An 18-Month Study (Preliminary Results)

Cited by 12 publications

References 2 publications

The scope for improving the design of laboratory animal experiments

The scope for improving the design of laboratory animal experiments

Nutrition and animal welfare

Population density and growth rate in laboratory mice

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