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Journals / Laboratuvar Hayvanları Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1

Do Frequent Lactation Periods in Laboratory Rat Colonies Have a Negative Effect on Mothers' Care and Feeding of Themselves and Their Offspring?

Canberk Yılmaz(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İZMİR TEPECİK HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER)0000-0002-0049-7614
Defne Engür(UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, İZMİR TEPECİK HEALTH RESEARCH CENTER)0000-0003-0405-085X
Pembe Keskinoğlu(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-3459-1828
Abdullah Kumral(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, TIP FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-0004-1761
Osman Yılmaz(DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE)0000-0001-7817-7576
Pages
11–20
Publication Date
2025-03-17
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

It was concluded that there was no negative effect on the care of mother rats and their offspring during frequent lactation periods.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Laboratory rats are the second most preferred mammal species in experimental research.
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Key Findings & Data:Mother rats successfully raised all their offspring in two lactation periods, mothers spent 85% of their daily life in the early phase of the two lactation periods (Post Natal-PN 1-8 days), 60% of their daily life in the mid-lactation phase (PN 9-18 days) and 60% of their daily life in the late lactation phase (PN 19-23 days) have been found to spend 30% of their daily lives with their offspring.
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Conclusion & Impact:It was concluded that there was no negative effect on the care of mother rats and their offspring during frequent lactation periods.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Laboratory mother rat · Self-care of mothers · Offspring care

Abstract

Laboratory rats are the second most preferred mammal species in experimental research. Do the frequent lactation periods of the female rats used in production in this study negatively affect the care of the offspring and themselves? For this purpose, the care of mother rats from a conventional outbred Wistar Albino rat colony for themselves and their offspring was monitored in two consecutive lactation periods. Mother rats successfully raised all their offspring in two lactation periods, mothers spent 85% of their daily life in the early phase of the two lactation periods (Post Natal-PN 1-8 days), 60% of their daily life in the mid-lactation phase (PN 9-18 days) and 60% of their daily life in the late lactation phase (PN 19-23 days) have been found to spend 30% of their daily lives with their offspring. While there was a significant difference in terms of the times that mother rats were with their babies in the early, middle, and late stages of the lactation period, the time they were separated from their babies and the frequency of separation (p< .001), no significant difference was found when the same stages of the two lactation periods were compared with each other (p> .05). Live weight change, feed consumption, and water consumption changes of mother rats in two lactation periods were compared and no significant difference was found. It was concluded that there was no negative effect on the care of mother rats and their offspring during frequent lactation periods.

Özet

Laboratory rats are the second most preferred mammal species in experimental research. Do the frequent lactation periods of the female rats used in production in this study negatively affect the care of the offspring and themselves? For this purpose, the care of mother rats from a conventional outbred Wistar Albino Rat colony for themselves and their offspring was monitored in two consecutive lactation periods. Mother rats successfully raised all their offspring in two lactation periods, mothers spent 85% of their daily life in the early phase of the two lactation periods (Post Natal-PN1-8 days), 60% of their daily life in the mid-lactation phase (PN9-18 days) and 60% of their daily life in the late lactation phase (PN19). -23 days) have been found to spend 30% of their daily lives with their offspring. While there was a significant difference in terms of the times that mother rats were with their babies in the early, middle and late stages of the lactation period, the time they were separated from their babies and the frequency of separation (pF<0.001), no significant difference was found when the same stages of the two lactation periods were compared with each other (p>0.05). Live weight change, feed consumption and water consumption changes of mother rats in two lactation periods were compared and no significant difference was found. It was concluded that there was no negative effect on the care of mother rats and their offspring during frequent lactation periods.

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Cite This Article

Yılmaz, C., Engür, D., Keskinoğlu, P., Kumral, A., Yılmaz, O. (2025). Do Frequent Lactation Periods in Laboratory Rat Colonies Have a Negative Effect on Mothers' Care and Feeding of Themselves and Their Offspring?. Laboratuvar Hayvanları Bilimi ve Uygulamaları Dergisi, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 1, 11–20. https://doi.org/10.62425/jlasp.1441481

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