SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8
Breeding Colony [Establishment & Maintenance]
ORRC use only
Protocol #
The University at Albany – IACUC
09-01-09.1
[Note]
PI NAME
Form 8: please complete all applicable section(s).
Page 1-3 Section 1: Information about breeding colony and animals (for all investigators)
Page 4 Section 2: Specific information about colony and animals (if applicable)
Page 5 Section3: Personnel information and emergency procedures (for all investigators)
** NOTE 1: Breeding Colony: All daily animal tasks, such as mating, checking breeders and litters, recording
birthday of litters, the separation and weaning of animals etc, are the investigator’s responsibilities; LACF
staff provide regular animal care services (changing cages per week or as needed, providing clean cages, water,
food etc, daily room check and sanitation, a daily check of cage conditions; food and water) for the breeding room,
but LACF STAFF DO NOT provide special services for maintenance breeding colony. If you have questions
about these services, please contact the attending veterinarian, Antigone McKenna, at 437-4417 or
amckenna1@albany.edu.**
** If your laboratory has written Standard Operation Procedures (SOPs) of establish and maintenance of
breeding colony, please cite the SOP #. The IACUC strongly recommends that each laboratory have
IACUC approved SOPs for all experimental procedures. **
Section1: Provide following information about animals and colony (for all investigators)

DO you have IACUC approved SOP? If so, provide SOP number: SOP #

What animals will be bred? Provide Source of breeders.
Genus / Species name
Strain/Lines*
Location where animals will
be housed and bred
Source**
* List each strain/line being bred using standard genetic nomenclature and provide any lab abbreviations/nicknames used for each
strain. See the current nomenclature guidelines for mice and rats available on the Jackson Laboratory website at the following link:
http://www.informatics.jax.org/mgihome/nomen/strains.shtml
**e.g., vendor name, other university colony, government or private organization.

Provide numbers of animal required to establish or maintain a colony.
Strain/Breed
Numbers of breeder pair
Total numbers of animals for colony
per year
Total numbers of retained for colony
per year
N=
pairs
N=
//
Total N=
Males n=
Production numbers: How many
animals do you hope to produce
(weaned) from this colony per year?
Total numbers of animals that will be
used in proposed protocol per year

cages
// Females n=
Estimate Total N=
Males n=
// Females n=
N=
Please justify the number of breeding animals maintained or to be maintained:
FORM 8 // Page 1 of 4
SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8
Breeding Colony [Establishment & Maintenance]
The University at Albany – IACUC
09-01-09.1

Provide a scientific justification for establishing and maintaining a breeding colony of
animals. Include how the colony contributes to the overall objectives of your research and
why animals from commercial vendor sources are not appropriate. Also please include
issues with fertility, litter size, or other phenotypes affecting breeding that will necessitate
greater numbers of breeders.

What breeding scheme(s) will be used (e.g. monogamous, polygamous, or both)?
For mouse breeding, include a description of other aspects of the breeding scheme such as
whether lines are bred as homozygote/heterozygote, hybrids, or chimeras, are used for
backcrossing or inbreeding, or if there will be use of genetic technologies involved

Describe the procedure(s) for animals that are NOT involved in breeding or experiments
(e.g. offspring deemed unusable as a result of unfavorable genotype, sex, etc).

At what age will offspring be weaned? (Litters from females that have subsequent pregnancies
due to post-partum estrus must be weaned at 21 days)
days old.
** Please note: Checking breeders and litters, separating and weaning are investigator’s responsibility **

Describe how the maintenance of the colony is managed and recorded. Include a brief
description of pedigree records, and records of breeding performance (e.g., number of
pups born, number of each sex weaned, etc.) You may also attach a copy of your record
keeping system.

How long will the colony be maintained: Breeding colonies should not be continued simply ‘in
case’ the animals are required at a later date. If no research applications are current, it is the
applicant’s responsibility to ensure the colony is disbanded and, if necessary, recommenced.

What is the fate of the animals (e.g., Old animals, sick animals that cannot produce offspring)
on disbanding of breeding colony? If euthanasia, describe method and disposal (Please
cite SOP #
FORM 8 // Page 2 of 4
SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8
Breeding Colony [Establishment & Maintenance]
The University at Albany – IACUC
09-01-09.1
Section2. Specific information
Provide following information about animals and colony if applicable

Describe all experimental manipulation that will be performed on the breeder animals and
identify all therapeutic agents to be used.

Describe any special husbandry requirements required for these animals (e.g. food on the
special feeder, alternate water sources).
[Following 4 questions are for mice or genetically manipulated animals]

At what age will animals be typed for gene of interest? Please ensure you indicate separately
for each species/strain and the appropriate phenotype/genotype by dot point or numbering.

What tissue will be used in the typing (e.g. blood, saliva, oral swab, hair, ear or tail)?

Phenotypes: Describe any known or expected phenotypes of animals in the colony (e.g.,
behavioral, anatomical, physiological). Discuss whether the generated mice experience
any significant health problems associated with their genetic status (e.g.,
immunodeficiency, musculoskeletal deficiencies, any problems associated with eating,
drinking, metabolism, spontaneous neoplasia) which requires special husbandry or
results in pain or distress. Please discuss the severity of symptoms expected in these animals
and what measures will be used to assess the symptoms and provide relief from pain or distress,
including euthanasia, if necessary.

If breeding is proposed solely to maintain a line for future use, provide a scientific
justification for establishing and maintaining a breeding colony of animals. Include a
discussion about why cryopreservation techniques are not appropriate.
FORM 8 // Page 3 of 4
SUPPLEMENTAL FORM 8
Breeding Colony [Establishment & Maintenance]
The University at Albany – IACUC
09-01-09.1
Section3. Provide following personnel information and emergency procedures

List the name of the person(s) who are responsible for animal monitoring
Individual’s training and experience as it relates to colony maintenance and breeding of animals
must be provided.
NAME
TRAINING /EXPERIENCE
SPECIFIC DUTIES *
CONTACT
INFORMATION
* SPECIFIC DUTIES: example- mating, separate, or weaning animals, Record-keeping, tail
biopsy (only for genetically manipulated animals) etc.

What provisions are made to ensure that animals are well monitored, particularly in case
of dystocia or other problems associated with breeding? Include potential emergency
situation(s) and its procedures.

Describe potential adverse effects to the animals in the colony. If adverse effects, how will
personnel manage the event?
FORM 8 // Page 4 of 4