Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT) Practice Exam

Failure to wean litters of mice can lead to which of the following issues?

1. Underfeeding

2. Overcrowding

3. Increased mating

4. Stress levels

The correct answer is: Overcrowding

Failure to wean litters of mice can lead to overcrowding in the housing environment. Weaning is the process of transitioning young rodents from their mother's milk to other food sources, typically occurring around three weeks of age. If this process does not happen effectively, the young mice remain with their mother for an extended period. As the offspring grow, they continue to occupy space that is limited within their habitat. This can result in an overcrowded environment, leading to various complications such as increased competition for resources like food and nesting materials, stress, and potential behavioral issues. Overcrowding can also foster the spread of diseases due to unsanitary conditions, which may arise from an excess number of animals in a contained space. In contrast, issues such as underfeeding, increased mating, and stress levels, may occur subsequently as a result of overcrowding or other factors but are not immediate direct consequences of the failure to wean in the same way that overcrowding is. Effective weaning is essential to maintaining a healthy population density and overall welfare of the animals.