Murine cage density: cage ammonia levels during the reproductive performance of an inbred strain and two outbred stocks of monogamous breeding pairs of mice.

The Laboratory Animal Breeders Association guidelines recommend a minimum floor area of 300 cm2 for a monogamous pair of inbred/outbred mice or a trio of inbreds. The mean level of ammonia produced during lactation from BALB/c, TO and CD-1 breeding pairs housed in M2 cages with a floor area of 300 cm2 on Day 4 after cleaning was 30 ppm, 87 ppm and 92 ppm, respectively. All 3 strains of mice, particularly the outbred strains, were subjected to high levels of ammonia as compared with human long-term health and safety occupational exposure limits (25 ppm). However, there is a gradient of ammonia within an M2 breeding cage from the nest (19 ppm), to the food hopper, 77 ppm. By housing CD-1 pairs of mice in RM2 cages which have more than double the floor area of M2 cages (676 cm2), the mean level of ammonia during lactation on Day 4 after cleaning was reduced to 26 ppm. The reproductive performance on inbred/outbred strains of mice has to be equated with cage size (floor area) to maintain acceptable levels of ammonia. It is suggested that the recommended minimum floor areas for breeding mice be reviewed.