Breeding Colony

Breeding Colony Manager holds guinea pigAlthough genetically engineered mice are available from commercial vendors, including Jackson Laboratory, Charles River, and ENVIGO, many U-M investigators require additional assistance to maintain their breeding colonies on campus.

The Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) Breeding Colony provides administrative, technical, and husbandry services to investigators who do not have the time, facilities, or resources to manage their own breeding colony.

The Breeding Colony currently supports over 70 investigators and manages 350+ various strains of genetically engineered and severe combined immuno deficient (SCID) mice through its operation of a Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) barrier environment.

Users must have an approved animal use protocol from the Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee (IACUC) prior to utilizing Breeding Colony services.

SCID Colony Information

In order to maintain a SCID colony similar to those offered by commercial vendors, breeder replacement mice must be purchased 2–3 times per year. The frequency of breeder replacement(s) is dependent upon strain and colony size. If a SCID colony is shared between two different laboratories, it is expected that each laboratory shares in the responsibility for purchasing replacement breeders.

All breeding cages are given acidified water (pH ~2.5–3.0) to protect the breeders from opportunistic bacteria. All SCID colonies are also tested monthly for C. bovis.

Typical services offered by the Breeding Colony include:

  • Setting up breeding consorts
  • Maintaining breeding records
  • Weaning litters
  • Animal identification
  • Tissue collection (genotyping purposes)
  • Scheduling timed pregnancy/checking copulation plug

Breeding Colony Husbandry Per-Diem Rates

DESCRIPTION UNIT RATE EFFECTIVE
Mice – Breeding Colony Vented per cage $  2.06 01/01/2024
Mice – Breeding Colony Static (formerly "Mice – Breeding Colony") per cage $  2.33 01/01/2024
Rat – Breeding Colony per cage $  2.43 01/01/2024

Breeding Colony Husbandry Hourly Labor Rates

DESCRIPTION RATE EFFECTIVE
Husbandry Technician Labor Rate/Hour $  38.88 01/01/2023
Husbandry Technician Labor Rate/Hour Overtime $  58.32 01/01/2023

 

Rates subject to change.

Information on other types of animal housing, including containment housing and the ULAM Immunodeficient Mouse Facility, can be found on the Animal Husbandry & Housing page.

Questions?

Contact the ULAM Breeding Colony at ulam-bcms@umich.edu or (734) 936-1917 for more information on available services, or to schedule a project consultation.