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A Technique for Estimating Milk Production in Rats^{1, 2,}

Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis, California 95616

Using lactating rats restricted in nursing time or in food intake, a range in milk productions and average daily pup gains suitable for establishment of a relationship between pup gains and milk energy consumption was obtained. First, a relationship between pup gains and water intake was established based on the fact that the only water intake of pups is as milk. Water turnover rates in pups were estimated using tritiated water. The quadratic equation for this relationship, water turnover (%/day) = 11.5ADG_(g) - 1.92ADG²_(g) + 12.1, had a correlation coefficient of 0.98 and was superior to a linear equation. Based on determinations of rat milk composition and energy content and computations of metabolic body water, the equation was converted to kcal consumed as milk = (11.5ADG_(g) - 1.9ADG²_(g) + 12.1) x BW_(g) x 0.73 x 2.3/100. This equation was validated in a separate experiment and is considered suitable for accurate prediction of rat pup energy consumption and dam milk energy production from rates of pup gain and body weights during week 2 of lactation.

KEY WORDS: • milk • maintenance • growth • neonatal lactation

¹ From Ph.D. thesis of R. Canas and J. J. Romero who gratefully acknowledge support of their graduate training programs by the Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, respectively.

² Supported in part by USPHS-NIH Grant AM-07672.

³ Present addresses: Raul Canñas Cruchaga, Facultad de Agronomia, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Catolica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile, and Juan Jose Romero, Facultad de Agronomia, Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Catolica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile.

Manuscript received 5 August 1974.