Frequently asked questions
How many breeding pairs should I obtain to start my own colony?
A minimum of two to four breeding pairs are recommended for most strains; additional pairs are suggested for strains challenging to breed, or to expedite colony expansion. Alternatively, it may be more cost-effective to have JAX provide study-ready mice for your experiments (see JAX® Breeding and Rederivation Services).
What breeding information is available for JAX® Mice?
Consult the 'Health & husbandry' tab of the JAX® Mice datasheet for your strain of interest. Breeding performance is environment dependent; detailed baseline breeding statistics should be generated under your facility conditions.
My mice aren’t breeding well, what should I do?
See our Tips for poor breeders webpage.
Some mice in my colony have hair loss; is this normal?
Hair loss (alopecia) and barbering are common to some strains. See JAX NOTES #431, Dermatitis and Alopecia in C57BL/6J and related strains; Kalueff AV et al. 2006. Behavioral Process 71:8-15.
What is The Jackson Laboratory's policy on non-productive breeders?
See our warranty policy within JAX® Mice and Services Terms and Conditions of Use.
What do N, F, p, +, ?, etc. mean for in the strain generation number?
See our Generation Definitions webpage.
How do I genotype my mice?
See our PCR genotyping and troubleshooting webpage.
