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Why 6 mice per group not 5 mice per group? 


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Grouping 6 mice instead of 5 per cage is often preferred due to social dynamics and welfare considerations. Research suggests that male mice establish stable dominance hierarchies in groups, impacting their circadian rhythms and behavior. Furthermore, group housing male mice before sexual maturity can reduce aggression and stress, promoting social comfort and minimizing the need for individual housing. While individual housing may alleviate aggression, it raises concerns about social isolation and welfare implications. Additionally, standardizing microbiota through littermate control, which often involves larger group sizes, is crucial for research validity and reproducibility. Therefore, considering social behavior, dominance hierarchies, aggression prevention, and microbiota standardization, housing 6 mice per group is generally more beneficial than smaller group sizes like 5 mice.

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The study utilized 6 mice per group to assess the effectiveness of standardizing gut microbiota, comparing littermates and cohousing methods, aiming for robust and reliable results.
Grouping 6 mice instead of 5 may reduce aggression in male mice, as smaller groups can lead to increased competition and aggression, impacting welfare and scientific outcomes.
Open accessPosted ContentDOI
Sarah Kappel, Penny Hawkins, Michael Mendl 
24 Oct 2017
7 Citations
The decision to house 6 mice per group instead of 5 is context-dependent, considering factors like strain, aggression levels, and welfare implications, as discussed in the paper.
A control group of 5 mice may not reach statistical significance; 6 mice per group could provide more reliable results based on statistical justification and experimental design considerations.
The study used 6 mice per group to establish social dominance hierarchy and interactions, impacting circadian activity patterns. This number likely provided a more robust and representative group dynamic.

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