Breeding Colony Cage Cards

The Cage Card is the per diem bill; rats are billed per animal. Each Rat must have a cage card. There can be multiple cage cards on one cage. Activation of the cage card both debits the protocol for animal use and begins the per diem charge for the cage. ALL cages must have a bar coded cage card. Temporary cage cards have no bar code and therefore cannot be activated.  However, a temporary card is better than no card.

Cage cards must be returned to HSRB 204 for deactivation or per diem will continue to accrue. It is recommended that the date for deactivation be written on cage cards to help assure deactivation on the correct day. Cards are collected before 3:30pm on weekdays and cards left after that time are charged to the next day.

You will have cage cards with two bar codes on them.  When you use a cage card to set up a new cage, turn in the bottom bar code.  Label the strip with the date, number of animals, “S” for splitting mice and “W” for weaning mice/rat.  The “S” is for animals already debited from the protocol (example setting up breeding cages).  The “W” is for newly weaned animals that will need to be debited to the protocol. 

Never re-use a cage card for weaned animals. When an animal is used, turn in that cage card for deactivation. Placing it on another cage/animal prevents proper debit for animal use on the protocol. If it is not turned in per diem continues to accrue.

Should you need a replacement for an existing card, just request a reprint of the original card. This would be the option when a card has been torn, gotten wet, etc.