Documentation of Husbandry Procedures
IACUC Policy: 044-06, Effective Date: 01/18/2013, Last Revision: 04/18/2025
Overview/Purpose
The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) requires documentation of animal care procedures and verification of environmental conditions for animals maintained in confined housing conditions.
Definitions
- Confined housing: refers to animals confined to a pen, stall, or cage
- Primary enclosure: refers to all items that will come into direct contact with the animal during housing including but not limited to the cage, wire feeder/food bowl, enrichment devices, and water bottle/bowl
- Secondary enclosure: refers to items that do not directly contact animals or are used in the support of the animal housing including, but not limited to shelves, incubators, plastic tubs, and racks.
- Aquatic species: are organisms that live solely or chiefly in or on the water.
- Semi-aquatic species: are organisms that are partly aquatic, growing or living in or close to water, or carrying out part of their life cycle in water.
Requirements
Activities must be performed at frequencies defined in the IACUC-approved protocol, standard management plans (SMPs) or standard operating procedures (SOPs). In most cases, animal care staff document tasks completed in core vivaria or facilities. When animals are cared for by investigator staff within dedicated housing or maintained in satellite housing areas, documentation becomes the responsibility of the individual completing the action. For example, investigators providing feed or water to their animals (in the case of a special diet or food/water restriction study) or changing cages within the University Laboratory and Animal Resources (ULAR) vivarium must document these activities themselves at the cage or room level as appropriate (i.e., purple card stock, PI Special Food or Water Record). A work schedule/log sheet/electronic log is reviewed as part of the approval for satellite housing areas.
Documentation Needed for All Species
- Daily observation of all animals for general health (including weekends and holidays).
- Document abnormal findings and animal deaths. Adverse events must be reported to IACUC as per Principal Investigator (PI) protocol assurances.
- Daily check of water
- Daily check of food, if provided ad lib, or provision of food when not available at all times (species-specific)
- Semiannual verification of automated light schedule excluding outdoor facilities and facilities that have room light sensors monitored continuously by building automation systems (BAS) with alarms generated to personnel. (Documentation is not required in agricultural facilities)
- Cleaning/Sanitization of primary and secondary enclosures (documentation not required in agricultural facilities)
Additional Documentation Required
Terrestrial Animals (Biomedical Research)
- Daily verification* that room temperature remained within the approved range (outdoor areas excluded)
- Bedding changes when applicable
Aquatic and Semi Aquatic Species
- Daily verification* that water temperature for each static tank or tank system (flowthrough) remained within the approved range
- Daily verification* that room air temperature remained within the approved range (outdoor areas excluded)
- Water quality measurements
- Filter change/wash
* For areas with automated alarm systems, which alert personnel in the case of excursions, manual recording of exact temperatures (i.e. hi, low, current) is not required
Applicable Regulations
- Animal Welfare Act (AWA, Public Law 89-544, 7 U.S.C.)
- Animal Welfare Act Regulations (AWAR, 9 CFR, Chapter 1, Subchapter A)
- Health Research Extension Act of 1985 and Public Health Service (PHS) Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals
- National Research Council Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (THE GUIDE), Eighth Edition. National Academy of Sciences, 2011
- The American Dairy Science Association, the American Society of Animal Science, and the Poultry Science Association Guide for the Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Research and Teaching, Fourth edition
Revision History
- 044-01 – new policy approved 01/18/2013
- 044-02 – removed from requirements: In addition, personnel providing special water must label the water bottle with the agent being used. Frequency of investigator providing food or water should be included in the IACUC protocol. Added - semi-aquatic species to aquatic species section. Added details for recording air and/or water temperatures in respective sections; approved 06/19/2015
- 044-03 – revised to combine aquatics requirements with terrestrial requirements; added Definitions section; approved 11/17/2017
- 044-04 – revised to clarify requirements for animals maintained for agricultural research or teaching; approved 01/18/2019
- 044-05 – Clarification of documentation requirements in agricultural facilities approved 12/17/2021
- 044-06 – Update overview/purpose, updated definitions, and modified documentation needed within requirements from monthly to semiannual verification of light cycles and to exempt manual recording of temperatures where automated monitoring and alarming exist; approved 04/15/2022
- 044-07 – minor edits; approved 4/18/25
Article ID: 25
Created: April 10, 2024
Last Updated: May 21, 2025
Online URL: https://ohiostateresearch.knowledgebase.co/article/documentation-of-husbandry-procedures-25.html