The meadow vole as an experimental animal

A meadow vole colony has been in operation at The Pennsylvania State University for 6 yr. The breeding colony consists of 16 breeding harems of 1 male and 2-4 females per cage. Over 2,500 weanlings have been available each year for various experiments. Primary emphasis has been directed toward determination of the weanling's nutritional requirements. Adults have been used to study plant factors associated with the palatability of forages. This information has been used to devise specific bioassay procedures to study the relative nutritional value of a wide range of cultivated crop species. Weanlings have been used to evaluate the quantity and quality of protein available for growth from cereal grains and soybeans as well as the energy available for growth from temperate and tropical forages. Studies of antiquality constituents with weanlings have led to the indentification of a toxic constituent in crownvetch forage and the verification of undersirable constituents in raw soybeans and forages. Studies with adults have assisted in clarifying the effects of forage saponins and alkaloids on the paltability response of adult voles. Each of these studies have provided some type of new and useful information that has implications in either nonruminant or ruminant responses to crop plants.