Breeding Technician; NIH​/NIEHS, Durham, NC

Reports to:

Assistant Project Manager/Module Supervisor

Works closely with Colony Management Supervisor/Breeding Specialist

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Production:

• Responsible for all breeding and records for assigned project. These include Male Breeding Record, Female Breeding Record, Weight Sheets, Colony Management Reports, Retired Male Records, Euthanasia Records, Standing Order Forms, and ordering bar-coded cage cards (Granite System).
• Setting up breeding pairs for timed mating
• Checking for copulatory plugs (mice) and/or sperm positive smears (rats)
• Ear punching for identification
• Weighing of animals for gestation confirmation
• Separating of females for parturition
• Sexing of animals (adults and newborns)
• Providing foster dams (mice) for other colonies
• Euthanasia
• Monitor male and female breeding performance and make adjustments as needed
• Have knowledge of other breeding colonies and provided coverage as needed
• Animal husbandry for assigned colony as well as husbandry duties in additional rooms as assigned by module supervisor
• Selecting of breeding pairs in accordance with investigator direction and strain characteristics
• Timed mating of breeding pairs to meet the needs of the research protocol
• Animal identification (tattoo, ear punch)
• Sexing
• Separation of males and females for parturition as needed
• Weaning
• Culling
• Dismantling an retiring of breeding pairs
• Fostering of litters as needed
• Euthanasia
• Record keeping. These include Master Breeding Records and breeding cage cards, Tail Biopsy Records, Weaning cage cards, various other temporary cage cards, USDA Reports and in some cases maintaining a computer database
• Ordering bar-coded cage cards (Granite System)
• Have knowledge of the other breeding colonies to ensure coverage as needed
• Weighing of mice as needed for gestation oriented studies
• Attending to special feeds as requested
• Animal husbandry for assigned colony as well as husbandry duties in additional rooms as assigned by module supervisor
• Participate in module project rotations as scheduled
• Weekend animal health checks on a rotational basis as scheduled
• Holiday breeding support on a rotational basis as scheduled
• Additional duties as requested by supervisor