Adequacy of a Milk Diet for the Rat

Abstract

Four generations of female rats which received milk supplemented with iron, copper, manganese, and iodine, produced and weaned almost as many young per litter as did the controls. The experimental animals produced about half as many litters per female as did the controls. Apparently milk is deficient in some nutrient other than iron, copper, manganese, or iodine, which is essential for normal reproduction. The reproductive performance of the fourth generation was not inferior to that of any of the preceding three.