The effects of forced nest-site feeding on the food preferences of wild rat pups at weanin

The experiment reported below examined the role of the ingestion of food samples at the nest site on the feeding preferences of wild rat pups during weaning. The results indicated that although food preferences during the first few days of feeding on solid food were not affected by ingestion at the nest site, later preferences were. These data were interpreted as providing additional evidence of the insufficiency of the ingestion of food samples in the nest site to determine pups’ choice of diet for early ingestion and of the role of neophobia in maintaining adult-initiated food preferences.