Effects of ovariectomy on maternal behavior of primiparous and multiparous rats.

Abstract
Prlmiparous and multiparous rats were subjected to ovariectomy (and, of necessity, to caesarean section as well) shortly before term and then in each case presented with a litter of neonatal pups. Virtually all the multiparous females accepted and reared to weaning the fostar litters offered them, while only 50% of the primiparous females did so. The mechanism through which previous partly might have acted to affect the incidence of litter acceptance is discussed.