Abstract
BackgroundThe microbial populations that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) are known to influence the health and growth performance of the host. Clean hatcheries and machine-based incubation practices in the commercial poultry industry can lead to the acquisition of aberrant microbiota in the GIT of chickens and a very high level of bird-to-bird variation. The lack of microbial profile flock uniformity presents challenges for harnessing and manipulating intestinal bacteria to better serve the host.MethodsCecal contents from high or low performing chickens were used to inoculate the surface of eggs prior to hatching and then the initial gut colonisation was monitored and subsequent changes in gut microbiota composition were followed over time. Two different cecal treatment groups were compared to an untreated control group (n = 32). Bacterial communities were characterised using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing techniques.ResultsCecal microbiota transfer via egg surface application did not transfer the performance profile of the donors to the recipient birds. One of the cecal inoculations provided a more uniform gut microbiota, but this was not reproduced in the second group with a different inoculum. Development of the intestinal community was reproducible in all three groups with some genera like Lactobacillus showing no change, others like Faecalibacterium increased in abundance slowly and steadily over time and others like Enterobacter were abundant only in the first days of life.DiscussionThe cecal treatment reduced bird-to-bird variation in microbiota composition. Although the high FCR performance of donor birds was not transferred with the cecal microbiota, all three groups, including the control, performed better than standard for the breed. The pattern of microbiota development was similar in all three flocks, indicating that the normal processes of microbiota acquisition largely swamped any effect of the cecal material applied to eggs.
Highlights
It is well recognised that the establishment of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota commences from birth (Leser & Molbak, 2009)
Studies indicate that the timeframe to maturity of broiler chickens is significantly reduced and it appears that microbiota can stabilise within three days post-hatch (Apajalahti, Kettunen & Graham, 2016) and remain reasonably constant until 30 days of age (Lu et al, 2003)
Inoculation treatment 1 significantly reduced live weight at 15 and 22 days of age compared with the control, but had no effect on feed intake, feed conversion, or apparent metabolisable energy value of the diet in the first experiment (Table 1)
Summary
It is well recognised that the establishment of the gastrointestinal tract microbiota commences from birth (Leser & Molbak, 2009). The diversity in bacterial sources in combination with the lack of parentally derived bacteria during the first hours and days of life is suggested to be the reason for the widely varying colonisation of the chicken GIT (Fuller, 1989; Stanley et al, 2013c). This situation is somewhat analogous to the findings that human infants delivered in hospitals can harbour aberrant microbiota rather than human specialised microbiota (Schwiertz et al, 2003) and infants delivered by caesarean section have been shown to have different microbiota compared to naturally delivered infants (Dominguez-Bello et al, 2010). We investigated the influence of this intervention on development of cecal microbiota over time and intra- and inter-flock differences
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
