A longitudinal investigation of gut microbiota dynamics in laying hens from birth to egg-laying stages.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Laying hens are a critical resource in global agriculture, valued for their egg production, which provides an economical and nutritious source of protein. This study aims to comprehensively characterize the developmental changes in the gut microbiota of Hy-Line Brown laying hens from birth to post-laying stages.

Methods

A total of 100 Hy-Line Brown laying hens were reared under controlled conditions, and feces and ileal contents were collected at three post-laying stages (151, 302, and 422 days). DNA was extracted from the samples and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was sequenced using an Illumina MiSeq platform. The Random Forest algorithm was applied to identify microbial predictors and explore their relationships with age.

Results

The rapid increase in

SUBMITTER: Choi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12229937 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature