Increasing Rumen Microbial Diversity in Goats Favours the Adaptation to High-Concentrate Diets With Minor Effects on Feed Utilization.

ABSTRACT: Evolution has enabled ruminants to develop a complex rumen microbiota that aids in the digestion of fibrous feeds. This study examines whether promoting a highly diverse rumen microbiota during early life continues to offer long-term benefits in modern dairy production systems, where young ruminants are reared without exposure to adult ruminants and are fed high-concentrate diets. A total of 36 newborn goat kids were divided in 4 groups. During the first 10 weeks of age, animals were daily inoculated with autoclaved rumen fluid (AUT), fresh rumen fluid from adult goats fed forage (RFF), or concentrate diet (RFC), or received no inoculation (CTL). At 29 weeks of age, following an 18-week wash out period, the animals were shifted from a full-forage to a high-concentrate diet to assess their

SUBMITTER: Belanche A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12824430 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature