Diet Influences Early Microbiota Development in Dairy Calves without Long-Term Impacts on Milk Production.

ABSTRACT: Gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microorganisms play important roles in the health of ruminant livestock and affect the production of agriculturally relevant products, including milk and meat. Despite this link, interventions to alter the adult microbiota to improve production have proven ineffective, as established microbial communities are resilient to change. In contrast, developing communities in young animals may be more easily altered but are less well studied. Here, we measured the GIT-associated microbiota of 45 Holstein dairy cows from 2 weeks to the first lactation cycle, using Illumina amplicon sequencing of bacterial (16S rRNA V4), archaeal (16S rRNA V6 to V8), and fungal (internal transcribed region 1 [ITS1]) communities. Fecal and ruminal microbiota of cows raised on calf starter

SUBMITTER: Dill-McFarland KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6328763 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature