Eggshell and environmental bacteria contribute to the intestinal microbiota of growing chickens.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The initial intestinal microbiota acquired from different sources has profound impacts on animal health and productivity. In modern poultry production practices, the source(s) of the establishing microbes and their overall contribution during development of gastrointestinal tract communities are still unclear. Using fertilized eggs from two independent sources, we assessed the impact of eggshell- and environmental-associated microbial communities on the successional processes and bacterial community structure throughout the intestinal tract of chickens for up to 6 weeks post-hatch.

Results

Culturing and sequencing techniques identified a viable, highly diverse population of anaerobic bacteria on the eggshell. The jejunal, ileal, and cecal microbial communities for

SUBMITTER: Maki JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7288515 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature