Fecal microbiome of horses transitioning between warm-season and cool-season grass pasture within integrated rotational grazing systems.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diet is a key driver of equine hindgut microbial community structure and composition. The aim of this study was to characterize shifts in the fecal microbiota of grazing horses during transitions between forage types within integrated warm- (WSG) and cool-season grass (CSG) rotational grazing systems (IRS). Eight mares were randomly assigned to two IRS containing mixed cool-season grass and one of two warm-season grasses: bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] or crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.]. Fecal samples were collected during transitions from CSG to WSG pasture sections (C-W) and WSG to CSG (W-C) on days 0, 2, 4, and 6 following pasture rotation and compared using 16S rRNA gene sequencing.

Results

Regardless of IRS or transition (C-W vs. W-C)

SUBMITTER: Weinert-Nelson JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9210719 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature